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We picked all these peaches from one tree. After they were peeled and pitted there was just enough to make a large peach cobbler. We have several other peach trees that should be ripening soon.  |
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"I always give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it"- Alice in Wonderland I know that Tiany is not doing Monday Meanderings anymore but I like the format so much that I think I'll keep doing them. You can visit Tiany's blog and leave a nice comment anyway. We all love to get comments. I'm still looking for that mentor that can teach me to put things in my sidebar. I learned how to put a site meter on my site this week-end. Hurrah for me! Spiritual "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His rightousness and all these things shall be added unto you" . Read a Psalm and a Proverb in the morning with my tea. Come to family Bible study with a worshipful attitude. Give God the glory for my successes and be a more outspoken witness for Christ. Must Do's Water the garden every day that it doesn't rain Clean wading pool Clean guest cottage before grandchildren come on Wed. Go with husband to dentist on Thursday prepare shopping list for Curruiculm fair by Friday Housekeeping laundry- do extra load each day 'till caught up mop kitchen clean out refridgerators boys' dresser drawers declutter Train them up tutor the non-reader remember to do the new afternoon schedule of lessons and crafts teach 5 year old while Daddy teaches big kids math Menu My grandchild, Emma, can't have wheat, sugar, or dairy. I need to come up with a simple menu plan for meals and snacks. Hope to's I hope to be able to get my home management notebook updated and organized. I hope to have a chance to blog at least once this week.. I hope to be able to decide on a pattern for the bathroom tiles for the guest cottage and shop for them
My son, Marshall, and my grandchild, Emma, are 9 months apart. |
I learn computer skills very slowly and don't have much time to devote to it right now, so I have to be patient with my progress. Here's my very good advice to myself for this week. 
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My grandbaby, Helen, playing in the spring. |
We went to my father's farm for a family reunion.
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Posted in Monday Meanderings
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"I always give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it"- Alice in Wonderland Some folks wonder if I follow my schedule closely or remain flexible. The answer is both. If I tried to stick to my schedule to the letter I would drive myself and my famiy crazy. Life just isn't that predictable. On the other hand, some things on my schedule rarely change. After 26 years of marriage, some habits are firmly ingrained. Supper time is 5:00. Always! If it's not on the table, then my husband and teens begin foraging in the kitchen. Since having a family-sit-down-together meal is one of my priortiies, I try to have meals ready at the same time each day. This give order and stability to our day and gives a fixed point for planning the other activities in the day. I am still trying to impliment changes in my schedule and it takes me and the children a while to get into new habits. But my schedule is a reminder of my priorities and goals. I do much better if I at least refere to it each day. I wish I had known the value of the schedule as a tool for homemaking when I was a newly wed. Anyway, here's my Monday's Meandering for the week. If you are interested in my summer schedule, scroll down to the post below. If someone would like to tutor me in how to put my schedule into my sidebar, I would apprecitate it.
Spiritual "Seek first the Kingdom of God" . I remembered to put this on my list first. Now I need to put God first in my day. I think I will try to get back into reading a Psalm and a Proverb in the morning with my tea. I also want to come to family Bible study with a worshipful attitude. Must Do's Water the garden every day that it doesn't rain buy new shoes for Bill finish family reunion scrapbook prepare for going to family reuion on the 4th help Betsy finish her new dress by the 4th Housekeeping laundry mop kitchen organize back porch into a "play room" declutter and organize sewing things under the couches under the beds Train them up tutor the non-reader remember to do the new afternoon schedule of lessons and crafts teach 5 year old while Daddy teaches big kids math Menu Make a list of possible meals from the pantry stores. Hope to's I hope to be able to get my home management notebook updated and organized. I hope to have a chance to blog at least once this week.. |
Posted in Monday Meanderings
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Is it Monday again? Already? We do have our well fixed as of Saturday. It is so nice to have indoor plumbing again. Sunday we went to visit my husband's Grandmother, aunt and uncle, and various cousins who live about 2 hours from here. We are all suffering from, not exactly "jet-lag" but at least "van lag". I want this week to be a normalizing week but I am off to a very slow start. Must Do's update homeschool support group information for area wide newsletter update homeschool support group website www.xanga.com/homeschoolmarioncounty laundry catch up water garden Zones Kitchen- mop, de-clutter/organize baking pantry, clean out refridgereator Dining room- vaccum rug, declutter hot spots Back Porch- sort/declutter toys School Room/office - get rid of paper trash Bedrooms- declutter boys' clothes, clean under my bed Bathrooms- scrub tubs Living room- clean under couches Train them up Try to get onto new summer schedule Tutor non-reader Find good books for 13 year old Menu Mon. Bread from the bread machine, spaghetti Tue. Mac and Cheese, baked beans Wed. bacon and eggs, biscuits Thur. Tuna Casserole Friday Grill hamburgers and hotdogs Sat. husband's pick Sun. children's pick Spiritual why is spiritual on here last? try to get into morning Bible reading routine. Re-read "Margin". Read "Passionate Housewives" Visit edifying blogs (in moderation)
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Posted in field trips and parties
visit Canadagirl for more Show and Tell | |||
Posted in Monday Meanderings
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Suddenly this morning we had no water. My husband thinks the well pump will have to be replaced. Until then, it's emergency priortiy practice this week. Must Do's Go to our guest cottage to get water for flushing, washing, and drinking. As my 8 year old was helping me load a laundry basket of various water containers, I pointed out to him that many people in the world have to haul water to their home every day. It makes me appreciate the great conviences that I usually take for granted. Take dishes and laundry to the guest cottage to wash. I am so thankful for this little house. My father in law gave us his old washer and dryer for it. Otherwise, I would have to be going to the laundry mat. I generally was 3-4 loads a day! I keep telling myself how much I have to be thankful for while I'm washing the dishes by hand. My dishwasher has spoiled me so. Homeschool lessons- especially tutoring with my non reader. Mulch tomatoe plant- hope for rain Plant perinials I got on clearance for $1 each at the guest cottage. VBS at 6:00 each night this week Homeschool support group meeting Menu Something that doesn't require much cleaning up, that can be made quickly to be done by VBS time, and that my nephew will eat. Hummm..........tacos, pizza, hot dogs.......... Spiritual Daily bible reading from emails, read Passionate Housewives
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Posted in Monday Meanderings
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We had a Southern Belle Graduation Party at my father's farm on the porch of an antique cabin.
Some of the guests and my children wore period costumes.
My freind, Ruth, bought a new hat just for the occasion
My daughters, Leila and Betsy sang "Be thou my vision"
My grandchildren sang "Step by Step".
My sons recited Psalm 23
Leila, age 22, planned most of the party and made her dress.
Mary, age 13, made her dress with help from Leila.
Betsy made her dress. I put in the hem.
Be sure and visit other Show and Tells at Canadagirl's blog. |
Posted in Monday Meanderings
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I purposely kept this week clear of outside engagement in anticipation of "graduation party let down syndrom". This will be a week of falling back and regrouping to be prepared for next week's packed schedule of VBS and homeschool support group meeting. Here's where I need to focus. Spiritual I need to "seek first the Kingdom of God" by doing my private Bible reading, teaching my little ones their Bible memory work, and coming with a more cheerful attitude to family Bible readings in the morning and evening. Must Do's Water the garden every day email homeschool support group about next week's meeting make a smilebox slideshow of Betsy's graduation plant the rest of the tomatoe plants put away all the "stuff" from the graduation party Housekeeping I have a lot of things that need to be caught up on including: laundry mop kitchen organize back porch into a "play room" declutter and organize crafts general tidy of all rooms Train them up I want to try to have one on one tutoring time with my non-reader this week. The rest of the children can have a school work break except for Bible and math with Daddy. I want to work on some tidyness habits with all of them. Menu At least one day this week will be left over hotdogs from the party. I want to make use of my pantry this week and try to not have to go to the store. Hope to's I hope to be able to blog about Betsy's party and print out some pictures to scapbook while it's still fresh on my mind. |
Posted in Show and Tell
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We are having a big party in honor of Besty's homeschool graduation at my fatther's farm. The party theme is Soutthern Belle and several families will be wearing 1860s era clothing. Betsy and her sister, Leila made her dress. I just put in the hem. We are expecting about 70 guests. Next week I hope to post picutres of the party . See more Show and tell at Canadagirl's blog ;
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Posted in Show and Tell
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This June marks another milestone in our home schooling journey. Our third child, Betsy, graduates from high school. Although it is the end of keeping up with credit hours and “school” subjects, it is by no means the end of her education. We have tried to make our home a secure base from which our children can learn and grow into the people God means for them to be; “wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” Matt. 10:16 We have no intention of suddenly pulling that secure structure out from under her just because she happens to be 18 and has “finished” studying a few “subjects” for a certain amount of time. In fact, now that the state requirements have been met, Betsy will have more time and resources available to her to pursue excellence in areas that interest her, that she has an attitude for, and that will be of use to her in her life. Our job as parents will be to provide her the security of a stable home and an example of the pursuit of excellence in our own chosen fields of expertise. We, also, can still be available as a source of information from time to time. (She may discover that her parents still know a lot of things that she doesn’t.) I am very pleased with the fine young lady my daughter has turned out to be. I could make a long list of her accomplishments or reminisce about all the sweet memories of her growing-up years. But l think I will save that for later. Right now we are too busy living life.
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Posted in field trips and parties
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http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d7a51344e544d354e513d3d0d0a
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Posted in Drama
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http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d7a51314e5463774d673d3d0d0a The above is a link to a slide show. I wonder if someone could tutor me in how to put it direcily into my entry or in tbe side bar,
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Posted in Monday Meanderings
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This week my husband and 4 oldest children will be gone to play rehersals. Since the theatre is at a small Christian college that is 1 hour and 15 minutes from our house, they will be gone from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. It will feel very strange to have only 3 little boys at home all day. I thought about just sitting in front of the computer with my fuzzy slippers on all day
Bible My husband will still be able to do family devotions in the morning but not in the evening. So I may get out my old copy of Wisdom and the MIllers to read to the boys at bed time. For myself, I have been saving Nancy Cambell's DVD seminar to watch after they go to bed. I also may be able to listen to Sally Clarkson's Whole-hearted mother seminar tapes while cleaning house or watching the boys play outside. Must do I want to get back into the habit of making granola and bread each week, Also, this will be a good week to clean the carport and the back porch because all the props and sets for the play are finally gone. Water the vegetable garden and the house plants. Grocery shopping with three little ones in tow. I haven't done this in a long time since I have so many built-in baby sitters at home now. This will be a field trip for the boys. House Keeping I will be doing my daughters' chores as well as my own this week. Ususally each of my 3 daughters' takes one meal to fix and one turn at kitchen cleaning a day. They also are responsible for one bathroom each. Train them up Of course, this will be a perfect time to train the boys in some of the household chores that the big children ususally do. We will also keep to our regular homeschooling routine though I may change the time of it. Menu Hummm, that's a good question. Maybe I will let the boys help me choose the menu for this week.. They could help make the grocery list, do the shopping, help cook and clean up. It would make for something for them to blog about, too. O.k. time to get out of my fuzzy slippers. |
but instead I'm going to try a combination of normal routine plus special projects to keep life sane yet interesting. So here are my Monday Meanderings for this week:
Posted in Drama
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Three of my children are going to be in a homeschool production of Gilbert and Sullivan's operetta, The MIkado next Friday. This week has been full of making sets and props. Next week starts a week of day long rehersals. The play is set in Japan and is a very funny comedy. Here's a link to our homeschool theatre's website. http://www.freewebs.com/homeschoolplayers/
Betsy is 18 and a senior this year.
Joe is 15 and in the 10th grade.
Mary is 13 and in the 7th grade. For more show and tell go to http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Canadagirl/
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Here's the slide show I made for my mother, mother-in-law, and aunt. http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d7a49314f4463324f413d3d0d0a |
Posted in homeschool lessons
I bought this DVD set from Vision Forum. It has been a wonderful addition to our homeschool science curriculum. While showing beautiful photography of nature, a calm, soothing-voiced British- accented narrator gives sceintific facts about wildlife and discusses the fallacy of Darwin's evlolution theory. My children, from high school to preschool are able to absorb so much learning, each on their own level by just watching this program. They are getting Biology, Bible, and logic all at the same time. And I am getting a coffee break while teaching science. Here is a good discription of the movie http://www.explorationfilms.com/exploration-films-life-story.html Here's a link to Vision Forum http://www.visionforum.com/booksandmedia/productdetail.aspx?categoryid=1&browseby=product&producttype=3&sortby=1&page=4&productid=79572 Kathy aka Queenmotherof8 |
