Mar. 3, 2009
Wisdom from the pastDefinitely still valuable today
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An 87-Year-Old's Economic Survival Guide The article above is written by Chuck Norris and discusses the guidance his mother gave him about getting through hard times—advice based on her childhood growing up in Oklahoma in the Depression. Her advice is as sound today as it was then and far more rarely followed. |
Feb. 26, 2009
When I Wear Red
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This morning I got out a red top to wear. It never fails. When I wear red I think of my gramma, a gorgeous 80+-year old woman whose favorite color was red. Not a muted burgundy, not pink, RED. Bright red. Bold red. The kind of red that shouts "Here I am world!" Gramma was that kind of spunky, funny, faith-filled woman I aspire to be. She left behind some very big, size 5, candy-apple red pumps for me to fill. She was not always confident in her own abilities, but she was always confident in the abilities of her Lord. And when she left this world she was leaning on him still. When I wear red I am feeling a little bolder, a little more daring, a little more fun than other days. I'm feeling SELF-confident, but I must always remember that my daring and abilities are insignificant; my plans, inconsequential. I have to remember to be GOD-confident. Anything I am is because of Him. Wear red today. Be bold today. Be GOD-confident today. |
Jan. 26, 2009
What a Homeschooling Mom Needs
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A friend sent me a link to this blog post today: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/PreschoolersandPeace/257413/ What wisdom lies on this page. Love it! |
Jan. 23, 2009
Turning Points
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Turning Points, the latest E-Book released from The Old Schoolhouse®, is phenomenal! If you need a boost of encouragement, to know that you are not alone, this is the resource for you. Turning Points offers up a bounty of real-life encouragement from over 20 homeschooling families from around the world, sharing their frustrations, joys, and revelations in this homeschooling journey. Each author’s story is unique, yet each shares these commonalities:
I LOVE this one! |
Jan. 20, 2009
Bird Dog MinistryFreedom in Obedience
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Check this out: How cool! |
Jan. 19, 2009
The Wrath of the Flu Bug
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It's been so long since I posted I almost forgot my own URL! I have been down with the flu (way, way down) and not keeping up with my posting. I think I'm on the mend (slowly, but surely) now. We're continuing along with the inauguration unit study we started last week and really enjoying that. Also, TOS has their 2009 Freebie Directory up and running—always fun! My oldest daughter turned 13 last week and we had to abbreviate our celebration due to my illness. I'm hoping I'll be well enough tomorrow to do some belated celebrating with her. (spraying Lysol) Stay well! |
Jan. 8, 2009
No-Cream-of-Tartar biscuit recipe
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Thanks for the suggestion, Heidi! Here's the biscuit recipe (no cream of tartar involved!): Angel Biscuits (taken from Best of Taste of Home, The First 10 Years, Taste of Home Books, 2002) 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast 1/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees) 2 cups warm buttermilk (110-115 degrees) 5 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons salt 1 cup shortening melted butter or margarine Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the buttermilk; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in yeast mixture; mix well. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 3-4 times. Roll out to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2-inch biscuit cutter (we use a large drinking glass instead). Place on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1-1/2 hours. You can't be in a hurry for these. Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter. Remove from pans to wire racks. Yield: about 2-1/2 dozen. This recipe makes too many biscuits for our family to eat at one time, so we put the leftovers in a zipper bag in the freezer to enjoy another day. |
Jan. 8, 2009
You put what in the biscuits?
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Yesterday my oldest daughter had a hankerin' for biscuits. We've been having lunch later and later in the day for some reason and it was about 1:30 p.m. when she came and asked me if she could make some biscuits. I was surprised to see that it was so late in the day and told her I just didn't have enough time to make biscuits, we need to eat pretty quick. "Oh, I'll make them, you don't have to," was her response. "Well, okay, as long as you clean up your mess when you're done. And that means wash all the dishes you've dirtied, not just pile them up in the sink," I said. "Yes, Mom," she replied with that look of long-suffering on her face. So I went and heated up some leftovers for myself and my younger daughter and left my oldest to work on the biscuits. After I was done eating, I glanced into the kitchen and noticed about 6 cookbooks spread out all over our flour-coated kitchen counters. "Did you have trouble finding a recipe you liked?" I asked. "Yes, I did. Almost all of them had cream of tartar in them!" she said. Confused, I said, "What's wrong with cream of tartar?" "Oh, I don't like that stuff" Now more confused, I asked for clarification, "What do you mean you don't like that stuff? What do you not like about it?" I was pretty sure my daughter had never even used cream of tartar before and I was wondering how she could have formed such a strong opinion about it already. She clarified, "I don't like any of that stuff: cream of celery, cream of mushroom, or cream of tartar."  After I gained control of myself and quit laughing, I explained that while I don't really know what cream of tartar is, it's nothing at all like cream of celery or cream of mushroom. Here is a picture of the wonderful, no-cream-of-tartar biscuits that we enjoyed with dinner last night. They were delicious!  |
Dec. 31, 2008
Road Trip Pics
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Here are a few pics from our Christmas break. This is our dog, Alley, modeling one of her new, homemade doggie vests (mentioned in a previous post)  Now here are some pics from our big road trip. The first one is looking down into Palo Duro Canyon (Texas). It was a gorgeous view but we didn't stay long. I was afraid the wind would blow the kids down into a ravine. Had to be over 50 mph winds that day!
 This one is from down in Palo Duro Canyon. Occasionally we even saw prairie dogs scurrying around. Sooo cute!
 Now this last one depicts what can happen when you spend 20 hours in the car in one week. This one's kind of a public service message... beware....
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Dec. 30, 2008
The After-Christmas Break
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Well we're back from our annual road trip to the Texas Panhandle. It was an uneventful trip which makes it VERY unusual for us. Last year a turkey flew into our windshield halfway there (on Christmas Eve). That was exciting. I had little bits of glass falling into my lap for about 4 hours. On the way home (after having the windshield repaired) we drove into a hail storm. THAT was a typical family trip for us. Something crazy always happens when we travel. However, this year was different. Nothing bizarre happened. I guess that, in and of itself, is bizarre. Anyway, we're back now and taking this week off to relax. I can't remember the last full week we took completely off. We're usually just doing a little school or working around activities. Seldom are we completely without some form of school work. Since we're not tied down with schoolwork, I'm scheduling doctor's appointments and hair appointments and stuff like that. We wouldn't want to have actual relaxation time now would we? Oh no! We wouldn't know how to handle that. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and will, likewise, take some time off to just enjoy each other. See y'all in 2009! |
Dec. 23, 2008
Braces, Pianos, Dog Vests, OH MY
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One last quick update on our activities before Christmas... My oldest got braces:  My youngest played Christmas music in church:
 And we made 3 vests for our little dog yesterday:
 That was a fun project for a yucky-weather day. Our dog is now on the best-dressed list in our neighborhood (it's a very short list).
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Dec. 18, 2008
Party
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Here are a few pics from yesterday's big holiday party. The girls and I made 20 of these tins for our friends and neighbors. They were filled with homemade truffles (very chocolatey!)  We also made this pinata, filled with candy, for our guests to work out some of their pent up holiday frustrations.   |
Dec. 11, 2008
Lots of Frugal Ideas Here
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If you haven't heard about Molly yet, check her out: www.econobusters.com She's the latest source for all things economical and in these difficult, changing times, everyone can benefit from these ideas. Thanks Molly! |
Dec. 10, 2008
Quick and Easy Christmas Letter Writing
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Today is December 10th (in case you are not aware of that). I don't want to be the one to tell you this, but if you haven't mailed Christmas cards yet, you are quickly running out of time.  This is the realization I came to this morning. Also, I've been thinking about how much money I spend on these Christmas greetings. So, this year I thought I'd try something new that the kids could get in on too. The kids and I came up with a list of the Top 10 Interesting Things That We Did This Year (interesting being a relative term). Then I sat down to surf the web for some clever ideas to get me started with the letter. I came across this awesome tool: http://www.christmaslettertips.com/instant_christmas_letter.htm It was so cute, so easy, and took so little of my time, I couldn’t resist using it. Once the letter was done, the girls and I went through our photos from the year and picked out a sampling indicative of our favorite times. I put all those in a Word document and the hardest work was over. I did a Save As and saved the file as a PDF document. It's now ready to email to all of our friends and family at virtually no cost to us (other than my time). For our non-email friends and family I found some old resume-quality paper in my stash and printed the photo collage on one side and the letter on the other. I also used Word and my printer to address all the envelopes. This year I was looking for a cheaper and faster alternative to mailing that big stack of Christmas cards. I think these letters w/photos are a much more economical way to send holiday greetings. I get to send a variety of photos from our year, a hopefully entertaining story that also tells a little about our year, and cut our costs in the process. Gotta love that! Happy, frugal holidays! |
Dec. 9, 2008
Mmmmm, mmmm good (Texas Style)
Posted in A Day In The Homeschool Life
I hate to admit this, but this yummy south Texas-style recipe comes from Nancy, a friend far, far from Texas. But don't let that deter you from trying it. I'm sure it's roots reach back to Texas at some point.  Sweet, seasonal, and easy to make, you won't want to miss out on: Fried Snowflakes |
Dec. 7, 2008
An E-What?
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Well, I'm back from my Girl Scout camp adventures in the frozen North (north of my house at least). However, I haven't quite acclimated back into my old lifestyle yet, so, until my toes and brain thaw out I'm going to treat you to an interesting article from my friend, Heidi, about E-Books. Stay Warm! The E-Book Phenomenon By Heidi Strawser, E-Book Reviews Specialist, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC In the words of modern-day teenagers, “What’s up with that?” The word phenomenon means “something that is impressive or extraordinary,” and E-Books are exactly that. If you have discovered them already and are using them in your home and homeschool, I am sure you know why they are a phenomenon! If you have never heard of E-Books, then it is high time you learned about them. As the new E-Book Reviews Specialist for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine’s Schoolhouse Store, I’d like to give you some facts about E-Books, explain why E-Books are becoming so popular, and tell you what I love about them. An E-Book is a book that is published in electronic or digital format as opposed to a book that is printed on paper. E-Books were first introduced in the late 1990s, and by the year 2000 thousands of books were being digitized. During the past few years, E-Books have taken the homeschool world by storm, and many websites devoted exclusively to the sale of E-Books have been created. At The Schoolhouse Store, our E-Book section currently represents nearly fifty vendors and includes more than three hundred selections. This year’s sales already reflect a 27% increase in E-Book sales, compared to last year’s sales. We are adding new E-Books to our list on a regular basis and expect sales volumes to increase significantly as this extremely accessible resource continues to gain popularity. Two years ago, I didn’t even know that E-Books existed. Then a good friend introduced me to them . . . and I fell in love. Here’s why:
So let’s sum up the truths about E-books:
Those are just a few of the reasons I have fallen in love with E-Books. I’m sure others could come up with many more reasons why E-Books are becoming an integral component among their homeschooling resources. The Schoolhouse Store is looking for more E-Books to expand our ever-growing line. I know that many of our readers are very talented, versatile homeschooling parents. I have been to your blogs and websites; I know many of you are creating your own curricula, lapbook projects, note-booking pages, planners, cookbooks, and more. Why not share them with the rest of us by selling them in The Schoolhouse Store? If this is something that interests you, please send a copy of your edited work to me at hstrawser@TheHomeschoolMagazine.com for preview. Thanks for taking the time to read about E-Books. I trust that this article has introduced you to some exciting new ideas. I would love to hear your thoughts on E-Books. Please feel free to contact me any time with ideas and questions. I look forward to hearing from you! Copyright 2008 The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. Reprinted with permission. If your curiosity about E-Books is now piqued, check out these two new ones from TOS, you won't be disappointed.   |
Nov. 29, 2008
Gravy Eclair
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My daughter made a life-altering discovery this Thanksgiving... She came back to the table during our Thanksgiving dinner with a dinner roll in her hand. "Guess what's inside!" she proudly taunted. "I'm afraid to," I replied. "GRAVY," she replied with a glowing smile. My daughter has invented the Gravy Eclair. We're so proud. |
Nov. 26, 2008
No cornbread is safe...
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I just have to share this story. Especially after I wrote about what a great guy my husband is... Tonight I made a pan of cornbread in preparation for tomorrow's dressing to go with the turkey. I had that sitting out on the counter cooling while we gathered 'round to make our plates for dinner. We do a buffet line for most dinners. Anyway, we all get our plates and go sit down to eat. My oldest daughter (a HUGE cornbread fan) says, "Hey, why does Dad get to eat the cornbread?" Everyone stopped, not a sound was made, not a mouth chewed. We all turned to stare at my husband who had a large hunk of buttered corn bread poised just in front of his open mouth. "Hey, that's for tomorrow!" I exclaimed. "Well, I've already buttered it now. I'm sorry, but it's ruined," was his mock-mournful reply. The oldest pipes up again. "Well, since Dad's already cut it, can I have some too?" Long story short, I made another pan of cornbread after dinner. I hope this one makes it 'til morning! |
Nov. 25, 2008
Have fun, be thankful
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Today we had some pre-Thanksgiving chores scheduled (cleaning mini-blinds, shutters, ceiling fans, air intake cover, light fixtures, etc.). We had a lot of trouble getting motivated (all of us) until I hit upon a very inspiring idea. It was about 12:30 p.m. and we hadn't eaten lunch yet. I threw out a challenge. If we could finish our whole list of chores before we collapsed from hunger pangs, we'd go out for lunch—Chinese food no less (our favorite). At 1:15 p.m. we were driving away. The dust hadn't even settled back down on the blinds before we were out the door. We had a lovely lunch and came right back home to start a big pot of chicken soup for dinner and get some other work done. As we were driving back, listening to a CD I had made of a variety of my favorite music, we held an impromptu concert. I stopped the car right there in the field (our driveway is about a half a mile long and runs through a cactus-laden pasture) and we sang along with Casting Crowns, Toby Mac, and, my absolute favorite, Martina McBride (I have very eclectic taste in music). It was a beautiful time. We have found that if we turn the CD player up loud enough and close our eyes, we sound EXACTLY like Martina McBride. It's uncanny really. Don't worry, I'll still make time to blog even when we're on the road touring with her. |
Nov. 18, 2008
The Play's "The Thing"
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Tonight was the dress rehearsal for my daughters' big theatrical debut. It was the usual chaos you might expect. The curtain on the stage collapsed. There was lots of noise backstage. Lines were forgotten. Cues were missed. And yet... I'm awed by how far they've come. No matter what, the performance will be beautiful to me. They've all grown so much in these months. It's wonderful ... and I'm glad it's almost over. On another note, check out Nancy's cool gift idea. She's sooo clever. This one's fun and educational (but I bet they won't even notice the educational part). |