Weekly Wrap Up - Oct. 26, 2009
Posted in Weekly Wrap Up
I am reading in John again. I had to stop for a little while and turn to Genesis. Why? Paradise Lost, that’s why. I had to read Paradise Lost in my British Literature class. For anyone who has never read Paradise Lost before, let me explain a little bit about it, and you’ll understand why I just spent several weeks intensely exploring the first three chapters of Genesis. Paradise Lost is an epic poem about Satan’s rebellion in Heaven, creation, and the fall of mankind in
On the Homefront
Home has been a bit chaotic these past couple of weeks. A full schedule is nothing new around here, but we just can’t seem to settle into a rhythm. Hopefully, with things like a vacation, a birthday, and an anniversary behind us, we can finally get more comfortable with our schedule.
Also, on the homefront, I found and amazing price on apples and canned Apple Butter and Apple Sauce. I didn’t have a food mill, so the first batch of Apple Butter was a bit challenging. I put the cooked apples into a colander and simulated a food mill by pressing the apples through the holes with the back of a ladle. It worked out fairly well except I got tired pretty quickly. That’s when my hubby rescued me and finished that first batch. However, when I came home with twenty more pounds of apples, he bought me a food mill that I absolutely love! By the way, if you do make Apple Butter this year, beware! The smell of apples simmering with all those spices just might have you thinking about Christmas. I’ve been listening to Christmas music ever since!!
Oh, and I went to
In the Schoolroom
School is doing surprising well in spite of our schedule. Jared is really enjoying his weekly hands-on projects from Christian Kids Explore Chemistry and reading My Side of the Mountain for Total Language Plus. Sequential Spelling and daily dictation are really helping his spelling issues. Unfortunately, math hasn’t been much fun lately. Jared’s at a point where math is just practice and drills. He still won’t commit basic math facts to memory, and until he does we have to spend time drilling every day. It’s really just the nature of how Jared learns certain things. He simply needs to review it often before he can remember it. We’ll just keep plugging along.
Colleen is keeping up with her work load pretty well, although she did slack off a bit in Spanish 2 this past week. Oh, and she’ll get to read excerpts from Paradise Lost soon. I can’t wait to hear how much she “loves” it! She just finished Beowulf and was less than thrilled, so
On the Exercise Mat
We finally built a gas-free day into our week by riding our bikes to choir and drama classes. Between the heat and the spread out schedule, I just couldn’t find a weekday that I didn’t have to drive somewhere. Thankfully, the temperature had finally dropped below ninety, and we can ride in the afternoons again. I’ve also been using the treadmill a couple days of week in order to keep up on my reading for school. Unfortunately, I have, once again, let my strength training lapse. Time to unbury those dumbbells…again.
From the Library
School, school, and more school has taken up most of my recreational reading time. My literature class requires reading about sixty pages each week, and my environment class requires a book read every other week. Now, add in all the reading I need t do just to keep up with the kids’ schooling, and I’m full! Although, I have been getting a lot of cookbooks out from the library. Does that count?
On the Creative Side
Right now I’m working on the baskets we give to our friends each Christmas. I’ve been canning a variety of jams, jellies, and butters to put in the basket. This year, I’ll be adding an ornament of some kind. So far, I’ve found a crocheted snowflake and a quilled snowflake that I like. I’ve managed to work on these a little at a time while I watch different movies and videos for school. I hope to get the sewing room cleaned up this week so I can get a few more larger projects done. It seems someone in my home likes to dump big boxes of stuff in the sewing room so they don’t have to be seen or dealt with. Time to haul them up the attic!
In the Garden
The fall garden is coming up nicely! Hubby built an amazing drip irrigation system to keep those extra thirsty plants well-watered without drowning those that don’t need quite so much water. I do love my mornings in the garden suckering the tomatoes; thinning the turnips, carrots, and beets; weeding the broccoli, cauliflower, and corn. What a way to wake up each day!
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Weekly Wrap-up 8/16 - 8/22 - Aug. 24, 2009
Posted in Weekly Wrap Up
With the Lord
I’m working my way through the book of John. It’s very slow going. There’s just so much to take in, and I no longer read to finish a goal. I read to understand. If that means reading a chapter a day, then great. If it means reading a single section a day, then great. I want to share with you a beautiful verse I read this week.
He must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30
‘Nuff said.
From the Heart
You can read about this picture in my post titled “The Ride of a Lifetime.”
On the Homefront
We are finally going on a vacation! We’ve reserved our favorite campsite at Stone Mountain in
In the Schoolroom
The kids continued working on their lighter summer lessons. We won’t start our fall curriculum until September, and even then we’ll do it in stages. So, until we officially start the new school year, our goal is maintenance.
On the Exercise Mat
I’m pretty sure that finishing a 34-mile bike ride was enough!
From the Library
I finished Colleen Coble’s Lonestar Sanctuary, so now I’m on to her new novel Lonestar Secrets. Unfortunately, the fall semester has started at USF, and I don’t think I’ll have much time to enjoy much fiction. Both of my classes have a pretty heavy amount of required reading.
On the Creative Side
My creative side was lacking once again this week. Although, giving my daughter an empty camera box for her birthday and hiding the camera in the present her brother gave her might be considered creative. Definitely mischevious, but maybe a little creative, too
In the Garden
Hubby is nurturing our seedlings along nicely while the soil bakes under a heavy sheet of plastic. However, my dog, who never jumps the garden fence, keeps going in there after it rains. I wonder if she thinks it’s a big slip and slide?!
Thank you for stopping by! Don’t forget to stop by Carol’s blog and check out other Weekly Wrap-ups!
Betty
Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 1Peter1:2b
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Weekly Wrap-up 8/9 - 8/15 - Aug. 17, 2009
Posted in Weekly Wrap Up
With the Lord
The Lord has been very busy this last week! From an incredible weekend at the Women of Faith conference to an amazing sermon on the Holy Spirit. From reading the beginning of the Book of John to the retelling of the Book of Matthew through the music of Godspell. From the privilege of watching His hand begin the healing of a marriage between two people who are very dear to me to the privilege of feeling His presence in the healing of friendship. It’s been quite the week! I could write a dozen pages about this week alone, but I’ll spare you…for now.
On the Homefront
Managing my home was a haphazard affair this past week. My husband was out of town at the beginning of the week, and then I was out of town at the end of the week. Even Colleen spent a couple of days away. It will be nice to settle back into my routines this next week.
In the Schoolroom
Sadly, the children were on automatic pilot this last week. Yes, it is good for them to have these pockets of independence, but I always feel a bit guilty afterwards.
However, I think we have a very good plan for the fall. I just need to put everything on one calendar and pray over it just to be sure.
At the Workplace
The book is coming along nicely even though I’ve paused in the actually writing in order to gather more information. I am so grateful that the interviews have been everything I needed them to be and more. Now, I just need to pray that I can talk a publisher into loving it!
On the Exercise Mat
Yes, in spite of the craziness this past week, I did get in some very good exercise. Whether or not I will be ready for the bike-trek this Thursday remains to be seen.
From the Library
I am re-reading Lonestar Sanctuary by Colleen Coble. Lonestar Secrets recently came out and I needed to refresh my memory of first book before reading the second.
On the Creative Side
I don’t believe I was vey creative at all this week!
In the Garden
The garden is covered with manure and just needs the layer of plastic on it. My husband’s seedlings are looking beautiful and will be ready for planting next month. Even the composter was taken care of this week. It was emptied, dismantled, cleaned, and moved. I’ll write more about composting and soil solarization later this week.
Thank you for stopping by! I had better get outside and finish cleaning up the butterfly garden while it’s still cool out.
Betty
Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 1Peter1:2b
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