tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-325882832024-03-14T07:59:37.974-05:00I shouldn't be doin' this.......I should be doin' laundry, or dishes, or cleaning, or cooking, or sewing, or teaching the children or reading the Bible, or any number of other things. I always have these grand ideas and plans, yet somehow, someway, I always end up doing what I shouldn't.Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.comBlogger809125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-22371092162811455772017-04-13T10:59:00.000-05:002017-04-13T10:59:18.209-05:00Birthday BoyNathan turned 17 in March.<div>
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His requests:</div>
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Breakfast:</div>
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Cinnamon Rolls</div>
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Dinner:</div>
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Chicken Quesadillas</div>
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Supper:</div>
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Five Guys</div>
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His gifts:</div>
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From Ellie, Abby, and Sam:</div>
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Season 1 of Psych</div>
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From Hannah and Nick:</div>
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Season 2 of Psych</div>
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From Dad and Mom:</div>
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a boxing style jump rope</div>
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a Van halen t-shirt</div>
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a Psych t-shirt</div>
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an old Rush record we found at an antique store</div>
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His dessert:</div>
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Peach Pie</div>
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Happy 17th Nate the Greatest! </div>
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Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-49943119112235088412017-04-11T11:00:00.000-05:002017-04-11T11:00:01.313-05:00Random Realizations and a RecipeSpring is here and we have been able to sleep with our windows open once again. One morning when the birds began their early morning singing, I realized that was how many a person knew when to arise each day before the advent of alarm clocks.<br />
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We live in a two-story house. I find myself silently counting the stairs every time I ascend (11, turn, 5) or descend (5, turn, 11). It is quite unconsciously until I am conscious then I wonder why on earth I have this habit. We also have a cuckoo clock and I find I am counting the cuckoos whenever it rings.<br />
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When I sit in my chair to read, I can see the backside of a neighbor's garage. It has two windows. Those two windows are situated perfectly for eyes and I often imagine that the it is a face and wonder what the garage would like to say.<br />
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Many of my fellow homeschool parents and friends will encourage one other that college isn't necessary nor right for every child. It is important to raise up those willing to do the blue-collar jobs, which also are vital to our society. But man oh man is that a hard thing to accept if it is your child. The sinful self likes to say that is all good and well in theory, but "my child" is the exception. Well, maybe not. Maybe "my child" needs to be encouraged to look into plumbing or electrical, construction or welding, retail or factory work.<br />
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Not too long ago I finished the book, <i><a href="http://eriklarsonbooks.com/the-books/in-the-garden-of-beasts/" target="_blank">In the Garden of Beasts</a></i> by Erik Larson. It is a very good book about America's ambassador, William Dodd, to Germany in the 1930's. Mr. Larson wove the history learned from research of personal letters and documents of the Dodd family into a compelling narrative that was hard to put down. I was a history major in college and during my senior year, my advisor gave me a copy of a set of family letters. My assignment was to read through these, come up with something to weave them together and write a long (I now no longer remember the length) paper. Well, I did terrible. However, Larson's book made me realize all these years later what my history teacher was expecting.<br />
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I've been trying very hard to add more vegetables to my diet. This recipe is one I just love. I can not get enough of it and make it quite regularly. For a side dish, a snack, or even for breakfast, this is yummy, yummy, yummy.<br />
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Mediterranean Chopped Salad<br />
(from <i>The 6 Week Cure for the Middle-Aged Middle</i> by Drs. Eades)<br />
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2 TBSP red wine vinegar<br />
3/4 tsp salt (I think it needs more so I add more)<br />
1/4 tsp black pepper<br />
1/8 tsp dried basil<br />
1/8 tsp dried oregano<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
1 large English cucumber, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I use a regular cucumber)<br />
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced<br />
2 or 3 radishes, thinly sliced<br />
1 large tomato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes<br />
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In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, pepper, and herbs. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the flavors to combine. Stream in the olive oil whisking all the while to make the dressing.<br />
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Add the chopped vegetables, toss well to coat.<br />
<br />Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-72944646238923724452017-03-21T09:35:00.000-05:002017-03-21T09:35:24.293-05:00Reminders to Pray, Praise, and Give ThanksI love the look of lots of pillows on a bed. To me, they make the bed look so inviting to curl upon, relax, read, and rest.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-U373RMPtrnAF0Hq6W3-utLjtqSt0k09Zj90j9gZuAf04USQ66FhUVHV4fVz6y2QGd4zaV2cjhKH-_usG1PcVbA1kpFEF-p8v88klqzRl1ZErLf0qWzJF678J1xZOncc1cqIy/s1600/IMG_1101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-U373RMPtrnAF0Hq6W3-utLjtqSt0k09Zj90j9gZuAf04USQ66FhUVHV4fVz6y2QGd4zaV2cjhKH-_usG1PcVbA1kpFEF-p8v88klqzRl1ZErLf0qWzJF678J1xZOncc1cqIy/s400/IMG_1101.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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When there is a story behind a pillow, it adds personality to the room. Like this one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3O3e9Sdmf870u58yYV21aJDY7YZ57HqBuwuDNNvZUwAyxE21NplDVg2waBaVJykOomhYwHKfJWqbnwNC5mIUtSaOYESpvhiODgrruztOFNORXvch9g8gDZpNmvV7R_liCHUY/s1600/IMG_1103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS3O3e9Sdmf870u58yYV21aJDY7YZ57HqBuwuDNNvZUwAyxE21NplDVg2waBaVJykOomhYwHKfJWqbnwNC5mIUtSaOYESpvhiODgrruztOFNORXvch9g8gDZpNmvV7R_liCHUY/s400/IMG_1103.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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If you're a Tolkien fan, you recognize the saying right away. We are Tolkien fans, but that isn't the only thing that makes this pillow special. It was stitched by a good friend as a gift for us.<br />
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Their family are also Tolkien fans and when The Hobbit was coming out in theaters, they made the 8 hour trek to our house in December to join another Tolkien fan family for a Hobbit weekend. We enjoyed plenty of food, laughter, conversation, costume creating and wearing, and anticipation for the midnight premier of the movie.<br />
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This pillow brings back those memories.<br />
It makes me smile.<br />
It reminds me to thank and praise God for His gift of friends.<br />
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This is another special pillow.<br />
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My husband did that drawing of his church at age 14. It was part of a quilt made by his siblings and cousins to give to their Grandpa for Christmas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLynbJQPrVfsUdmmoNzO1ZfO0wRivCzkdhIbYSqfI4-dBetpipaKK1w-VVhkck3RjPJuJTv9SfVv8ZO4mBqyliln6pjo_sEMWRBqT0xSoVfDUDIHaqdwCEnSxL1PXDCxgQuBK/s1600/Grandpa+Mumme+Quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLynbJQPrVfsUdmmoNzO1ZfO0wRivCzkdhIbYSqfI4-dBetpipaKK1w-VVhkck3RjPJuJTv9SfVv8ZO4mBqyliln6pjo_sEMWRBqT0xSoVfDUDIHaqdwCEnSxL1PXDCxgQuBK/s400/Grandpa+Mumme+Quilt.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry for the poor quality, it is a scan of a photo of the quilt.</td></tr>
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See all the quilt squares? They were each drawn by one of the grandkids and sewn together for the quilt. A couple of years ago all of them received that picture, a pillow, and the following description:<br />
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"Merry Christmas Grandpa 1985. . ."</div>
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Each Quilt block told the story of what his grandchildren were doing at the time. . .</div>
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- Debra was a manager at Kmart</div>
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- Donna was a manager at Northwest Fabrics (that's why she got to sew the quilt together)</div>
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- Mary was in Nursing School</div>
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- Mark was restoring trucks</div>
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- Paul was taking pictures</div>
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- David drew St. John's South Branch where we all attended church and school</div>
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- Matthew giving their dog a ride on the 3-wheeler</div>
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- Jonathan was looking forward to spring and baseball</div>
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- Daniel liked to "farm"</div>
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- Johanna was reminding Grandpa of all the hours he spent watching his grandkids play</div>
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For years the blanket wrapped around Grandpa in his wheelchair keeping him warm. . . He was so proud of his FAMILY!!</div>
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The edges were tattered and worn. It was time to give the squares back. . .</div>
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A picture was taken. . .</div>
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Pillows were made. . .</div>
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Enjoy the memories of Christmas 1985!!</div>
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Even though I never knew Grandpa as he was given the crown of life long before I became part of the family, I have this special memory of him. I have love for his grandchildren who made this quilt for him. I am proud to be part of his heritage.</div>
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This pillow reminds me of that heritage founded in faith in Christ.</div>
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It makes me smile.</div>
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It reminds me to thank and praise God for His gift of family.</div>
Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-84498029761531163442017-03-17T14:21:00.000-05:002017-03-17T14:21:00.403-05:00I needed to buy a seed/nut blend from King Arthur to make some favorite buns for the Ash Wednesday soup supper. I also needed yeast and as I was perusing the King Arthur site, <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/multi-grain-sourdough-boule-recipe-bundle" target="_blank">I saw this combination</a>.<br />
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Since it had both the harvest grain blend plus the yeast I needed and I thought it would be a good idea for me to get back into making bread again, I decided to just buy the Multi-Grain Sourdough Boule Recipe Bundle.<br />
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I've experimented a little with sourdough in the past, but never became attached to the process. Meaning, I let the starter go bad. I've told myself this time will be different. Time will soon tell.<br />
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I am keeping the starter alive, finding lots of helpful tips and tools on the <a href="http://search.kingarthurflour.com/search?p=Q&lbc=kingarthurflour&uid=597565085&ts=custom&w=sourdough&method=and&view=grid&af=type:blogs" target="_blank">King Arthur website</a>.<br />
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The first thing I made was <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/sourdough-pizza-crust-recipe" target="_blank">sourdough pizza crusts</a>. I did not want to throw away any starter, and this looked like a good way to use that cup. I make them, bake them partially, let them cool, wrap and freeze them.<br />
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I've made <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/classic-sourdough-waffles-or-pancakes-recipe" target="_blank">sourdough waffles and pancakes</a>, both very yummy.<br />
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Finally this week, I made the <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/multi-grain-sourdough-boule-recipe" target="_blank">Multi-Grain Sourdough Boule</a> bread.<br />
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It has a very good taste with the tang of sourdough and the crunchy nuts and seeds.<br />
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It was perfectly paired with the Lentil Soup I had prepared.<br />
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Warm from the oven with butter.<br />
Toasted with butter.<br />
Sliced with butter and some cheddar cheese or spread with strawberry jelly.<br />
This loaf isn't lasting long.<br />
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Better go make sure the starter is ready for another baking day.<br />
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<br />Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-32505508170711426852017-03-14T10:22:00.002-05:002017-03-14T10:26:14.431-05:00Mailman Alert"Did the mail come?" is the question routinely asked by my husband when he arrives home for dinner (lunch if you live in other parts of the country). Only in the last six months has my answer routinely been "I don't know" instead of "It's on the counter."<br />
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What happened to change my answer?<br />
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Our 14 year old Sheltie, Missy, who every day waited with baited breath staring at the front door waiting for the mailman to come so she could attack the door with barking, jumping, and hopefully biting any shoes that were left in the hallway, died.<br />
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Missy came into our life not as a choice we made but as a gift from my mother. Mom had been living in Florida and decided to get a dog. She chose a Sheltie just like other dogs we had when I was growing up. But Mom quickly realized she really didn't like having her and thought my kids needed a dog. Therefore, when she flew to help me after the birth of my fifth child, she brought her puppy and then gave her to us.<br />
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The kids were thrilled, I was postpartum. Now I had five kids ages infant to 7, a new dog, and a house to move because my husband had just accepted a call to a new parish in a new state.<br />
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But we all survived and grew to love Missy, our constant companion. Throughout the years she provided much enjoyment and frustration.<br />
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The barking at the door when the mailman came. Or the FedEx or UPS man came. Or when anyone else came, even when David walked through the front door.<br />
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The tug-o-war with her bone, the only toy she ever really liked.<br />
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Following me around wherever I went.<br />
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The fetching of tennis balls out in the yard we would throw.<br />
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The mad barking and rushing attack towards any dog, person, or animal seen on the front sidewalk, or church parking lot. Fortunately we had an underground wire fence for part of her life and then when it broke a leash for the rest.<br />
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The constant petting of belly and head she wanted whenever we were sitting.<br />
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But through it all we loved her and loved to complain about her. In the last year of her life we began to notice some big changes. Her hearing was deteriorating so she didn't always hear the UPS truck or the mailman or toward the end even the thunderstorms.<br />
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Her eyesight was failing because she didn't see food which had dropped off the table as quickly as she always used to.<br />
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Her fear increased and she was constantly at my feet. If I sat, she was beside me on the floor at my feet. If I was moving around the kitchen, she was in a spot where she could easily see where I was going.<br />
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She loved to be with me so much so that during that last year there were times she would not settle down at night unless I was on the couch and the blanket covering me was half on the floor for her to lay on. Those were nights I didn't like her all too much. And those nights seemed to be increasing.<br />
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At the very end we noticed her having trouble at times with her legs or hips. But each time we took her to the vet, she always got a clean bill of health. The last being just two months before she died.<br />
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In September after we got back from a week away at camp, she came home from the family who took care of her while we were on vacation. Since they spoiled her rotten, she often moped after coming home from their house. But this was more than moping, she was lethargic and she was not eating.<br />
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I tried buying new food, but even that she didn't care to have. She also wasn't drinking very much water. She just wanted to sleep a lot and be wherever I was.<br />
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As those last days progressed we knew she was getting weaker and weaker and it broke our hearts. We weren't sure what to do nor when to do it. The kids loved her and spent many hours just petting her and loving her while she lay down. They were so very tender with her.<br />
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One Tuesday morning I awoke early to attend 6:15 am Bible Study. I couldn't find her at first and as I looked I finally found her in the basement where she had fallen down the stairs. She was lethargic, but alive, and barely had the strength to love me with her eyes. I carried her upstairs and laid her on a towel.<br />
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The kids petted her all morning till time to leave for piano lessons. I'm glad they did because when we arrived home just before one, she had died. Tears flowed freely.<br />
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We covered her and put her in her crate till that evening when David was free. Then we all went out to a church member's farm who graciously let us bury her there alongside their beloved pets.<br />
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Sadness remains and we are reminded of Missy's absence at various times. Like when coming home at night she isn't there to greet us at the back door. The vacuum is used more frequently after meals since she isn't here to snatch the bits and pieces dropped from the table.<br />
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But none more so than when each day I realize I have to answer "I don't know" to my husband's "Did the mail come?" My barking alert is no longer here to remind me.Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-52958959368365231172017-03-06T14:54:00.001-06:002017-03-06T14:54:10.051-06:00Bullet JournalI have always liked planning; lists, calendars (paper and electronic), and binders are all tools I've used to organize my life over the years. All have helped and been of service and there are pluses and minuses to each of them. I am not sorry I've used so many different types because I have come to realize different times in my life have needed different methods of keeping organized. Today is another time and I'm utilizing a new organization, the bullet journal.<br />
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Friends were talking about this and sharing pictures of their bullet journals last fall. It looked intriguing and I began to do a little research. First I read articles on the official <a href="http://bulletjournal.com/" target="_blank">bullet journal website</a>. It was helpful, but not as much as my friend's pictures and ideas, as well as, reading the plethora of blogposts I found by typing into the search engine, bullet journal. Reading and seeing those pictures from lots of different people, helped me to understand that a bullet journal could be used in many ways, not only by business men.<br />
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I shared the idea with my husband and he thought he would like to try it as well. With Christmas money we purchased two <a href="https://www.leuchtturm1917.us/" target="_blank">Leuchtturm1917</a> bullet journals and began figuring out how to make them work for us.<br />
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January was a learning curve, but a good one. I liked the future log where I add upcoming events such as birthdays, vacations, meetings, and other events. I also liked the "month at a glance" page. I chose to do it as a list instead of like a calendar month. I added lines in between the weeks to help me see the break.<br />
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But I did find, after searching for ideas on Pinterest, to make three columns on this month at a glance page. The first column I list "all day" events, the second column is for listing "morning" events, and the third column for "evening" events. That little improvement has meant a much easier time of seeing when I'm busy during the day.<br />
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One of my big goals was to start planning meals again. The bullet journal is the place I'm doing that. For January I just made lists as the days progressed with a spot for planning meals on the side. This worked well but I decided to try a different layout for February.<br />
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Again I turned to Pinterest for ideas and decided on this one.<br />
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I really liked this layout with the spots for meal planning or recording on the outside columns, tasks for the day in another column, and a space for notes. Unlike January, for February I prepared each of these two-page weekly spreads for the entire month at the beginning of the month. I found I liked that quite a bit. So I kept that plan for March but decided to try a different weekly layout. Here is what I am doing for March.<br />
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It has the meal planning on the bottom of each column which I will find out if I like or not. My main reason for trying this layout though was to see if I liked having a week read from left to right similar to a calendar. I'll give it the month and then form an opinion. In the picture you can see how I dealt with the last week which includes a day for April, by changing colors.<br />
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Other things I have in my bullet journal are the following lists: Movies to Watch, Movies Watched, Blog Post Ideas, Chore List, and Vacation Ideas. Those are in various places but are easily found because of the index. The index is the most brilliant thing about the bullet journal. It doesn't matter if my month or daily tasks are mixed up with pages of other ideas, because every time I start a new page, I list what it is and where it is in the index. It has really helped to free up my brain and cast off fear of messing up.<br />
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David and I wanted a pen pouch to keep the Pentel EnerGel pens we bought to use with our journals. So many of them just weren't right and then I stumbled upon a moleskin version at Barnes and Noble. It has worked very well. I love that it is attached to the front cover of my journal so the pens are always where I need them. There is a zippered pocket in which I keep the metal ruler I use to draw straight lines.<br />
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Overall, I am very happy with my bullet journal. I like the flexibility and the non-electronic nature. I try to sit down each evening and morning to update and make sure I know what is to be done.<br />
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Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-77599263767997702122017-02-24T14:43:00.001-06:002017-02-24T14:43:16.904-06:00Reading2016 wasn't a stellar year for reading. According to my Goodreads list, I finished 44 books which is 85% of the personal goal I set to read 52 books in 2016. Not too shabby I guess considering that last year was quite the busy year.<br />
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I did not set a goal for number of books to read on Goodreads this year, nor did I join any reading challenges. I am simply going to read the next book whether that is one for book club, one I have been wanting to read, one I find on my shelf or on a library shelf, one a friend or family member recommends, or one I am requiring my kids to read for history or literature.<br />
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If you're interested in knowing what I'm reading, follow me on Goodreads, but I will occasionally make note of ones here. In that vein, following are some I have read that I think are worthy to note.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mysterious-Benedict-Society-Collection/dp/0316368873/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487964752&sr=1-3&keywords=the+mysterious+benedict+society" target="_blank"><i>The Mysterious Benedict Society</i></a> - a trilogy by Trenton Lee Stewart<br />
For many years my children have told me to read these books. That I would love them just like they have. Finally at the end of 2016, I read them. My kids were right. These are great books. Four children answer a newspaper add, are tested in strange and unusual tests, and then continue on mysterious assignments to help defeat evil. Delightful characters, interesting plot, good moral point are all included. I think this series would be perfect to add to your read aloud pile.<br />
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fatal-Grace-Chief-Inspector-Gamache/dp/0312541163/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487965449&sr=1-1&keywords=a+fatal+grace+by+louise+penny" target="_blank"><i>A Fatal Grace</i></a> by Louise Penny<br />
The second novel in the series about Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is very good. Set in Three Pines, a murder by electrocution takes place outside in the winter in sub-zero temperatures on a frozen lake during a curling tournament. CI Gamache must unravel the mystery while author Penny is slowly unraveling the character of the beloved inspector. My friend recommended this series to me and I am grateful she did. If you like murder mysteries with a feel of Agatha Christie and Murder She Wrote, set in a Canadian town that seems quite quaint and lovely, then begin with the first book, <i>Still Life</i>, and see what you think. My kids, at my request, gave me the first two books in the series as a gift for Christmas. I plan to add the rest of the books. Until then, I just picked up the third in the series, <i>The Cruelest Month,</i> from the library and will begin reading soon.<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Residence-Inside-Private-World-White/dp/0062305204/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487966014&sr=1-1&keywords=the+residence+inside+the+private+world+of+the+white+house" target="_blank">The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House</a></i> by Kate Andersen Brower<br />
Another friend recommended this book to me. I borrowed it from the library and was planning to read it while at camp on vacation in January. Wanting to get a jump start, I took it out to start reading in the van which caused my hubby to see and he requested I read it aloud to him. So I did. We both enjoyed this book and the stories of the White House staff who take care of the president and his family. The love the staff has for each family shines through these pages while their dedication to serving them and helping them to feel at home while living in a very public residence is admirable.<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Career-Evil-Cormoran-Strike-Novel/dp/0316349895/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487966391&sr=1-1&keywords=career+of+evil" target="_blank">Career of Evil</a></i> by Robert Galbraith<br />
This is also a mystery and part of a series, but it isn't quite as quaint as the Penny novels. Third in the series about detective Cormoran Strike, Galbraith (pseudonym for J.K. Rowling) continues following the hard, gritty, crass and foul-mouthed private detective and his secretary-assistant Robin Ellacott. This book reveals even more about Strike and Robin while we read about the mystery of who sent a leg to their office addressed to Robin and why. Not afraid to dig the depths of human misery and those sins "polite society" doesn't talk about, Galbraith once again shows her writing skill in creating characters who are so real with a plot so fascinating, that the book is hard to put down.<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Michel-Montaigne-Complete-Penguin-Classics/dp/0140446044/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487966993&sr=1-1&keywords=the+complete+essays+michel+de+montaigne" target="_blank">The Complete Essays</a></i> by Michel de Montaigne<br />
This is the book I am currently reading for book club. Although we are not reading all of it, we are reading all of what Susan Wise Bauer suggests in her book, <i>The Well Educated Mind</i> which are the lists we are following for our book club. I have found it interesting although I freely admit that at times I am not sure what he is trying to say. Montaigne does like to go on and on about a topic but so often there are gems of quotes that I stop to copy. Some of the ladies in my book club have begun reading it aloud to their spouse as a way to help understand what he is saying and to stay awake. The beginning essays were much shorter than the end ones and I can only read when the house is quiet and my brain is without distraction. However, I have enjoyed reading his thoughts, even though they ramble and my mind wonders. If you do decide you'd like to tackle Montaigne (and at least one in our book club would encourage you not to), I have found the penguin classic version edited by M. A. Screech to be quite helpful. Also, only read those essays as suggested by Bauer, it will definitely give you a feel for what type of man he is.<br />
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<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Innocent-Will-Robie-David-Baldacci/dp/0446572985/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487968302&sr=1-1&keywords=the+innocent+david+baldacci" target="_blank">The Innocent</a></i> by David Baldacci<br />
I am not sure if my sister-in-law or a friend told me about this series, but either way I am enjoying this book. I have always liked this genre of spy/thriller novels. This book reminds me of one of my favorite series in this genre, the novels by Vince Flynn about Mitch Rapp. Over half-way done with the book, I am intrigued by the plot and am interested in how it will end. I will also check out the rest of Baldacci's <a href="http://davidbaldacci.com/books/robie/" target="_blank">books in this series about Will Robbie</a>.<br />
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And now it is time to keep reading!<br />
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<br />Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-48241134140256104832017-02-21T11:00:00.000-06:002017-02-21T11:00:54.886-06:00Stir UpMarlene was a wonderful woman in our congregation who was called home to her heavenly Father in January of 2016. She was a great example of Mary who sat at the feet of Jesus listening to His teaching. Marlene too loved to sit at Jesus' feet, listening to His word of forgiveness, life, and salvation. If there was a Bible study, church service, or prayer office, she was there sitting and receiving God's gifts.<br />
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Marlene was also a Martha, who was forever serving her Lord by feeding the people He surrounded her with, family, friends, fellow believers. Serving the pastors a delicious meal for their circuit meeting, bringing treats for Bible Class, helping with Lenten suppers or Ladies' Aid dinners, inviting guests to her table at home are all examples of Marlene's love to serve her neighbors delicious food.<br />
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Marlene loved recipes, trying them, collecting them, sharing them. She inherited that love from her mother and in February of 2014, a dream of publishing these recipes finally came true.<br />
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Marlene took the recipes she had inherited and collected from her mother, her grandmother, her husband's family, her aunts and cousins, daughters and grandchildren and fought battles with organizing them and typing them, while learning the benefits as well as the trials of a computer before sending it off to a cookbook publisher. This two volume set stirs up good recipes and fond memories of a much loved and missed friend.<br />
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Here is a favorite recipe from Volume 2 we have made almost weekly.<br />
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Southwest Cream Cheese Chicken<br />
1. 5 lbs chicken breasts<br />
1 8oz package cream cheese<br />
1 15 oz can corn (I've used frozen)<br />
1 15 oz can black beans<br />
1 15 oz jar salsa<br />
tortillas or hot cooked rice*<br />
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Place the chicken into a crock pot. Combine the cream cheese, corn, beans and the salsa; add to the chicken; cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours. Pull the chicken apart/shred and serve on the tortillas or over the rice.<br />
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*I've always simply served it in a bowl, soup style. Those that desire eat it with chips and maybe adding a dollop of sour cream and a little shredded cheese.Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-26094978387198749082017-02-14T10:11:00.002-06:002017-02-14T10:11:29.869-06:00Night WatchmanSt. Nicholas' Day 2016 was the fourth year of giving the family an incense smoker. Having already given St. Nicholas, St. Peter, and a Pastor, we chose this year the Night Watchman.<br />
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When we visited Rothenburg ob der Tauber with the family in May of 2012, one of the things we did was take the Night Watchman's Tour. It was a favorite of all. The man who played the night watchman did an excellent job of describing what his job entailed as he led us around the city pointing out various spots of importance. Besides all that, just look at him:<br />
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Remembering this fun tour and spotting a night watchman smoker in the catalog from <a href="http://wohlfahrt.com/en/" target="_blank">Katie Wohlfahrt</a>, it was an easy decision which smoker to give for St. Nicholas Day!<br />
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We all were excited and amazed at how big he was! David and I didn't realize just how big he was going to be. We had wrongly assumed he would be about the same size as our other smokers, but, well, you know what assuming does!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzuOcAPSD6tBwZq34dTCtuoG69gS7UPALLx-EZpb5U_PZbWgZg6elml9PsywCLiMY1VVUdvfCaGtJwlsY0HW-dhB0k5fSuB7eokWjf4e2Qa3tIxdc5-JYozzsyl1cmd9lUp3Z/s1600/IMG_1043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzuOcAPSD6tBwZq34dTCtuoG69gS7UPALLx-EZpb5U_PZbWgZg6elml9PsywCLiMY1VVUdvfCaGtJwlsY0HW-dhB0k5fSuB7eokWjf4e2Qa3tIxdc5-JYozzsyl1cmd9lUp3Z/s400/IMG_1043.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing guard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSMUAbH4xo4z3-msTNRYgyLlgLBBJ96Ob8WIxyd6vvVssjKPvyusd3GkKd6cy2o-nJsDxDUXJDuObJT6aWefn81EEMN2tGwJus8Ma90fIVU6IcGzZxrn_-XvuGp64ur3t1s9_/s1600/IMG_1044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqSMUAbH4xo4z3-msTNRYgyLlgLBBJ96Ob8WIxyd6vvVssjKPvyusd3GkKd6cy2o-nJsDxDUXJDuObJT6aWefn81EEMN2tGwJus8Ma90fIVU6IcGzZxrn_-XvuGp64ur3t1s9_/s400/IMG_1044.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love his hair, mustache, and pipe, not to mention the feather in his cap!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtagXO9IdG-xOFmbosGmGFmv8M5XNnOvvmGkse4nWZbIaidnk2_37ShQQEqobY9t01RLJHXt61hz1v09OoabCylPKIZBpo_M1LYPAyj6nmUG78AaSnd2ZUB89akHtlssMBJ78G/s1600/IMG_1045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtagXO9IdG-xOFmbosGmGFmv8M5XNnOvvmGkse4nWZbIaidnk2_37ShQQEqobY9t01RLJHXt61hz1v09OoabCylPKIZBpo_M1LYPAyj6nmUG78AaSnd2ZUB89akHtlssMBJ78G/s400/IMG_1045.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His lantern is as big as little Martin Luther!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdp5XnN_31nzUjfErsaLPnSzOg5ejwQCzrRqGn3msnzJD-QJPZ_U0pYDVJy28APYWy6dYjJeSiglEsRD-zt0IkLHaSA5AzAY8_a4AtT0urmjTiI8p_CbdkjP5pKz8rui6mpLf/s1600/IMG_1046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdp5XnN_31nzUjfErsaLPnSzOg5ejwQCzrRqGn3msnzJD-QJPZ_U0pYDVJy28APYWy6dYjJeSiglEsRD-zt0IkLHaSA5AzAY8_a4AtT0urmjTiI8p_CbdkjP5pKz8rui6mpLf/s400/IMG_1046.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't you love the bird?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9Mwt2xERbqxWzVS6OW9aKpH2FvLquWkszK6EBi97AQfxadjkTEPfYnFo8-G2aFVS8fowa11Cp5SMf7G4Kd2gwpWgZvE3W7WmgCPcRK2n19AJZR3kHujLZcXcDirUTO27IeLm/s1600/IMG_0883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9Mwt2xERbqxWzVS6OW9aKpH2FvLquWkszK6EBi97AQfxadjkTEPfYnFo8-G2aFVS8fowa11Cp5SMf7G4Kd2gwpWgZvE3W7WmgCPcRK2n19AJZR3kHujLZcXcDirUTO27IeLm/s400/IMG_0883.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here you can see how much bigger he is than our other smokers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Even though he is bigger than our others, we have enjoyed him this winter season. I think we will lovingly call him Hagrid because it is only fitting that a big, lovable giant be a Night Watchman.Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-4333153280863900462017-02-13T11:35:00.002-06:002017-02-13T11:35:36.598-06:00Memory Work I describe our <a href="http://ishouldntbedointhis.blogspot.com/2015/09/it-is-never-to-late.html" target="_blank">memory work time</a> in this post. Overall, I have been quite pleased with how this went last school year. A little every day, or most days, helped us learn quite a bit. I think it so valuable that I would challenge all homeschool parents to incorporate a similar tool in their day. Even though it changes as the years and knowledge progresses, the overall form doesn't and that makes it easy once you figure out the form for your school.<br />
<br />
This year our memory work time looks a little different as I tweaked and added, deleted and moved things around. Last year I simply had loose-leaf papers which were stored in my binder, I handed to the three kids each day. This year I bought them each their own binder, added the 8 tabs (Daily, Odd, Even, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday) and placed those loose-leaf sheets behind the appropriate tab. Each day at Memory Work time, they bring their binders to the table for us to begin.<br />
<br />
<b>Daily Work</b> (this is what we recite every day)<br />
<br />
Old things we are still working on:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Apostles' Creed in Latin</li>
<li>Kings and Queens of England Poem</li>
<li>History Sentences</li>
</ul>
<br />
New things I've added:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-SRwS4tc8EEFSD13Ip5PweWR2C_vVwxgNxqsHLJH7rTBaJ9EkJvktGy-44HFqgcD8GE0hfyjoanti7TnODnuzV0jNfz16z25kAfDSV2C0f5I09W5YcqZVaD4KXZhUesFB0SY/s1600/IMG_1050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD-SRwS4tc8EEFSD13Ip5PweWR2C_vVwxgNxqsHLJH7rTBaJ9EkJvktGy-44HFqgcD8GE0hfyjoanti7TnODnuzV0jNfz16z25kAfDSV2C0f5I09W5YcqZVaD4KXZhUesFB0SY/s400/IMG_1050.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<ul>
<li>The Book of Concord : a sheet with 10 rows and 4 columns. The 10 rows are the 10 things in the Book of Concord (Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Small Catechism, Large Catechism, Augsburg Confession, Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Smalcald Articles, Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope, Formula of Concord). The 4 columns include Name (list of those ten things), Date (when it was written), Author, and Summary of that document.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Excerpts from the Declaration of Independence: two of my children are working through a government class which required this so I made it a part of memory work time.</li>
<li>Capitals of the Eastern and Western Europe: I am using a <a href="https://www.memoriapress.com/curriculum/american-and-modern-studies/geography-iii/" target="_blank">geography program from Memoria Press</a> and the children are required to learn these and asked me to find a song to help. <a href="http://parksideplace.blogspot.com/2010/01/european-capitals-song-by-nathan-stark.html" target="_blank">I did</a> and it has really helped all of us. The tune is "Turkey in the Straw." The linked blogpost has some errors in the text. I simply copied and pasted them into a new document, corrected the errors, and printed out the sheets for our binders. We then listened to the bookmarked page of the video of Mr. Stark singing linked in the blogpost. Now we often just sing it ourselves since we know how it proceeds.</li>
<li>Along with the capitals we are working on the countries of Western Europe and Eastern Europe with our Geography Songs cd by Larry and Kathy Troxel</li>
<li>The Bonding Song - unfortunately I do not see this available anymore as a download on this website. Y<a href="http://ellenjmchenry.com/product/the-elements-hard-copy-cd/" target="_blank">ou can still buy the curriculum</a> which includes the song. I had bought it years ago when my oldest two were junior high. At that time it was on a cassette tape. I then upgraded a couple years ago with a mp3 download to my computer. But since two kids are currently working through Wile's Apologia Chemistry course, I thought it valuable to pull this song back out to help instill the differences in covalent, ionic, and metallic bonds.</li>
<li>Art Cards: I own <a href="http://cathyduffyreviews.com/homeschool-reviews-core-curricula/art-and-music/art/childsize-masterpieces" target="_blank">Child Size Masterpieces</a> by Aline Wolf. I took some of the most famous ones and hung them on our basement stairwell. Each of my three kids pick one and we try to learn the name and the artist. Once we get those, they pick three more and we repeat.</li>
<li>I added the following math sheets which I took from <a href="http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/andrew-a-campbell/living-memory/paperback/product-4080865.html" target="_blank">Andrew Campbell's <i>Living Memory</i></a> text I bought this past summer. I highly recommend it to anyone who is working on creating a Memory Work time for their family. It helped me think through what I wanted to do with my children. The math sheets are: Fraction-Decimal-Percent Equivalents, Properties of Addition and Multiplication, Order of Operations, Common Measurement Equivalents, A 15x15 Multiplication Table, Common Squares and Common Cubes through 15, Prime Numbers</li>
</ul>
<b>Odd</b> (We only recite these on odd numbered days)<br />
<br />
Everything is the same: We review Latin prayers and the conjugations and declensions.<br />
<br />
<b>Even</b> (We only recite these on even numbered days)<br />
<br />
This is only review of the Small Catechism. Each even day we recite one chief part. Here is what I added:<br />
<br />
First we recite together the following:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXhINsPcyGj5R0STREjz1hCd23oMjpNf3C5_kwZDfVMuPbPLGiLnziEaNC9Wj8Z6IsdUjfprOXPCqiptQ6HNfYmKovvV2-HaiyW8KagDbDrGZQyhmQEEvoI2LQ3ycz231IP5k/s1600/IMG_1048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXhINsPcyGj5R0STREjz1hCd23oMjpNf3C5_kwZDfVMuPbPLGiLnziEaNC9Wj8Z6IsdUjfprOXPCqiptQ6HNfYmKovvV2-HaiyW8KagDbDrGZQyhmQEEvoI2LQ3ycz231IP5k/s400/IMG_1048.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What is Catechesis?" is from <a href="http://lutherancatechesis.org/" target="_blank">Pastor Bender's Lutheran Catechesis</a> materials. "What is Faith?" and What is Love?" are two my husband wrote and which he goes over with parents and catechumens. I took all three and formatted them in a document for our use in Memory Work time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Second we recite together the particular section for the chief part we are doing that day:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-i1U70AUeOpbimxgxF9ntGPp3y7l6O2TxurRyYrUba2mwDGO3vLMPN7Cxgch-FdhL9i7r8vUagaucYOAajd9nIePKA_uXNzPThDeayfVLpIHtdiv8djJ2AIy288OZJ0hKJLK/s1600/IMG_1049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP-i1U70AUeOpbimxgxF9ntGPp3y7l6O2TxurRyYrUba2mwDGO3vLMPN7Cxgch-FdhL9i7r8vUagaucYOAajd9nIePKA_uXNzPThDeayfVLpIHtdiv8djJ2AIy288OZJ0hKJLK/s400/IMG_1049.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is also taken directly from Pastor Bender's Lutheran Catechesis which I simply formatted for our purposes. The post-it note is my moving bookmark so I remember which Chief Part we are to recite. It resides below the one for that day. Each of the children have this in their binder as well.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Third, we recite together that Chief Part. We each have our hymnals open to the catechism. I ask the question and then we recite together. We try hard to say it from memory, but have the words in front of us to aid when our memory fails, which is more often then we like to admit. But I trust God's Word and know that our reading, hearing, and speaking it will benefit us.<br />
<br />
Each day of the week has its own subject review and it hasn't changed much from last year. Anything we learned well last year and only need to review was moved behind the appropriate tab. The only new thing behind one of the tabs is another Math review sheet which has formulas and definitions, which I also took from the book, <i>Living Memory</i>.<br />
<br />
Our Memory Work time has been a great benefit to us and I try really hard to meet with them each day. I fail and don't though. However, I am realizing that it is okay and we will get to it tomorrow. The plus of having a binder all ready to go is that we simply pick it up on the next day and begin there. We are not behind, we simply do what needs to be done that day, keeping the time to no more that 30 minutes, and realizing we will get to the rest on another day.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-11876080291058507592017-02-07T13:04:00.004-06:002017-02-07T13:04:50.497-06:00A Year Goes ByA year is a long time to go without posting and a lot can happen in that length of time. Many things can change; height, weight, age, knowledge, creaking joints, number of children, while a lot of things can happen; graduations, new jobs, engagements, weddings, amongst many others. Life here in our little neck of the woods was no different.<br />
<br />
April 2016<br />
Hannah had oodles of recitals, including her own senior composition recital as well as a senior piano recital. However, all of that took a backseat when <a href="http://strawberrieswithcream.blogspot.com/2016/05/a-proposal-story.html" target="_blank">she got engaged</a>! We were thrilled! Our sweet baby was going to be a bride!<br />
<br />
Ellie turned 19.<br />
<br />
May 2016<br />
Hannah graduated summa cum laude from Bethany.<br />
Hannah and Ellie went on band tour to Florida with the Bethany band<br />
<br />
The rest of us went on vacation. First we stopped for the weekend at the first congregation my husband served. They celebrated their 150th anniversary and invited him to preach. What a joy to catch up with friends from that congregation. It was like a wonderful, hug-filled, food-filled, reminiscing-filled family reunion. After that a few days at my mom's before David headed to meetings in St. Louis, and the other kids and I headed to Chicago to celebrate dear Lydia's high school graduation.<br />
<br />
Then began the summer of work.<br />
<br />
The campground in town put in a brand new waterpark - two slides, a climbing wall, a ball area, and a walk where you hang on the ropes above your head as you try to move from floating pad to floating pad all the way across, plus a little zero depth entrance for the youngest campers. It was a huge project, and if that weren't enough, they added a Snack Shack right beside to aid the hungry swimmers. The new waterpark is why Nathan got his lifeguard certificate and over the course of the summer he spent many, many hours watching the multitude of swimmers enjoy the new waterpark.<br />
<br />
The new Snack Shack brought me back into the working world. Once it was up and running in July, I began spending many hours helping make pizzas, learning how to make the perfect blurry, swirl the right amount into a cone for a soft serve treat, and how to clean everything up at the end of the day. Not only Snack Shack working but I also helped clean the cabins after campers departed.<br />
<br />
Hannah and Ellie continued working at Pizza Ranch but also worked a couple times in the Snack Shack when needed. One week the only one in our family who didn't get a paycheck from the campground was David.<br />
<br />
To keep straight where everyone was and who would be home to eat meals, we bought a dry erase board for the refrigerator and updated it as the weekly schedules emerged. It was chaotic. It was tiring. It was fun. And although Nathan, Abby, and Sam, spent many of their working hours watching the pool soaking up the rays of the sun, my work was always inside. So much so that I realized at the end of the summer I had not tried the new waterslides nor even put on my swimsuit once. That was a sad realization.<br />
<br />
In August Abby turned 15.<br />
<br />
September 2016<br />
After the summer of work, the chaos didn't stop as now the wedding preparations were dwindling down to the end. Ellie went back to college to begin her senior year. A week at Camp Luther gave us time to relax before the final push to the big day!<br />
<br />
October 2016<br />
Hannah turned 21, three days later Nick, her fiancé, turned 22, and on the 15th they were united in Holy Marriage. It was a wonderful, beautiful day. Full of friends and family, faith and fun. We are so happy to have a new son as well as looking forward to watching their new life together!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96ezcVk4gQYhAaTAhkz8JQdEAkEmLyKHg8V2Tu8_JDVvnbAppttmCQd6t_bb8w0zgvNa7dYhQeXeCm8lqGvaT4EY9zWq2s77D8N0i6Wj-pOSOGu6jbC_5553GKhcDRzCjsGr0/s1600/DSC_1311-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg96ezcVk4gQYhAaTAhkz8JQdEAkEmLyKHg8V2Tu8_JDVvnbAppttmCQd6t_bb8w0zgvNa7dYhQeXeCm8lqGvaT4EY9zWq2s77D8N0i6Wj-pOSOGu6jbC_5553GKhcDRzCjsGr0/s400/DSC_1311-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our happy family</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3WjgIIU5IYPGtnoz1EqH7_e8e8f71snJPWeWpaUhVrDv3BehlhP1AWGpKp8i796Brc1NogmbbMeRBOpYwggX-W4ai_ItM50lf4Er1i2NLJkmgVG2cx-q9Bye0zzcieJZbi0h7/s1600/DSC_1477-1pp3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3WjgIIU5IYPGtnoz1EqH7_e8e8f71snJPWeWpaUhVrDv3BehlhP1AWGpKp8i796Brc1NogmbbMeRBOpYwggX-W4ai_ItM50lf4Er1i2NLJkmgVG2cx-q9Bye0zzcieJZbi0h7/s400/DSC_1477-1pp3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My husband's family</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Here are <a href="http://strawberrieswithcream.blogspot.com/2016/12/a-few-favorites.html" target="_blank">some other photos</a> and here is a link to the <a href="http://sword-in-hat.blogspot.com/2016/10/awhile-bridesmaid-forever-bride.html" target="_blank">wonderful sermon Nick's father </a>preached, while <a href="https://youtu.be/k6Kfe7hS2fs" target="_blank">this is a link to the wedding service</a>. <br />
<br />
November 2016<br />
School work resumed at home for Nathan, Abby, and Sam while Ellie continued her final year at college. Sam, my baby, turned 14. Thanksgiving found us trekking to Chicago for a long weekend visiting our good friends and finally attending the Christkindle Markt. It was well worth the trip.<br />
<br />
December 2016<br />
School, Christmas baking and preparations, snow shoeing a few times, reading everyone's Christmas letters and enjoying Christ's gifts. On the 31st, our niece Cora got engaged to Anthony. Another wedding to look forward to!<br />
<br />
January 2017<br />
We started the year at Camp Luther for a week of snow shoeing, cross country skiing and tubing fun with our good friends. We ate our weight and more in Christmas goodies and other good food. The rest of the month was spent doing normal things, cooking, cleaning, learning, living.<br />
<br />
Yes, a lot can happen in a year, and I'm going to do my best to not let another year go by before I post again.<br />
<br />Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-48013596123318029022016-04-09T09:58:00.000-05:002016-04-09T09:58:00.347-05:00MarchMarch was a busy month here.<br />
<br />
The first week I spent trying to stay awake. One doozy of a cold kept me sleeping all day, all night, and not doing anything for most of the week except moving from bed to couch. I was too tired to even read.<br />
<br />
There ended up being a bat in church which Sam and Abby, armed with tennis rackets, were able to stun and dispose of.<br />
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Nathan successfully completed life guard training, turned 16, and passed his driver's test.<br />
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His chosen birthday meals (spread over two days):<br />
Breakfast: cinnamon rolls<br />
Dinner: biscuits and gravy<br />
Supper: california tacos<br />
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He did not request a birthday cake nor pie. But since he took his driver's test the day of his birthday in a town where the bakery makes the best blueberry donuts around, we bought those and they were celebratory donuts for being 16 and a newly licensed driver!<br />
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Abby participated in the Suzuki graduation event held each year. It is always a lovely day listening to the soloists and the students.<br />
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Hannah and Ellie spent part of March on band tour in Florida. One day their concert was close enough to some of my family who made the trek to see them and listen to the band play.<br />
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March ended with the great Easter celebration. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleleuia!<br />
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After a morning at church, we hosted dinner for the family. All of David's family were here except the brother's family who live in Illinois and the niece and husband who live in WI. It was a grand day!<br />
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Now it is April and the kids and I are doing our best to stay focused on finishing our work. Hannah will be spending much of her days in the practice room as she participates in fellow classmates senior recitals and prepares for her's. (April 23rd if you would like to join us!)Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-12264394241092402302016-02-26T09:53:00.000-06:002016-02-26T09:53:00.172-06:00Relaxing in Any SeasonSince I've neglected blogging for so long, I realized this morning that I never posted a picture of our new smoker.<br />
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If you remember, we started a new tradition for St. Nicholas Day, giving the family a German smoker as well as a handful of chocolate coins.<br />
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The first year, 2013, we gave <a href="http://strawberrieswithcream.blogspot.com/2013/12/st-nicholas-day.html" target="_blank">St. Peter.</a><br />
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The second year, 2014, we gave <a href="http://ishouldntbedointhis.blogspot.com/2014/12/st-nicholas-vs-st-peter.html" target="_blank">St. Nicholas</a>.<br />
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This last year, 2015, we gave a pastor.<br />
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Isn't he great? We have loved burning various scents of incense each night during the Advent and Christmas season. Then, guess what happened? I accidentally knocked him over and his head popped off. My hubby was a little bit offended. ;-) Then, as if knocking of his head wasn't enough, I also knocked off half his mustache. For awhile our poor pastor was a beheaded, half-mustached martyr. But as you can see from the picture, he was given knew life and made whole.<br />
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As Christmas neared, we got a package in the mail, from Germany. Our German daughter's family sent us this neat smoker!<br />
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Wait, you don't know about our German daughter? Oh, I guess that is another post I need to catch-up on. (quickly makes note to self)<br />
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Isn't this a neat smoker? We love it and the Lebkuchen (gingerbread) incense they sent. That scent has become our favorite. It smells so good.<br />
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Once Epiphany came and we put away all our Christmas decorations, we chose to leave out our smokers and other winter-type decorations. They found their home on top of the piano. Wafting incense was the staple of many evenings as we sat and read. It was peaceful. It was relaxing. It was inviting.<br />
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Usually we are burning two of them at a time, and I think, we have only burned all of them at the same time once or twice. As winter ebbs into spring, I begin to think about packing our smokers away till next Advent. Although this year, I might, just might, leave out the one which will always remind us of our lovely German daughter and her family.<br />
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Because sitting in the evening with a glass of wine, a book, and incense burning as well as a candle or two, would be just as relaxing in the spring, summer, and fall, as it is in the winter.Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-55179744433641911942016-02-25T09:15:00.000-06:002016-02-25T09:15:12.700-06:00Sous La Maison - Fine Dining at its BestSince Valentine's Day weekend saw David and I off snowshoeing in state parks and staying at a bed and breakfast while Hannah was enjoying time with Nick and his family and the rest of the kids were busy cross country skiing, ice-skating, and watching movies, our annual reservations for Sous La Maison happened on Saturday, February 20. The wait did not diminish the delight of the dinner.<br />
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Our staff for the evening was the same as the last several years. Actually, all the years we've dined. Always friendly, helpful, and fantastic cooks, we've enjoyed watching not only them grow, but also their culinary skills grow.<br />
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Our Menu:<br />
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Soupe:<br />
"Our garlic onion bisque, a delicious pairing of red wine, roasted garlic, and caramelized onions, will delight your tastebuds and perfectly prepare you for the main course."<br />
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Plat Principal:<br />
"Our tasty steak kabobs are marinated in our handmade sauce and accompanied by peppers, onions, and apples. With a slice of homemade spent grain bread on the side, you are sure to leave the meal happy and satisfied."<br />
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Notice the missing bread. When we read the menu, David and I were salivating over the thought of a piece of the homemade spent grain bread. This is a recipe which Ellie had tried last summer when David brewed a batch of beer. It was one of the best loaves of bread we've ever eaten. We were so excited that she was doing another. However, as happens too often, the bread did not cooperate and was not fit for consumption due to never wanting to finish baking. The good news is that I have more spent grains in the freezer awaiting the next time Ellie is able to be home and try again.<br />
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Like all good chefs, when one thing doesn't work, figure out what will. Slices of extra-sharp cheddar cheese and oranges were a delicious compliment to the steak kabobs.<br />
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Since we've had quite warm weather for February in the great white north, Nathan was able to get out the Kamado Joe grill and cook our kabobs. Tasty indeed!<br />
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Dessert:<br />
"What better way to end your meal than with a heavenly slice of our special Baklava? Our divine mixture of walnuts, pecans, honey, and lemon will have you eager for seconds."<br />
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"divine mixture" - yes indeed!<br />
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"Eager for seconds" - you betcha!<br />
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Even though the meal was a week after Valentine's Day, the meal was still superb. We enjoyed yet another year at our favorite restaurant, whose description is full of truth, "Sous La Maison - fine dining at its best."Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-4981920245579842482016-02-24T18:29:00.000-06:002016-02-24T18:29:09.343-06:00Cheesecake BitesEach year the youth orchestra, which Abby and Sam are involved with, hosts a Chocolate and Chamber Music event. Parents of the students are asked to donate various desserts. I brought three different things, <a href="http://ishouldntbedointhis.blogspot.com/2009/09/best-and-most-evil-dessert.html" target="_blank">caramel bars</a>, brownies, and cheesecake bites.<br />
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My friend Melanie has made cheesecake bites many times and I decided to try them. After emailing and texting Melanie various questions, I had a plan. I think they turned out quite well.<br />
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The first thing I did was bake my cheesecake recipe in a 9x13 pan. The next day, I cut it into 1 inch squares. To be able to do this relatively evenly, Melanie suggested I mark my pan. That was very helpful. Back in the fridge went the pan until the next day when I began to assemble.<br />
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First, I took each one out. This wasn't as difficult as I was afraid it might be. Even though I had marked my pan, I still didn't cut straight. There happened to be a small section on one short end that was very, very small. This was to my advantage. I took those out first and had easy access to the rest of the bites.<br />
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My daughter Ellie suggested I buy these mini cupcake liners and they worked perfectly. I filled 74 with bites and left the edge pieces, which had cooked browner than I would have liked, for us to eat later.<br />
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Next with Ellie's suggestion and Melanie's approval, I dipped a roasted pecan in melted chocolate chips and placed it on top.<br />
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Then I melted caramels like I do for caramel bars. Then I sprinkled between one quarter to one half teaspoon of caramel over each bite. I was amazed at how well they turned out.<br />
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They were beautiful. They were delicious. They were a hit.<br />
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I will be making these again and expanding what toppings I add. I see a plethora of combinations in the future: fresh fruit, chocolate, other nuts, oreo bite on top of oreo cheesecake, etc. But I have a feeling that my love of caramel and nuts will make this one always my favorite cheesecake bite.<br />
<br />Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-32858989705731373552016-02-23T18:14:00.000-06:002016-02-23T18:14:06.114-06:00Romantic GetawayAs a reward and motivation for walking 5 or 6 days a week for 6 weeks, David took me on a little getaway. Discussing where we wanted to go, we decided it would be fun to go to a bed and breakfast in a nearby town which had state parks where we could go hiking. After church on Valentine's Day found us loading our snow gear and overnight bags, saying good-bye to the kids, and heading west.<br />
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Our first stop was a state park halfway between our home and our bed and breakfast. Stopping at the park office to get a map, big, fluffy snowflakes began falling. Although the trail to snowshoe was a drive to the other side of the park, we first trekked to the waterfalls.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bubbling brook is behind the bridge you see in the above pictures.</td></tr>
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It was quite pretty. Many other couples were stopping for a visit. Despite the path being extremely icy, we didn't fall and we decided to come back in the spring and summer and see the falls running.<br />
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We then drove over to the trail, strapped on the snowshoes, and off we went. The trail goes two different ways around an enclosed bison area. We asked the ranger if we could see the bison and he told us where they were which was unfortunately too far away for the time we had for a hike. Instead, we took the trail that went by part of their area as well as a little jaunt through the woods by the river.<br />
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We passed a lot of cross-country skiers. Although this state park no longer keeps groomed ski trails, many people were enjoying plowing their own path. One couple went by and the man wasn't using poles. He was holding on tight to his dog's leash and let him do the work. Clever!<br />
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After our 2 plus mile hike, we climbed back into the car and continued west arriving at our bed and breakfast.<br />
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This beautiful home was ours for the night. Well, not the whole home. We had use of four rooms on the main floor and one bedroom on the second floor, as did the three other couples who were there. After showing us around, Ramona, the owner, let us to ourselves. We carried our things into our room, and then brought our supper to the all season porch. This lovely room is where breakfast is served each morning. It also included a sitting area in front of a fire place and it was surrounded with windows.<br />
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Enjoying our supper of delicious meats and cheeses, Gary and Ramona were in the next room enjoying a toast to their 18th year of being in business. We toasted with them, sipping some of the complimentary Merlot they had out for their guests.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the view from the comfortable couch into the main entrance. When we arrived, a student from the local college was playing the grand piano.</td></tr>
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After depositing our supper things back into our room, we grabbed our books, our box of wine, some chocolate covered almonds, and headed back to the main living room. We spent the next few hours resting, relaxing, and reading. It was delightful.<br />
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This bed and breakfast has five rooms to choose from. Glancing through the photos on their website we chose the Castle Room. We are glad we did. After leaving the cozy couch in the living room, we walked upstairs and enjoyed sitting in the chairs by the fireplace in our own bedroom.<br />
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<br />It is called Castle Room because of the various pictures hanging on the walls of Neuschwanstein Castle located in Bavaria, Germany. Having visited this castle twice, we thought it would be fun to stay in the room named for it. Plus ,it had this cool knight guarding us while we slept!<br />
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Sleep well we did. Awaking refreshed and ready for the day, we took our books back to the living room couch and enjoyed fresh coffee and the smells of breakfast cooking. Breakfast at this B&B is a three course meal. It was splendid. Gary and Ramona started the meal with a mimosa in celebration of their 18th year. Yum! The first course was a delicious spiced pear served with a homemade granola. Some of the guests ate their granola on the side, others sprinkled it right on top of the pears. Our next course was homemade blueberry buttermilk pancakes and sausage links. Instead of maple syrup, we had a very tasty orange sauce spread on top. Yum! Finally, as if we weren't already full, out came dessert, a slice of a pumpkin cheesecake roll. Yum! Add in the coffee and the fresh juices, and you can imagine how full we were. Glad we planned on hiking later!<br />
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All throughout breakfast, we enjoyed getting to know the other three couples who had also come to spend Valentine's evening at this bed and breakfast. Conversation flowed freely and we all stayed at the table for two hours or more. Gary, husband of Ramona, was our server and he joined in our conversations, but Ramona only came out after all the serving was done. What a delightful, lazy, yummy start to our day!<br />
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But good-byes had to be said and so they were. We packed up our things, loaded the car, bought two of their very nice, unique, stoneware mugs for a souvenir and headed out for the state park. Donning our snowshoes once again, we hiked along the same trail where we tried snowshoeing for the first time on New Year's Day.<br />
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It was a wonderful way to reward ourselves for our diligence in moving our bodies for six weeks. Although we won't reward ourselves in quite this way each time, we have decided that this sort of romantic getaway treat should happen more often than every so many years.<br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D32588283%23editor%2Fsrc%3Ddashboard&media=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-FAcagQRDELs%2FVsuh57-l9gI%2FAAAAAAAAFkM%2FxYOxttTe8V4%2Fs400%2FB%252526B%252BHike.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=vTh36GNWUu_7&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 153px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 5891px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D32588283%23editor%2Fsrc%3Ddashboard&media=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-FAcagQRDELs%2FVsuh57-l9gI%2FAAAAAAAAFkM%2FxYOxttTe8V4%2Fs400%2FB%252526B%252BHike.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=vTh36GNWUu_7&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 153px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 5891px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-88480153624106722422016-02-22T16:04:00.003-06:002016-02-22T16:04:53.188-06:00CC Skiing = Love!We may not get a chance to go again this winter season, but we did get to go. Finding a place to rent cross-country skis at a reasonable price and within a reasonable distance from our home was fantastic. If we have a return to winter weather in March, which has happened in previous years, we might get to go again. For now, enjoy these pictures of the kids and I enjoying the trails.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWCD6drkpcz0fxfzbGQ3e9AV4BO0jzFnbdbVFWoT5fRIgYikbcnsYy02gl_Tn5wYCcEZjq8ofbNE0swP4j5iquUegVuQZcjKoVk9LHGNEalkfl-vkUzUlLR-pssiHunMBD3Un/s1600/CC+Skiing+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzWCD6drkpcz0fxfzbGQ3e9AV4BO0jzFnbdbVFWoT5fRIgYikbcnsYy02gl_Tn5wYCcEZjq8ofbNE0swP4j5iquUegVuQZcjKoVk9LHGNEalkfl-vkUzUlLR-pssiHunMBD3Un/s400/CC+Skiing+1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjmz_QZo53edS3oQty01E2rKqEP4-D1tYOCyXZr7IwUUUOJpqoxpwh0Bu7LH5tXtMRca4dyTesw889zQhwca4BM-0gdpm8D0um30Eu2fr-JnaEbBFbkdG3Q3lZ71YL7VyNeGP/s1600/CC+Skiing+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjmz_QZo53edS3oQty01E2rKqEP4-D1tYOCyXZr7IwUUUOJpqoxpwh0Bu7LH5tXtMRca4dyTesw889zQhwca4BM-0gdpm8D0um30Eu2fr-JnaEbBFbkdG3Q3lZ71YL7VyNeGP/s400/CC+Skiing+2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ql0Ew-GfQFEFaG-Od-36urpHQJ4zB-XFsA_CFQ7qX3KpEuJmTZtH2RTaS6SaWJN2z-S227vooQo8idPdP0RsavbJRZi5yyhwQCWZHNZr497wEecfEtSa9m0kgLc7Dm6Ami-U/s1600/CC+Skiing+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ql0Ew-GfQFEFaG-Od-36urpHQJ4zB-XFsA_CFQ7qX3KpEuJmTZtH2RTaS6SaWJN2z-S227vooQo8idPdP0RsavbJRZi5yyhwQCWZHNZr497wEecfEtSa9m0kgLc7Dm6Ami-U/s400/CC+Skiing+3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Even though it was a very chilly day, the sun was out and we worked up a sweat on the trails. All in all, we explored the numerous trails for about an hour. We were all smiles. Unfortunately, neither David nor Hannah were with us. Hannah was enjoying the day with Nick and his family having traveled there the day before, while David was sitting all day in a Board of Directors meeting. Ellie, Nathan, Abby, and Sam all went again on Sunday and Monday. But I didn't, David whisked me away to a romantic getaway, which I'll post about later. This was a perfect beginning to Valentine's Day weekend.<br />
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Love!Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-22887467164866867442016-02-11T10:46:00.001-06:002016-02-11T10:46:18.259-06:00An UpdateHere is what has been happening lately in my neck of the woods.<br />
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Exercising:<br />
In January David and I hiked or snowshoed a total of 30.29 miles. So far in the first 10 days of February we have hiked or snowshoed 13.62 miles. We are in love with getting outside and breathing the fresh cold air. We much prefer the snowshoeing to the hiking, but when time or lack of decent snow or weather dictates a walk on the streets, we have taken that option. We challenged ourselves to walk between 5 and 6 days each week. So far we have been able to meet that challenge and are rewarding ourselves with a little overnight get away to a nearby Bed and Breakfast. We chose one near a favorite state park where we can go snowshoeing.<br />
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Children:<br />
Our oldest two daughters have entered the dating world. Both are dating "nice Lutheran boys" but who live three states away. Interesting to note that these two boys are best friends, live in the same state, but not the same town. The world of the internet is small and there is lots of chatting and texting and Skype conversations going on amongst them. Our oldest has a long weekend and will take the opportunity to hit the road for a visit with her beau and his family. A plus is that she is able to take her Grandpa for a visit to his son and family who live right on the way, and we don't have to worry about her making the nine hour trip alone.<br />
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The other three kids are chugging along with their schoolwork, instrument practicing, and doing all they can to convince us to watch movies each night and sleep late each morning. Sometimes we let them. Nathan and Sam are currently in swim lessons. Nathan's are geared for passing the Lifeguard test. His summer job is now needing certified Lifeguards and he has his eyes set upon earning that title. We thought lessons designed towards making sure he can pass is a good thing. Sam's lessons are so he can finally learn the strokes. Being the youngest, he often gets the short end of the stick, and swim lessons is one I never followed through on with him. Fortunately private swim lessons aren't too expensive, therefore we can correct our error and Sam can be a more confident swimmer come summertime pool fun.<br />
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Abby moved up into the full youth orchestra this semester and is enjoying the challenge. I am enjoying hearing her practice her piano pieces which includes the "Dawn" by Dario Marianelli which is the theme song to Pride and Prejudice (the Keira Knightley movie). It makes me want to watch the movie again and again and again. She is also now learning Latin from Hannah. Her father just doesn't have the time and it kept getting pushed till tomorrow. Now, two days a week she and her sister FaceTime to learn Latin.<br />
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Schoolwork:<br />
Hannah is in her last semester of college. Full of practicing and working on her senior recital, she is looking forward to graduating in May with a music degree. Ellie is in her junior year and enjoying working towards her English degree, despite some of the books she is required to read. She decided to switch from a Philosophy minor to a Music minor and began organ lessons this semester.<br />
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Nathan, Abby, and Sam are doing well working on things I assign them. I've gone to a greater number of books, both historical fiction and non-fiction, for them to read. Add that to our memory work and they are getting a pretty good idea of the era of history we are covering.<br />
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Speaking of <a href="http://ishouldntbedointhis.blogspot.com/2015/09/it-is-never-to-late.html" target="_blank">memory work</a>, it is going quite well. I changed some things. One of the biggest was that now on Even days, instead of going over Latin vocabulary and phrases, we are going instead through the Six Chief Parts of the Catechism. We recite one each even day and this has been a good thing. Nathan, Abby, and Sam are much better at Memory Work than I am. I am the only one continually flubbing the new line of the Latin Apostle's Creed, or forgetting which element comes next in the Periodic Table song or getting the date wrong in our History sentences. Oh well, I'm trying and they can say they know more than their mother.<br />
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Reading:<br />
Here are the books I've read since this year began.<br />
<i>Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child</i> by Anthony Esolen finished Jan. 21: excellent book. I would recommend this to everyone. He doesn't give solutions, but he sure gives lots to think about and therefore how one can change things in their own lives.<br />
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<i>Echoes</i> by Maeve Binchy finished Jan. 24: a very good book. I enjoy Binchy novels and her ability to write such intriguing character based stories. They are novels I turn to when I need something easy and quick.<br />
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<i>The 17 Day Diet: A Doctor's Plan Designed for Rapid Results</i> by Mike Moreno finished Jan. 27: recommended by a friend who, along with her husband, have been doing this for almost a year. I found it interesting and it showed me and my husband how lazy we had gotten with the food we put in our mouths (too much). It isn't one, though, that we could use as our ongoing way of eating. For that, we much prefer a low-carb way of thinking. This book did remind us of that and therefore that is a good thing.<br />
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<i>House of Living Stones </i>by Katie Schuermann finished Jan. 29th: very good book about Lutherans. An engaging tale and set-up for her next book:<br />
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<i>The Choir Immortal </i>by Katie Schuermann finished Jan. 31st: excellent! I loved this one more than the first. I hope we get another installment or two. Mrs. Schuermann has done a great job bringing to life real people, their faults, their strengths, and what living together in a church family is all about. Be prepared to shed some tears.<br />
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<i>The Light in the Forest </i>by Conrad Richter finished Feb. 2: Excellent book I picked up at the library for Nathan and Abby to read for history. It is about a young American boy who is kidnapped at age 4 by Indians, raised by them and at age 15 is forced by the American soldiers to return to his biological family. All three of us really enjoyed this novel.<br />
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<i>April Morning </i>by Howard Fast finished Feb. 6th: A very good book, not as gripping as <i>The Light in the Forest.</i> It is also a book I found on the library shelves for Nathan and Abby to read for history. It tells the story of twenty-four hours in the life of a fifteen year old boy who lives in Massachusetts in 1775. The twenty-four hours happen to be April 19th, and he lives near Lexington and Concord. A story about turning into a man, at times you don't like the boy and other times you feel sorry for him.<br />
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<i>Mrs. Dalloway</i> by Virginia Woolf finished Feb. 8th: Not so good of a book. This was for my book club and we all agreed that it was dull and hard to follow. A stream of conscious book that takes place over twenty-four hours in the life of Mrs. Dalloway which we found hard to follow and were it not for reading Spark Notes, we wouldn't have been able to come up with the themes of the book. To us it seemed like the perfect "English teacher" book that is used to torment the student and keep the love of reading from them.<br />
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I'm currently reading:<br />
<i>LadyLike: Living Biblically</i> by Rebekah Curtis and Rose Adle: I read this one aloud to my husband last year, but am reading it again with a Ladies' group at church. It is very good and am enjoying my re-read.<br />
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<i>Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It</i> by Gary Taubes: This is a requirement for my Health class which Nathan and Abby are working through. Since I haven't read it since Hannah and Ellie went through this class, I decided to re-read it and I'm glad I am.<br />
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<i>The Puritan Dilemma:The Story of John Winthrop</i> by Edmund S. Morgan: A biography I picked up on the recommendation of a homeschool friend for Nathan and Abby to read. I am finding it very interesting and enlightening. We should finish it by the end of the week.<br />
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<i>1776</i> by David McCullough: Another book I'm having Nathan and Abby read for history. We just began this book and currently are reading a chapter a day.<br />
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<i>Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions: A Reader's Edition of the Book of Concord</i>: David and I are following a guide to try and read through this during the forty days of Lent.<br />
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<i>The Martian</i> by Andy Weir: This is a book a friend loaned to me and I am just starting it today.Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-83684515336516667752016-01-28T09:28:00.000-06:002016-01-28T09:28:54.385-06:00Outdoors Whenever Possible<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After David's pair of hiking boots arrived, you could find us about four or five nights per week walking outside. Sometimes we went to a trail, sometimes we hiked after dark on the streets of our town, and sometimes we didn't use our hiking boots at all and instead walked laps around the inside of our church building due to extremely cold temperatures or a schedule which didn't allow us to walk till late into the night.</div>
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We loved the boots. We loved hiking outside. Who needs snowshoes? Apparently, we did, which we found out real quick when we decided to try hiking on a trail in a state park near our home. It was not packed down and we realized with each, slow, prodding, step, that snowshoes would make it much more enjoyable.</div>
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So look what we did!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgvxa5SRfgKgbNtU5-KtWm-_4qBcynDfy19zoKlLx-d9G2mC93UrgbBw1iuYhvgR9H1UB3B-g0apzu8k2k0BOdjRNiXIsK1UJ3e1lt4rjTO9VQCekhtF83Krmu5Ywinw_FgAN/s1600/snowshoes.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgvxa5SRfgKgbNtU5-KtWm-_4qBcynDfy19zoKlLx-d9G2mC93UrgbBw1iuYhvgR9H1UB3B-g0apzu8k2k0BOdjRNiXIsK1UJ3e1lt4rjTO9VQCekhtF83Krmu5Ywinw_FgAN/s400/snowshoes.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It is even in one of my favorite colors!</td></tr>
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The first day we bought them we went to a trail near the store. Figuring out how to tighten the straps was much easier thanks to a fellow hiker who kindly offered us advice. Strapped on, poles set to the right length, off we marched. It was loud. Clomp. Clomp. Clomp. But it was fun and we were glad to get them.<br />
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The very next day we decided to try again the trail near our home which originally made us aware that the money should be spent on snowshoes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYplOMkxTn8Sa5LrqDIribTuMNCurl6ikaXsbm-Uq9smrJSrVdxxoIJoS22nfMLu0G8xv2GTqtXChqj4lnIsS4E3PuqZ7-99zgm9FEpJN3eMkzgzENyfUqsdkFanfnXdBjjV2/s1600/David+at+trailhead.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYplOMkxTn8Sa5LrqDIribTuMNCurl6ikaXsbm-Uq9smrJSrVdxxoIJoS22nfMLu0G8xv2GTqtXChqj4lnIsS4E3PuqZ7-99zgm9FEpJN3eMkzgzENyfUqsdkFanfnXdBjjV2/s400/David+at+trailhead.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the trail head waiting for me to stop taking pictures</td></tr>
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We had gotten another inch of powdery snow during the night and we quickly fell in love with snowshoeing. Wow! Easy, smooth, and more quiet, hiking on fresh snow as opposed to packed snow was fun. Off we hiked and often commented on how much easier it was to hike this trail than the last time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKyhJFQJVhiAeu3SsGrxmnsP0i2wmzk-B1aT7LfuLqut9VckMzrqtDTLvVtj96iscGt3m9vaXlLs9-bN4O0BKkcgPoTKG21JErCMGwXfoE5EW6bhl1b38XTahwj7D_ST5MD1-/s1600/Me+Snowshoes+under+tree.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKyhJFQJVhiAeu3SsGrxmnsP0i2wmzk-B1aT7LfuLqut9VckMzrqtDTLvVtj96iscGt3m9vaXlLs9-bN4O0BKkcgPoTKG21JErCMGwXfoE5EW6bhl1b38XTahwj7D_ST5MD1-/s400/Me+Snowshoes+under+tree.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuL76BMiK3thYGg2wCYXGtdi4pi304EYFADyd4OMe-HlzqF0hMacWlQjdnbNdJwv0STh0fLd-FtiCTBfA319p1-CArkgW2zt3WlF03KNul207C1bBOyk9WdSbNZfpnoTxVMkn/s1600/Me+Snowshoes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYuL76BMiK3thYGg2wCYXGtdi4pi304EYFADyd4OMe-HlzqF0hMacWlQjdnbNdJwv0STh0fLd-FtiCTBfA319p1-CArkgW2zt3WlF03KNul207C1bBOyk9WdSbNZfpnoTxVMkn/s400/Me+Snowshoes.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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At one point we reached the junction where the first time we chose to turn and go back to the car, but should we go straight and hike longer this time was the question. I said yes as quickly as a child who is asked if they would like some ice-cream.<br />
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On and on and on we hiked, enjoying the quiet woods, the trail to ourselves, and making connections on where we were in relation to the lake near-by.<br />
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We started to get hot. Hats off, scarves untucked, sometimes gloves removed as we continued down the trail wondering just how far this went before it turned to the left and wandered back toward the car.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8MDU6RVdP234lJYKcLEkBo4xF88r0fM0wpcnvqD5BGjAKjVAjw5ATYoP8d99kIn1Wtc3_4RONGDC-MQsZXjVItA8MK4x47CMMPL8xEzrgspjEYOR4b6Yv5Fqku31gdvlOzO_/s1600/Trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju8MDU6RVdP234lJYKcLEkBo4xF88r0fM0wpcnvqD5BGjAKjVAjw5ATYoP8d99kIn1Wtc3_4RONGDC-MQsZXjVItA8MK4x47CMMPL8xEzrgspjEYOR4b6Yv5Fqku31gdvlOzO_/s400/Trail.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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It began to snow lightly and I thought this was the most magical experience. On we hiked, not meeting another soul. David's app told us we had now hiked 2 miles. We were tired. Realizing that we were out there longer than I anticipated, we stopped so I could call the kids and give directions on finishing supper. We also took a selfie.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitU0kxFLGKpr0CHzoJNvK_2SAy_RnOZnKqMzmuXDrR7t3t7XoISr0rFMBE2cx3IirjrNqysamfW53R4M01IYMRrnxop1ovDYnKdr9cX8cikctTLUQIRsfHYqc9HFtQ4x0tP2c/s1600/David+and+I.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitU0kxFLGKpr0CHzoJNvK_2SAy_RnOZnKqMzmuXDrR7t3t7XoISr0rFMBE2cx3IirjrNqysamfW53R4M01IYMRrnxop1ovDYnKdr9cX8cikctTLUQIRsfHYqc9HFtQ4x0tP2c/s400/David+and+I.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice our red faces glowing from the exercise and being outside</td></tr>
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Finally after another half mile we arrived at the car. We took off our snowshoes, loaded them and ourselves into the vehicle and drove the short distance home. For the rest of the night, we sat in our chairs drinking water wondering why we had gone such a long distance. Whose idea was it to go straight? But we both agree, this, to us, beats any indoor exercise, and our mantra has become outdoors whenever possible!Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-18366792003085220622016-01-11T16:02:00.001-06:002016-01-11T16:02:33.835-06:00Off My Tush<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Walking during the spring, summer, and fall has been a great joy of mine. Putting on my tennis shoes, starting one of my favorite albums on my iPod, and hitting the streets or trails around my house has done wonders for my heart, legs, and especially my peace of mind. I also had walking partners the last two summers, David in 2014 and Hannah in 2015 which was a nice way to pass the time and chat with two of my favorite people.</div>
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Unfortunately winter has interrupted these enjoyable conversations and walks. Although I knew that I needed to do something to continue this heart-healthy, mind-saving activity, I had yet to hit upon a winning idea. In the past treadmills and elliptical machines have tried to keep me going through the long winter months. The winter of 2014-2015 I bought and used the PiYo dvd's from Beach Body. None of these lasted, I came to dread them and easily found excuses to not do them each and every day.</div>
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Last winter during Christmas break, we went once again to camp with our good friends. We've done this in years past, but this one was the best week ever. The snow was perfect for daily enjoying the tubing runs, walking around outside, enjoying the fireplace, plus our friends and family and of course the food. One day we all tramped down to put on skis and tried cross-country skiing. It was marvelous. Easy to learn, invigorating to do, I couldn't get enough. I was hooked. Coming home from camp we were ready to go buy ourselves skies and hit the trails in the state parks around our area. But we didn't. Not much snow the rest of the winter, plus the cost, led us to wait.</div>
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Along came summer and I was back to my daily walks with tennis shoes, my daughter, and forgetting winter would come around again. Winter finally arrived in late December. David and I spent New Year's day trying snow-shoeing in a state park where we could rent the shoes and see what we thought. It was great fun. We were hooked. Let's buy some we said.</div>
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David began his research and although we have good, heavy, snow boots, which hooked onto the snowshoes at the state trail, there are better, lighter, hiking boots that would be easier. Plus, we could use them just as hiking boots around the streets of town when we couldn't get to the trail. Off to the store we went and I came home with a pair. David came home with an order slip since the store didn't have his size in stock.</div>
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I couldn't wait to use mine. Friday found me hiking down the trail among freshly fallen snow. Perfect temperature of about 32 degrees which meant I could wear only fleece pants and not my snow pants and I found my winter happy place.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new hiking boots</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me - happy hiking</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great traction, easy to walk-in, and warm to -25 (yet to be tested by me)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even shoveled or non-shoveled sidewalks or sloppy streets will be hike-able in my new shoes</td></tr>
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Two miles later I was glowing from the walk and knew hubby had hit on how to keep me happy and walking in the winter. His should arrive in the next day or two and he is looking forward to joining me on the trail. Amazing to me is how much I am excited by being outside enjoying the cold weather and the snow. It makes me as happy as my walking all through the summer. Fortunately a benefit is that I am now motivated to get off my tush and keep active during the winter.Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-52359506258744490672016-01-08T18:16:00.002-06:002016-01-08T18:16:35.082-06:0052I have decided to arrange my book challenge for 2016 different from past years. Having really enjoyed my Year of the Re-Read, I knew I wanted to add other books to that list for this year, and instead of listing books I plan to read or sign-up for any specific challenges, I am simply picking a number.<br />
<br />
52, on average one per week. Since that is the number I read in 2015, I know it is doable. If it is more, than I'll be thrilled!<br />
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Here are what I have on my list so far.<br />
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Re-Read:<br />
Vince Flynn novels: 13 total<br />
C.S. Lewis - The Space Trilogy<br />
Why We Get Fat - Gary Taubes<br />
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott<br />
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Friends (mainly my kids):<br />
Mysterious Benedict Society books<br />
Silmarillion<br />
The Book Thief<br />
Gregor the Overlander<br />
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New:<br />
Vince Flynn's latest, which was my Christmas gift from the children<br />
Katie Shcuermann, "House of Living Stones" and "The Choir Immortal"<br />
Maeve Binchy: "Mindy Frankie," "Full House," "Echoes"<br />
Jane Austin: as many of the following as strikes my fancy this year: "Mansfield Park," "Northanger Abbey," "Persuasion," "Lady Susan"<br />
C. S. Lewis: "Till We Have Faces"<br />
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There will be book club books picked for me as well. The first will be Virginia Woolfe's "Mrs. Dalloway."<br />
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Already I'm reading "Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child" by Anthony Esolen which is part of my responsibility as a board member liaison on the Curriculum and Instruction Committee for <a href="http://wittenbergacademy.org/" target="_blank">Wittenberg Academy</a>.<br />
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I purposefully did not make a whole list of 52 books. It is my hope that having freedom to pick things amongst the ones I need to read will help me keep interest in reading and not only reach but exceed my goal of 52 in 2016.Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-81976926016831838422015-12-30T15:31:00.000-06:002015-12-31T10:24:09.940-06:00What I Read in 2015Edited for corrections. I realized I forgot to add the one I read this summer with Bible Class at church, which brings my total to 52! I made it Lamb! Also, it was brought to my attention that the original post didn't include when I had finished Sarum, one of my books on my Friends challenge. These corrections have been made.<br />
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I finished the last book I'm reading in 2015 today, so I thought it time to finally return to my neglected blog with a list of all I read this year.<br />
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The total number was 52 books, which is low to some of my <a href="http://janesbookshelf.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">friends</a>, and seems awfully high to me as I didn't think I had been reading all that much. There were so many lulls this year and I just couldn't get into a reading state of mind for much of this fall.<br />
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Here are the categories of books based on the reading challenges I chose to do.<br />
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<a href="http://ishouldntbedointhis.blogspot.com/2014/12/my-reading-challenge-2015.html" target="_blank">Year of the Re-Read</a>: 23 books<br />
Overall I am happy with all I re-read this year, my self-proclaimed Year of the Re-Read. Like old friends, I enjoyed curling up with these books and re-living the magic and deepening my understanding of the stories. Since I loved re-reading all these books I have decided to make a list each year of books I want to re-read.<br />
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J.R.R. Tolkien:<br />
The Hobbit<br />
The Lord of the Rings<br />
<br />
C.S. Lewis:<br />
The Chronicles of Narnia<br />
<br />
Jane Austin:<br />
Pride and Prejudice<br />
Emma<br />
Sense and Sensibility<br />
<br />
J.K. Rowling:<br />
The Harry Potter Series<br />
<br />
Lemony Snickett:<br />
Only 2 from The Series of Unfortunate Events<br />
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<a href="http://ishouldntbedointhis.blogspot.com/2014/12/friends-give-lists-of-good-books-for.html" target="_blank">2015 Help From My Friends</a> (Jane's challenge): A total of 11 books<br />
I listed 10 books and 5 alternates. I was afraid at the start of the year that I wouldn't find time to finish this one, but I surprised myself and succeeded. This year's list had some really good books and some real duds. Following is the list, when I finished, and if I thought they were good or a dud.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Wreath</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> (Kristin Lavransdatter, #1) by Sigrid Undset</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Finished on March 31st. Good</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Wife</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> (Kristin Lavransdatter, #2) by Sigrid Undset</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Finished on April 9th. Good</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">3. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Cross</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> (Kristin Lavransdatter, #3) by Sigrid Undset</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Finished on May 17th. Good</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">4. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A Game of Thrones</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R. R. Martin</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Finished July 24th. Good, but not enough to make me want to read the rest of the series.</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">5. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Cutting for Stone</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> by Abraham Verghese</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Finished on January 11th. Good</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">6. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sarum: The Novel of England</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> by Edward Rutherford</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Finished on December 3rd. Although I thought it was good, it was hard to keep reading.Because this was the whole history of England, every section was like starting over with new characters in a new novel. Yes, it wove together past families and events, but frankly I became bored half-way through and I had to force myself to finish.</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">7. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Pillars of the Earth</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> (The Pillars of the Earth, #1) by Ken Follett</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Finished June 18th. Really Good</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">8. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Thirteenth Tal</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">e by Diane Setterfield</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Finished June 10th. Started out with lots of potential, but in the end, a dud</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">9. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Faith, Hope, and Ivy June</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Finished May 29th. Good</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">10. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Finished June 26th. Really Good. Loved this interesting story</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Alternates:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Tenant of Wldfell Hall</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> by Anne Brontë</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Name of the Rose</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> by Umberto Eco and William Weaver</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">3. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">In the Presence of My Enemies</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> by Gracia Turnham and Dean Merill</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Finished July 8th. Very interesting and made me wonder about the people I know who are missionaries.</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">4. </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The Secret Life of Bees</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> by Sue Monk Kidd</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>Started on September 26th but never finished. It seemed way to contrived and projecting today's feelings and attitudes on a former time.</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">5.</span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Wolf Hall </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(Thomas Cromwell, #1) by Hilary Mantel</span><br />
<br />
Book Club: 8 books<br />
This is a group of my homeschool moms who started reading through Susan Wise Bauer's list in "A Well-Educated Mind." I finally joined them and haven't regretted it for a single moment. Three of these I have read before, but I didn't count them in my Year of the Re-Read Challenge. Following is what we read.<br />
<br />
<i>Anna Karenina </i>by Leo Tolstoy: finished March 24th<br />
<i>The Return of the Native</i> by Thomas Hardy: finished May 17th<br />
<i>The Portrait of a Lady</i> by Henry James: finished July 11th<br />
<i>Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</i> by Mark Twain: finished August 11th<br />
<i>The Red Badge of Courage</i> by Stephen Crane: finished August 31st<br />
<i>Heart of Darkness</i> by Joseph Conrad: finished September 8th<br />
<i>The House of Mirth</i> by Edith Wharton: finished October 17th<br />
<i>The Great Gatsby</i> by F. Scott Fitzgerald: finished November 16th<br />
<br />
The remaining books I read included 1 I read with Nathan and Abby for schoolwork,<br />
<i>Le Morte d'Arthur</i> by Thomas Malory:<i> </i>finished March 17th<br />
<br />
1 I read as a Board member for Wittenberg Academy,<br />
<i>The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable</i> by Patrick Lencioni<br />
<br />
1 I read for Bible Class at church this summer<br />
<i>The Screwtape Letters</i> by C.S. Lewis<br />
<br />
and 7 I picked up just on my own:<br />
<i>The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up</i> by Marie Kondo<br />
<i>LadyLike: Living Biblically </i>by Rebekah Curtis and Rose Adel<br />
<i>The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education</i> by Leigh A. Bortins<br />
<i>The Question: Teaching Your Child the Essentials of Classical Education</i> by Leigh A. Bortins<br />
<i>Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, Sugar--Your Brains' Silent Killers</i> by David Perlmutter<br />
<i>Death Comes to Pemberley</i> by P.D. James<br />
<i>Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany</i> by Bill Buford<br />
<br />
Overall, not to bad for a year I felt like I was never in the mood for reading. As I think ahead to challenges for 2016, I hope there will be more that make me love to read and not want to do anything else and fewer that I am just trying to get through. And maybe I should aim for a total of 52 books (could I do more?), on average, one per week, which I just made this year.Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-10811654356393573492015-09-04T15:47:00.001-05:002015-09-04T15:47:40.935-05:00In Only Two Steps1. Always be willing to admit you do not know the answer.<br />
2. Always be willing to learn.<br />
<br />
That's it. Two steps to being an educated adult. Whether you homeschool your children or not, whether you work outside the home or not, follow those two steps and you'll see your knowledge ever growing.<br />
<br />
Go ahead, try it. It is only two simple steps.Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-59114601149816103822015-09-03T10:01:00.000-05:002015-09-03T10:02:39.485-05:00It is Never to LateA dedicated Memory Work Time. This is the new-to-us item for this year's schoolwork. I have thought about it over the summer and discussed it with my good friend Amy, looked at blog posts on the <a href="http://realfoodenthusiast.com/scripture-memory-system/" target="_blank">Charlotte Mason Memory Work system</a> and <a href="http://www.nurturinglearning.com/classical-conversations-memory-box/" target="_blank">Classical Conversations memory work</a> as well as read and watched a video on a <a href="http://amongstlovelythings.com/looping-task-management-for-recovering/" target="_blank">"loop" system</a>. Two difficulties I've encountered is that I haven't done this from the beginning and my kids are older plus I don't do Classical Conversations, which many, many, many of the posts I read do follow.<br />
<br />
Regardless of those difficulties I have determined that it necessary for us to actively be working and reviewing memory work daily. Following is how I am going to arrange our "Memory Work" time together.<br />
<br />
I will have a binder with 8 tabs labeled Daily, Odd, Even, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Behind each tab will be what we are to say aloud and review that day. Each day I will use three tabs, the Daily, either Odd or Even depending on the number of the day, and the day of the week.<br />
<br />
<b>Daily:</b><br />
This will be what we are currently working on learning to memorize. The new things in History, Latin, Geography, and Science we are working on for the year.<br />
<br />
<b>Odd Days:</b><br />
We will review our Latin prayers and the verb conjugations and noun declensions we already know.<br />
Invocation<br />
Lord's Prayer<br />
Gloria Patri<br />
Sanctus<br />
Table Prayer<br />
Conjugations 1, 2, 3<br />
Declensions 1, 2, 3<br />
Sum<br />
Possum<br />
<br />
<b>Even Days:</b><br />
We will review our Latin sayings and vocabulary, currently the first 8 chapters of Wheelock<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesdays: History Review</b><br />
Old timeline songs from years 1, 2, and 3<br />
<a href="http://ishouldntbedointhis.blogspot.com/2011/04/kings-and-queens-of-england-lapbook.html" target="_blank">Kings and Queens of England poem </a>(to where we are currently learning)<br />
<a href="http://www.theshorterword.com/pack-of-tricks-info" target="_blank">Timeline Tips and Tricks</a><br />
Presidents (to where we are currently learning)<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesdays: Grammar Review</b><br />
Sentence Jingle<br />
Types of Sentences<br />
Noun Jingle<br />
Verb Jingle<br />
Helping Verb List<br />
Linking Verb List<br />
Adjective Jingle<br />
Adverb Jingle<br />
Article Adjective Jingle<br />
Pronoun Chant (Subject, Object, Possessive)<br />
Parts of Speech Chant<br />
Preposition Poem<br />
Sentence Patterns<br />
<br />
<b>Thursdays: Geography Review (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Geography-Songs-Around-Lyrics-Landmarks/dp/188302837X" target="_blank">Geography Songs Around the World</a>)</b><br />
States and Capitals<br />
Continents<br />
Asia<br />
Southeast Asia<br />
South Asia<br />
Western Europe<br />
<br />
<b>Fridays: Science Review* and Music Review</b><br />
Note names<br />
Scales<br />
*This is still a work in progress as I think about what I would like them to learn by heart. We will be studying Astronomy and Chemistry this year, so in our daily work things like the order of the planets and the <a href="http://www.cnet.com/news/how-to-learn-the-periodic-table-in-3-minutes/" target="_blank">periodic table</a> will be memorized and then moved to this slot for review.<br />
<br />
<b>Saturdays: Spelling Review (Writing Road to Reading)*</b><br />
Phonograms<br />
Page 1<br />
Page 3<br />
Page 5<br />
Page 6<br />
Rule 4<br />
Rule 12<br />
Rule 20<br />
Rule 24<br />
*I chose certain pages and rules that I know my kids need help remembering. If I discover that they have forgotten the ones I thought they knew, I will add those to this list.<br />
<br />
I think I will schedule 30 minutes to do this each day. We will begin with the Daily work, move to either the Odd or Even tab and then the Day of the Week tab. Only in the daily work will I strive to do everything every day. With all the others I will utilize the "loop." That is, we will get as far down my list as we can that day and then when it is time to do it the next week, we'll start where we left off.<br />
<br />
I did not add any Bible memory work nor catechism or hymn review. That is done with Dad at the table after meals, following the Congregation at Prayer he puts together for his flock based on what he learned from Pastor Bender at <a href="http://peacesussex.org/" target="_blank">Peace</a> (click on the Congregation at Prayer tab under Weekly Downloads) The only new thing to this time will be taking one day each week and reviewing one of the chief parts of the catechism, six chief parts, six days review. <a href="http://hymn-addict.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Susan</a> had recommended this a long time ago and I'm finally getting around to putting it into practice.<br />
<br />
Since this is new to me, I'm sure this will change and grow as we figure out how best to do this in our daily life. I'm okay with that. One of the big things I tell all sorts of homeschool moms is that it is never to late to learn. Just start where the kids are and go from there. I really believe that and therefore I'm now applying it to myself and my own kids. We are starting where we are and we'll go from there. Here's to a good year, really learning and growing in our knowledge!<br />
<br />
<br />Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32588283.post-4568681123235566072015-05-08T11:22:00.002-05:002015-05-08T11:22:34.757-05:00Thinking About Food From the third book in the Kristin Lavransdatter series, <i>The Cross,</i> by Sigrid Undset:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Hm. Your mother has else the name of one that looks narrowly to her goods, and is a most notable and thrifty housewife --"</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Not with food," said Naakkve eagerly. "To that every soul can bear witness, very carl and every woman that has served on our manor -- with food is mother the most free-handed woman. In that way she is no otherwise not than when we were rich folk -- never gladder than when she can set on her board some dainty dish -- and she purveys such full measure that each serving-man and woman, down to the swineherd and the bedesfold, get their share of the good things."</blockquote>
<br />
I can relate to Kristin, Naakkve's mother, in this aspect. I, too, very much want to make sure all who are at my table have enough to eat and more. To set a dainty dish to delight the diners brings me great pleasure. The planning and the preparing, as well as the dining and dish work which follows is a joy to me.<br />
<br />
Honestly, the cooking and cleaning are two great joys of mine. While others may be overwhelmed with such chores, and I admit, I am too at times, I really do get delight from it. I first learned this joy from my mom.<br />
<br />
When I was growing up she babysat lots of kids. Every day for lunch she would fix these toddlers a hot meal. Not peanut butter and jelly, or a sandwich, although sometimes those were fixed. But hot lunches, like frying them fish and hush puppies, macaroni and cheese (not from a box), spaghetti and garlic bread, corn and green beans. Often these weren't leftovers from our supper the night before, but meals she prepared for their lunch. My mom is now 80 and she still babysits, two toddlers and an infant. Yep, she still fixes these little toddlers a hot lunch. When asked why, she says because they need to eat good food.<br />
<br />
It isn't only in the daily cooking of food for my family that brings me joy, but also the cooking for friends and family who visit. To try and prepare as much as possible from scratch, to set dainty dishes on the table, to think about what might bring my guests gastronomical delight is a fun puzzle I like to solve.<br />
<br />
Come visit me sometime. Give me the joy of not only your company, but the joy of cooking and cleaning for you.<br />
<br />
Time for lunch for the family. Today, much to the joy of my kids it isn't leftovers but steak fajitas with rice.Glendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14707408587652111070noreply@blogger.com1