The Belle of Portugal

     For my 89 year old father, this ship represents many great WWII stories. He was a Morris code operator during the 4 years that he was in the Army and stayed mainly on this ship, sailing around the coast of Panama, and also hovering around the Galapagos Islands. Currently, he doesn't remember what he ate for his last meal, but he can entertain you with story after story, once you get him going, about his life as an Army soldier stationed on this ship. Our nephew found this photo on the web and offers the  following information, "52 tuna boats from San Diego were conscripted into the service shortly after Pearl Harbor, to serve as Yard Patrol (YP) boats.  The boats were to be used as look outs and supply craft and they were scattered from Alaska to South America.  The government asked their crews to serve on the boats, and they did.  The Belle of Portugal was one of these boats.  Of the 52 boats that were conscripted, 21 didn't return."

    We have a Thanksgiving tradition of writing down 5 things that we are thankful for. My mom and dad probably won't want to participate this year, but they will enjoy sitting at the table and listening to the seven of us share what we are giving thanks to our Lord for this year. My DH will give dad this photo after we are done. We are so thankful that they are with us this year. We are enjoying God's mercies and blessings, for sure.  

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Participating In A Craft Fair

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The last 3 years I have participated in a craft fair in November.  I started off with beaded bookmarks and fudge.  the second year I did fudge, necklaces, earrings,candles, and rhubarb juice.  This year I did fudge, rhubarb juice ( two kinds plain and also a raspberry rhubarb which was a BIG hit),candles-beeswax, knitted baby booties.  I have worked up to this as my youngest got old enough for me to be away for two days with big brothers taking care of them. 

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Each year I set a goal to try to reach.  This year I wanted to earn enough to buy a grain grinder.  I also try to go into the fair with having everything paid for.  I came close to attaining that.  I did earn enough to pay for my supplies, table, my goal and very close to buying more supplies for more candles that I will be dropping off at a local artistan store. 

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I have been working each year to get something to help me make it easier to make healthier food inexpensively.  Last year I got a Kitchen Aide Mixer and boy did that make my life easier in making food from scratch quickly.  I am putting this out there to maybe help start someones wheels moving in brainstorming how you can make things that seem to be out of reach normally but can be attained with some elbow grease and a goal. 

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 I am very thankful God has helped me and my family in this way.  I also have to say that I am thankful that this is only once a year.  I sold twice as much as I did last year.  God put in my mind to also sell raspberry-rhubarb juice along with the rhubarb juice.  It was a BIG hit along with my fudge.  I was very pleased how everyone liked my baby booties.  I had stitched snow flakes on the toe and also I blanket stitched on the top cuff.  Next year I will be making bigger kid  sizes and some adult sizes too.  

. I have to say that I couldn't be this pulled away for very much more.  I love being a mom first and let this be a side thing to help my family in a short term.  I thank the Lord for blessing this last week ends sales.

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Now to join in the fun of Tightwad Tuesday....

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  Link your TWT post click on MckLinky and give exact the URL of your post.   (each Tuesday that  you join in on the fun)  

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example of a URL ...

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Canadagirl/693425/

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  Now go ahead link and read and comment on all these other's wonderful TWT's. 

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 Lets save our pennies, nickles, dimes, and dollars  together !

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"There are only a few big ways to save money but there are many small ways ....that all adds up."

It's really no surprise to anyone ever that the NEA was more interested in protecting its power than educating children. What is surprising is that they actually feel confident enough in their power to admit it. Here's the NEA's General Counsel admitting as much in his retirement speech this past summer.

"Despite what some among us would like to believe it is not because of our creative ideas. It is not because of the merit of our positions. It is not because we care about children and it is not because we have a vision of a great public school for every child. NEA and its affiliates are effective advocates because we have power....

This is not to say that the concern of NEA and its affiliates with closing achievement gaps, reducing dropout rates, improving teacher quality and the like are unimportant or inappropriate. To the contrary. These are the goals that guide the work we do. But they need not and must not be achieved at the expense of due process, employee rights and collective bargaining. That simply is too high a price to pay.

(View YouTube video on this subject here.)


If you're a parent with children in the public schools you can voice your objections here. But the best way to object is by removing your children from their schools. Without your children they have no real power.

In a related story, future teachers in Minnesota are being "reducated" and become "culturally competent"

Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin in order to obtain a teacher certificate.

-Spunky

Cross-posted, with permission, from SpunkyHomeSchool

Mom had her post surgery appt, today. She got a new cast. It is not a weight bearing cast. That will not happen for another 5 weeks!!  I am sure she picked out the color just for me

Wow!  Time is going so fast.  I can't believe it is almost December!!!  I don't know about you, but I usually start adding Christmas into our homeschool right after Thanksgiving is over.  I am hoping to do an interactive notebook this year of Christmas Around the World, but I will have to see if my printer is fixed in time.  Unfortunately, it started leaking.  Ugh!!!  Well, I wanted to share some resources that I have put together for Christmas.  

Here are my homeschool Christmas resources:

Christmas Lapbook
Christmas Around the World with Children
Christmas Unit Study
Reindeer Animal Study

Here are some other resources for Christmas:

An Organized Christmas
Gift Giving Guide- Do you still need to get a gift for someone?  Here's help!
Make Christmas Cards
Hot Chocolate for the Holidays

I hope these resources help make your Christmas more enjoyable. 




Click in the graphic for more details!

Hi ya'll!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner!!

Here's the tag Tanglefur did, and now I'm going to do it:

1 Pick up a book that is near to you

2 Go to page twelve in the book

3 Read the first two sentences and post it on your blog

4 Also post the book title and the name of the author

5 Tag 3 other People : )

My answer:

"Then she stepped off the nest and entered the water. She took several quick drinks." ~The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White(It's really in my sister's A Beka reading book for school!)

I tag msmarla(IF she ever sees this!), Sciencekid(see not after msmarla), and katiemf(same as for msmarla and Sciencekid).......I think I need to go friend hunting....

Sam

Hello Friends,

As many of you, too,  are scurrying around to prepare a lovely holiday of thanks on Thursday, I thought I'd take a moment to post some pictures from our weekend and wish you a lovely Thanksgiving.  As  I do not plan to post again until next week, I'll try to make this one count.  *wink*

 

First up, some pictures, especially for those precious family members who read my blog.  (  you)

Here we are, all five of us, in front of a giant fireplace at Bass Pro on Saturday up at Lake Michigan. 

Although the kids "know", they did not want to pass up a chance to talk to the big guy. 

 

We had a truly delicious lunch at the restaurant located inside Bass Pro, a big treat. 

Next, we attended a lecture on Indiana ship wrecks at Indiana Dunes State Park.  You may be surprised to know we even have a ship wreck in our history.  I know I was!  They pulled this 2 ton propeller up from the wreck. 

The weather was unusually perfect for beach combing.  We gathered from the many smooth, flat rocks and attempted to skip them, some more successful than others.  We wrote messages in the sand with sticks and marveled how a month of non-stop rain changed the beach in the last month since we last visited.  Jeff and Grace climbed a huge sand dune.  We finished our day with some steamy, dreamy, creamy hot chocolate. 

 

Yesterday after church, we put up the tree as promised. 

 Grace is sporting her new, ladies size 8 shoes!  (She is only 10!  )

I am looking forward to the week ahead.  We plan to take Wednesday off to prepare.  My goal is to have 2 really packed school days before then.   

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jenn

 

 

 

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

Lord, behold our family here assembled.
We thank Thee for this place in which we dwell;
for the love that unites us; for the peace accorded us this day;
for the hope with which we expect the morrow;
for the health, the work, the food, and the bright skies, that make our lives delightful;
for our friends in all parts of the earth, and our friendly helpers in this place.

... Give us courage and gaiety and the quiet mind. Spare to us our friends,
soften to us our enemies. Bless us, if it may be, in all our innocent endeavours.
If it may not, give us the strength to encounter that which is to come,
that we be brave in peril, constant in tribulation, temperate in wrath, and in all changes of fortune,
and down to the gates of death, loyal and loving one to another.
- Robert Louis Stevenson

We were almost done putting groceries away, and we looked down to see Mimi trying to squeeze her teddy into the slit on the top of the pop carton...  Finally she scooped him up, hugged him to her chest, and said "Happy!"..

I love the simplicity of little ones...

Miss Dog Lover has developed a festive, somewhat non-traditional beverage just in time for you to be able to serve it to your guests at Thanksgiving Dinner. That is, if you are bold enough to be first.

Last evening at snack time I walked in the kitchen to hear the iced tea she was pouring for herself making odd, non iced tea, sounds. I asked what she was doing and of course she said, "Just getting some tea."  Hmmm.

My maternal instincts went immediately to red alert. I took a closer look and listen and noticed the empty poprocks packet.
The somewhat noisy and unpredictable combination of iced Mandarin Orange Celestial Seasonings and Strawberry Poprocks was such a hit Miss Dog Lover chugged it and made herself a second.

Let me know how it goes over with your guests if you give it a go. Me? I'm wondering how it would work to add poprocks into the stuffing of the big bird before baking. Could be an explosively good Thanksgiving at our place.