SevenLees Homeschool
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Nov. 3, 2009
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Free Holiday Idea Book-180 pages-Recipes, Crafts, Articles and More
Posted By
eyecorn
Has been a long time posting.
I am reorganizing here :) Have a new header and such.
I plan to devote this blog to teaching and homeschooling ideas.
Speaking of which . . . two resources you are going to love!!
Autumn Treasures - we still have beautiful foliage here--so still a great time to do this unit study/lapbook!
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Feb. 19, 2009
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Construction on our acreage
We have been working on building a children's garden (scroll down to see pictures) and have been gathering the materials we need to make some earthen huts. But we have also started the construction of our outdoor kitchen. It will be framed with red cedar and the bottom portion will be filled in with cob and cordwood. Here are some pictures of the initial framing of our outdoor kitchen. We hope to finish the framing and roof next week.
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Feb. 19, 2009
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The latest addition to our urban homestead
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Dec. 22, 2008
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Guess What This Is?
Posted By
eyecorn
DS16 and I went to Greece this past fall. It was quite fun. I sat between him and my mother for 10 hours on the flight over.
Now, I don't mind sitting in the middle, but I hate it when the person in front reclines all the way - especially if they are in the bulk head and already have extra leg room.
My brother and his wife went too. They were on the same flight out of JFK. They sat in first class. DS and I were going to go up there and mooch an extra pack of caviar or something, but were stopped at the "division of the classes" curtain. We weren't allowed up there - imagine. Like we were some sort of lowly riff-raff. My brother heard the ensuing "scuffle" as DS and I wrestled the flight attendant to the ground. He turned around just as we were letting her stand back up - he just smiled and waved a Miss America wave. I wanted to do the really mature thing and make a raspberry noise at him or something.
Boy, talk about getting my feathers ruffled. They were already mushed from being in the middle and having some ladies head in my lap for 7 hours, but to be denied the ability to mooch some smoked salmon off my brother and make him feel guilty for not switching seats with me or at least our elderly mother, well that just stuck in my craw. And, to have him give me that Miss America wave. Well! I was not going to share the trail mix I had stashed in my carry on with him! He' d miss out on all those yummy almonds and M and Ms.
The movies were ok. There was some weird foreign film about a guy who comes home and there's some couple living in his apartment. This is how that movie experience went - the movie played for about 8 minutes and they stopped it and restarted.
Then, it played over, from the beginning - another 8 minutes. Stop. Restart. Another 8 minutes Stop. Restart.
By then, the riff raff in fourth class was throwing ice at the flight attendants and boo'ing.
We really hissed when they announced that someone in First Class was having electrical problems. Like the 4th class herds really care about the spoiled travelers in the First Class cabin.
Well, they finally just let the movie run. And, about 15 minutes later my brother comes back, all smiling cuz his legs aren't cramped, no one has their head in his smoke salmon, and he says, "Man, the worst thing has happened! Our electrical doesn't work. We're the only people in first class with no lights, no headphones".
I said, "Are you the spoiled first classer that has made us watch the weird opening to this completely odd movie, like 8 times? And you didn't even bring your poor mother and sister an extra pack of smoked almonds or nothin'?"
And, now everyone in 4th class knew that we were related to the cause of this huge inconvenience. We threw him back over to the other side of the "division of the classes" curtain. Yes, we sent his spoiled self packing. HMPH!
Since this was about 102 hour trip, they played gobs of movies. One of them was the new Get Smart. It was kinda goofy, but there were some hilarious parts.
Now, when you wear those headsets, you really can't hear how loud you're laughing. And, DS16 and I, well, we like a good laugh just as much as the next person. And, we tended to laugh out loud at a few parts and kinda talked to each other while laughing, "Oh, man, that's hilarious." you know, that kinda mother-son banter. And, apparently, at the top of our lungs.
Well, when we finally disembsarked, after about 154 hours, we're riding this bus to the terminal in Athens and this lady says, "Oh, you were the people laughing really loudly at the movie."
I really wanted to say, "yeah, so?" But, I pulled my mature 48 year old, mother-setting-an-example self together, looked at my son, and we busted out laughing about the fake swordfish going through a window.
So, are you still with me? I thought I'd post a few photos of the trip...maybe one per entry. Check this out...it was on the island of Lesvos, in a little fishing village tucked away in some bay. They were drying this octopus outside a restaurant on the water.
(copyright disclaimer: thou shalt not control c/control v photos off my blog)
No, we didn't eat octopus. My son did eat goat one night.
Explain this, the boy won't eat spaghetti sauce, but will eat goat. Tell me, where is the reasoning in this? |
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Dec. 18, 2008
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Home Made Refrigerator
Posted By
Grelihm
From Here:
Description
This section is from the "Henley's Twentieth Century Formulas, Recipes, Processes" encyclopedia, by Norman W. Henley and others.
Home-Made Refrigerators
I
Partly fill with water a shallow granite-ware pan. Place it in an open, shady window where there is a good draught of air. In this put bottles of water, milk, and cream (sealed), wrapped with wet cloths reaching into the water. Put butter in an earthen dish deep enough to prevent water getting in. Over this turn an earthen flower-pot wrapped with a wet cloth reaching into the water. The pan should be fixed every morning and evening. With several of these pans one can keep house very comfortably without ice.
II
Procure a wire meat-safe—that is, a box covered by wire netting on three sides, with a fly-proof door. On top place a deep pan filled with water. Take a piece of burlap the height of the pan and safe, and of sufficient length to reach around the entire safe. Tack it fast where the door opens and closes. Tuck the upper edge in the water. Place it where there is a draught and where the* dripping will do no damage. This constitutes a well-ventilated refrigerator that costs nothing but water to maintain.
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Dec. 6, 2008
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Roundhouses and Living Roofs
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Jun. 18, 2008
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Perennial vegatables
I am working to plant perennial vegetables suitable for our climate. They hopefully would provide an ongoing source of food, hopefully requiring less upkeep.
Links coming as I find sources:
Great comprehensive online nursery
Leeks
Asparagus
Sun Chokes (purchased today at Whole Foods)
Prickly Pear Cactus
Groundnuts
Tumeric Tubers (purchased at Whole Foods)
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May. 16, 2008
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Many lessons with urban homesteading.
Posted By
Grelihm
One of my big struggles with raising our large family in an urban environment is keeping them occupied in wholesome activities. Boredom is a constant problem as well as the potential for dependency on media and mindless computer entertainment.
Urban homesteading has proven to be the answer. It is productive, it teaches science and responsibility, and the kids really enjoy it. At a time when people are increasingly talking about a world food crisis, becoming food producers rather than just consumers, also seem wise. We are not practicing the sin of avarice by hoarding food, which presents its own problems, particularly spoilage in this warm humid climate or extremely high price if properly preserved for long term storage. But we are working to live a more sustainable lifestyle that hopefully will be more resilient in the event of any kind of serious crisis.
Our organic wastes are being used to feed the chickens directly or the composting worms which will later feed the chickens and catfish in our new aquaponics pool. The compost from the worms feed our earth-based gardens. The waste from the fish feed the aquaponic garden. Everything is recycled and ultimately is used to feed our family.
Right now, we are starting small. It is my goal that we can supply 25-30 percent of our food needs while living in the city. Once we move to our acreage, it is my hope that we can expand it to 75-90%. Meanwhile, the children are learning so much. And there is now so much to keep their interest. They love watching the fish (and learning water chemistry) and caring for the chickens. They are looking forward to when we expand our operations to include rabbits and maybe a mini-dairy goat (which is permitted here with our large yards). Then they can learn breeding and cheese making.
I am very grateful that we finally have a solution to help our children to keep busy in a constructive way.
Glory to God for all things!
P.S. Here is a neat article on one family's urban homesteading. It's my goal! ;-) Bit by bit, we are tearing out lawn and replacing it with edibles. If it requires water, than hopefully it will in someway be productive. Otherwise, we hope to change the lawn to native with drought resistant buffalo grass and short Texas wildflowers.
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May. 9, 2008
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Backyard aquaculture
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Dec. 8, 2007
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Earthbag construction website
Posted By
Grelihm
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