Wednesday 11 November 2009 - Sorry...
Greetings,
I just wanted to let you guys know that I am working on posting Chapter One of one of my stories.
Thank you for your patience.
~Sam
Nov. 11, 2009 - Homeschooling Through High School ~ Home Economics
Home Economics...a class I never took in high school because I was in band...was part and parcel for young ladies in high school once upon a time. Girls were taught how to cook meals, sew clothing, do laundry, etc. Nowadays, few girls in the public school system receive such training. If they do take what we might call "Home Ec" classes, they're more likely to be referred to by different names, such as "Applied Science: Foods," or "Consumer Education."
A quick glance at the course catalog of my own local public high school shows such courses as, "Interior Design," "Fashion Merchandising," "Culinary Arts and Nutrition," "Food Science," "Child Development," "Parenting," "Adult Living/Personal Relationships." ALL course descriptions provide the way that these courses will relate to a future college-major/course of study.
A few years ago, my niece and her then-boyfriend (now husband) joined our family for Thanksgiving dinner. I invited her to join me in the kitchen to help with some of the last minute tasks...I figured I would let her "show off" a little to this young man by showcasing her skill in the kitchen! I realize that this is a VERY old-fashioned way of thinking...and this side of the family does not know Christ, does not value home-education, nor the "training up" of children for any purpose other than attending college so as to get the best possible job and make money so they can have a "good life." Even so, I knew that men enjoy a good meal, and I was determined to set up a scenario where this potential husband-to-be would be impressed!
"Sweetie, come help your old aunt with dinner...can you make the mashed potatoes tonight?" "Sure, I guess. I've never made them before...what do I do?" "Well, the potatoes are all in that big bowl...they're all washed, so just peel them, quarter them, and put them in that big pot of boiling water to cook." "OK, how do I peel them?" "The vegetable peeler is right there, see?" "OK, I see it, but how do I peel them?" "How do you peel them? I'm sorry, do you prefer a paring knife to peel your potatoes?" "A what-knife?" "Sweetie, what do you like to use to peel a potato?" "I don't know...I've never peeled a potato. I don't know how."
I showed her how to use a vegetable peeler and a knife on a potato; she chose the vegetable peeler, and began to work, slowly. Her mother joined in to help speed things along, as did I, with my paring knife. Once the potatoes were boiled, the two continued the impromptu cooking lesson, mother teaching daughter the art of adding milk, butter, salt, and pepper to get the perfect consistency. Together, they hunted down and removed all the lumps left in the creamy masterpiece...a tragedy, in my opinion. My daddy always told us, "if there aren't any lumps in it you don't know they're real potatoes...the best made-from-scratch mashed potatoes ALWAYS have lumps, they're no good without the lumps!"
I pulled my niece aside and quietly told her, "you know, the lumps are OK...you don't always have to remove all the lumps!" She surprised me by immediately going back over to her mom, and saying, "I'll take out the lumps...I am her daughter!" "Good for you," I thought! "And good for you, Mom...you taught her how to peel a potato and make edible food from it!" Better late than never. This was a 21 year old who considered putting a box of icy stuff in the microwave to be "cooking."
The point of this isn't really to debate the best way to prepare mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving (that'll be next week's article). Nor is it to criticize anyone who puts a frozen box of pasta in the microwave and calls it "cooking dinner," for I have done it myself on more than one occasion!
What I desire to share is something most homeschool parents already realize, and that is the alarming inability, due to the simple lack of any training, of the average young adult in this country to manage a home in a healthy, financially responsible, and balanced manner. Our young men and women are largely being "trained" for college entrance and career. Within the homeschool community, I realize that there are widely varying opinions on the issue of career-women vs. home-keepers. Therefore, I will not be going there! Whichever side of that fence you fall on, I believe we can all agree that if our young people are blessed to enter into marriage and family, they will save themselves boatloads of emotional angst if both of them know how to: prepare food at home from scratch; buy just what they can afford and truly need rather than be attracted and drawn to excessive home decor that can only be purchased with credit and debt; sew simple articles of clothing rather than having to purchase everything at the store; repair fixable broken items rather than replacing them; give regularly to the work of the church and save some of their income on a regular basis rather than spending every penny that comes in on "wants" -- as opposed to needs.
This is the "art" and "science" of home economics. Parents of homeschooling high school students...I would beg you, do not ignore this most important area of "study," even if one or more of your students is a college-bound guy, as is one of mine. Curricula abound out there, if you desire this, or you can simply bring them alongside you when you cook dinner, make a sandwich, do the laundry, scrub down a bathtub, or clean a toilet.
Inge Cannon of Education Plus has a wonderful recommendation in her "Transcript Bootcamp" program...she says to give your teenage children a copy of their "Emancipation Proclamation." This is a list of life-skills which you create that are required of your young people before you will issue them their high school diploma...no matter how many course credits they've earned! Whether or not you create a home-economics course out of the accomplishment of this list is up to you. Either way, what a wonderful gift of learning and life we impart if we put this idea into practice!
A couple of weeks ago, I introduced one of my favorite books by Edith Schaeffer to you. This week I'd like to introduce another one: The Hidden Art of Homemaking. As with the other book, Mrs. Schaeffer's writing can be a bit dificult to "get into" at first because of stylistic choices she makes, but the content is so wonderful, it's worth the time and little bit of effort!
In closing, let's share a few verses from God's word which can focus our children's studies and practices in the area of home economics:
Proverbs 31:27 "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness."
I Timothy 6:6-10 "But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
I Timothy 6:17-19 "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."
I Peter 3:7 "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."
I Thessalonians 4:11-12 "And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing."
May God bless you and your homeschool this week!
Lori
Lori Havens has been married to Kevin for 24 years. They live in Illinois with their two sons, Bryan (17) and Nathan (16), and dog Sunny (9). Lori enjoys writing, gardening, reading, and the outdoors. She is the author of "Should I Be A Nurse? A Journey of Self-Exploration for Those Considering a Career in Nursing" and "7 Essential Questions Every Future Nurse Must Ask." You can find her blogging at both Homeschool Blogger and Homestead Blogger .
Nov. 11, 2009 - Why?
Why is it, when I have such a great life: an indescribable relationship with the Lord, a wonderful family, fantastic friends, a house that fits our needs, enough food, the amazing blessing of being homeschooled, a loving church, that I can still complain? Why do I still fight with my sisters because they won't let me on the Xbox, or they're plunking on my piano? Why is it that even though I am so thankful to be homeschooled, I still whine and sulk over having to balance chemistry equations? I mean, that is probably one of the most childish things I could do. Homeschooling is the oportunity of a lifetime for me, and I'm thanking my parents by complaining about science. Being homeschooling is one of the greatest things that have happened to me, it's making me smarter each day, shouldn't I be thankful that I have to do chemistry? My sisters and I have the greatest times with each other, talking and laughing about who knows what, and singing to the top of our lungs, and I show my appreciation by arguing when they won't move on the couch? Oh boy, God and I have some work to do.
God Bless You,
Taylor
Nov. 11, 2009 - Blah, blah, blah.
Okay, the Christmas blog has been set up and starting December first you can get a Christmas present! *so excited* AND we're going to Oklahoma a week from today! We're leaving for the airport at 4:00 so that means we'll get to Oklahoma at 10:00 at night! AND They're making two webkinz penguins: the baby penguin and the signature penguin. And they already have the penguin penguin! Looks like Ganz is penguin crazy! Here are the penguins and their items:
Baby penguin:
Signature penguin:
I personally think the signature is cuter, but the baby's item is "snow" adorable!
I''m going to work on some Christmas presents today, after my novel, of course! Good bye!
♡✩Ariel✩♡
Nov. 11, 2009 - Free sheet music
Have you ever heard a song that you liked and then looked it up online to see if there's a piece of free sheet music for it?
Often you can find a piece of free sheet music for that song, such as 'The Spinning Song' for piano. But more often than not you can't find what your looking for... At least I can't.
Below are links for four sheet music sites, which don't come up when you google 'free sheet music', they never have for me anyway. 
http://imslp.org/ A project to put all out of print music online for anyone to use. This website has a lot of classical music on it.
Music Scores Has a lot of free arrangements and solos ranging in difficulty levels. Some songs are not free. Also the site has a limit of downloading three files every twenty-four hours if you are not a member. To become a member it costs thirty dollars a year.
Making Music Fun Mostly easy music. Meant for a music teacher resource. It's all free and there's music for a lot of different instruments.
The Session free Irish fiddle tunes. These are arrangements just simple tunes.
My favorite is music scores, except the limitations can be annoying. I also like Imslp a lot but it just depends what your looking for
There you go, have fun! =D
~Ness
Nov. 10, 2009 - =)
okay, i would just like to point out that if you comment, im going to take awhile to reply. because HSB doesnt send me notifications anymore when i get new comments. :(
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT REVOLVE IS ON FRIDAY!!!!!!
which means im going to be staying in a hotel with room service and icecream and a ton of other Stellar Kart fans, and JANELLE. and my mommy. and we're going to be going to a two day long all girl concert and its going to be completely amazing and i cannot wait. im really really way excited. and i wish my camera was fixed because now i have to use my mom's, and her's isn't as amazing as mine. and its sad.. sad day. but anyway. yeah. I GET TO SPEND THE WEEKEND WITH JANELLE. im way excited. ahhhhh
so yea. just thought i'd let you know.
oh, and i didnt get up until noon today. and didnt eat lunch until two. and then im going to take a shower and get ready for youthgroup, which is in like a few hours, and then im going to come home and crash. because im beyond tired again and i have no freaking idea why because unlike usual , i went to bed at a decent time last night. wanna know why? because i was tired. so i actually went to bed. amazing how that works, huh? but i didnt get much sleep cause i kept waking up at weird times and then my dreams were like really odd.. hey, did you know that if you dream about someone, its because they fell asleep thinking about you? i think that'd be kind of cool.
i really like thinking about the concept that a guy might be madly in love with a girl, but he wont tell her because he thinks his friends will make fun of him, and he thinks she wouldnt understand, or he thinks that it would never work out between him. and so he just sits around and waits for the girl to fall in love with him, back. but she never will, because she's already wrapped up in this other guy that she's crazy about. but this guy, thats so madly in love with her, texts her all the time. but they can never keep up a normal conversation because he's so madly in love with her that he cant think straight whenever he talks to her. and so eventually they just stop talking because she thinks its kind of weird. but he's still way in love with her. but he never does anything about it.
k, do something about it. because i just realized that living life thinking that someone will make fun of you, or tease you, or not talk to you anymore if you do something, isn't the right way to live. you need to get off your sorry butt and go do what you want to do. its not about what other people think about you. its what you think about yourself. take chances, make mistakes, get hurt, be crazy, break rules, do things you shouldnt. forget about what anybody else says or thinks about you because in the end its your life your going to look back on when your 80 and in the old people home, wondering why you lived life like you did.
get a grip.
live.
Nov. 10, 2009 - I know, I know... I said weekly...
Can anyone blame me?!?! I have all these awesome stories piling up and I have to sit there and look at them waiting for the day when I can post them.... So I'm going ahead and posting one.... I think I will post on Thursdays or Fridays normally [haha! For me, I mean.]. I don't know which so y'all just have to come and see!!! =) Personally, I think this one is a little depressing but you have to keep reading them.... They get much better! But his one is important. =)
;-)Syd
Not many people knew about Willow. Not even Willow's father Robin Hood, for he died a scarce two days after she was born. Willow's mother, Marian, was forced to move from Sherwood back into Locksley. There, for the sake of her child, she married Guy of Gisbourne who had long sought after Marian's hand in marriage.
While the townspeople saw only a cruel and harsh master, Willow saw a loving, doting and even playful father in Sir Guy. He loved her second only to Marian and saw that her every need was provided for. As she grew, it became evident that she was Robin's child. She had the same hawk-like eyes and tossled sandy-brown hair. Even more it became evident in her interests. On her 5th birthday, she did not ask for dolls or trinkets. She asked for a fine willow bow.
"I want it made of willow, Father." She said, "Then everyone will know it is Willow's bow." and of course, she got it.
On her 10th birthday, she did not ask for jewels or finery, but a fine sword. "Father, I want it made of finest steal. Then everyone will know it is a Gisbourne's sword!"
Without her father knowing, she had been visiting the man that lived down a the very edge of town. Will Scarlett would tell her stories of the days when he and the rest of the Merrymen would fight along side of Robin Hood himself. Willow couldn't help but fall in love with those old outlaws and Robin Hood, Will Scarlett, Allan A Dale, Little John, Much and the rest soon became some of her favorite people, even though Will was the only one left. Will knew whose Willow's true father was, of course, but he had long ago promised Marian not to tell Willow.
Willow's best friend, Sofia, was Will and Djag's daughter. She was the only one to whom Willow could tell her secret admiration of Robin Hood and his Merrymen. Sofia alone shared Willow's love for the outlaws and they both longed for those times to return.
"She looks so much like her father." Will would quietly say to his wife, Djag, each day after Willow left. Djag would just smile sadly and continue on with her work, watching and knowing that Will also would gladly give anything to be back in the days when the outlaws roamed Sherwood forest. Tears would often course down his cheeks as he thought of the good, kind Robin Hood and his noble merrymen. Gone.
Nov. 10, 2009 - Font
Some people wanna know the font on my header. It's "Fiolex Girls". <3
Nov. 10, 2009 - Woo hoo!
Hi everyone and welcome to my special holidays blog! Starting December first you can come here and get the code for a awesome virtual present for your blog! I can't wait!
Nov. 10, 2009 - Reaching Homeschoolers
At a homeschool convention last year, another vendor and I struck up a conversation. He had a lot of energy but seemed a bit uptight; however, he readily admitted that he felt totally out of place because he didn't homeschool and this was definitely not his "typical convention." Not really interested in finding out what his "typical convention" was like, I smiled and assured him that we all knew he was out of place the minute he walked in the vendor hall, but we're a polite group and so we didn't point or stare as we talked about him to each other. He grinned and relaxed a bit.
"Obviously, you're a pretty direct person," He said. "So I was wondering, how does a guy who knows nothing about homeschooling sell his product to homeschoolers?"
Ignoring the fact that this out of place "greedy capitalist" was there just to make a profit, I chuckled and asked him, "Why do you think homeschoolers would even want to buy your product if you know absolutely nothing about us?"
He didn't seem to want to answer that, so I continued, "Get to know us a bit and you'll figure out it's not that hard to sell to us. We're pretty frugal but can be gullible in the right circumstance with a promising product, especially at a homeschool convention."
"Fair enough." He replied. "Then I'd like to show you my stuff and see what you think. But first there's one thing I've been wondering about homeschoolers for quite a while now."
"Oh, and what is that?"
"Why do you homeschoolers have so many kids?"
"Umm, gee, maybe it's because we have more exciting things to do than watch Jay Leno after the kiddos go to bed?!?" (Okay, I didn't really say that but I did think it.)
Instead, I politely tried to explain that for some of us homeschooling isn't just an educational choice but a life decision based on a belief that children are as a blessing from God. He wasn't getting it and I was getting hungry so the conversation quickly died of natural causes.
If I ever run into him again, however, I'm sending him over to Ethan Demme (of Math-U-See fame) who gives a much more thoughtful and complete answer to the question, How do I reach the homeschool community? His post is directed at politicians but he starts from the same premise that you have to know something about us, past and present, in order to reach us.
As a homeschool grad and marketing guru, Demme provides an excellent round-up of information and resources to understand this growing but changing movement of homeschool radicals who actually believe they can teach their children at home and live to blog about it. Check it out and keep in handy if you ever run into my vendor friend at your state homeschool convention.
(Note to Demme: Please add a paragraph on fecundity and homeschoolers, thanks in advance.)
-Spunky
Cross-posted, with permission, from SpunkyHomeSchool
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