Dust Bunnies And Books - Homeschool Blogger

Replicas of the Nina and the Pinta

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 20:54:00 -0600

We recently went to see the replicas of the Nina and the Pinta down on the Ohio River. They were so neat. It was good for the girls (and me!) to see just how small these ships were that Columbus ventured out with! Amazing that they actually made it across the ocean.....surely God's hand was on them!

We learned that Columbus' crew were mostly in the age 12 to 19 range! The Nina was built to size, but the Pinta is actually 50% larger than the original. The Nina was built without the convenience of power tools. Aboard the Nina was a boat that was handcrafted by a 14yo Brazilian boy.

The Nina

The Pinta

We all wanted to apply for the job opening!

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Hedgehogs and weasels.......oh my!

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 20:42:00 -0600

Last week the girls learned about weasels and hedgehogs!

The girls had to choose a mammal to do a poster/report on for their co-op class. They were limited as to what they could choose and (smart teacher!) they could not choose cat, dog, or horse. DD9 choose weasels and DD12 choose hedgehogs.

So, the last couple weeks we were surrounded by weasel and hedgehog books from the library, print outs from the Internet, and I even found an audio about weasels on my computer that I had downloaded some time ago from "You Need A Story."

DD12 did a bit more than required for the project. She and a friend (they're doing the project together) decided make a unique presentation, by being a reporter (dd12) and interviewing a hedgehog (friend).

They also made a hedgehog out of salt dough (with cocoa added to make the dough brownish) and toothpicks. Then the night before the presentation dd12 made hedgehog cookies. Since we have a child at co-op with peanut allergies, we could not do Jan Brett's traditional recipe.....dd12 instead frosted the back part of the cookie with chocolate frosting and added chocolate sprinkles to make it looks spikey.

We didn't do it, but if your child is interested a FREE lapbook about hedgehogs can be found at Homeschool Share.

Here are the display boards that the girls did:

Got young girls? A Christmas or birthday idea.........

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 14:55:00 -0500

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If you've got young girls, you've got to see these!!!!

Breezy and her sister Emily have teamed up to launch a new home business, Noble Rose Press! They have created some beautiful historic PAPER DOLLS......with the artistic talent of those two, how could they not help but be beautiful!!!

The dolls are part of a series they've entitled Daughters of His Story....Historical Women in Christ's Kingdom.

Don't they look like fun?! Won't you consider purchasing some and support these two lovely homeschooled ladies? The paper dolls would make great Christmas or birthday gifts!

Shhh...don't tell the girls, but I ordered them for Christmas. Just think of the hours of creative play ~~that I~~ they could have!

Visit Noble Rose Press today......they just launched the site today and they are having a Grand Opening sale on their products! But HURRY......the sale ends Saturday!!!

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National Chestnut Week is next week!

Wed, 7 Oct 2009 06:42:00 -0500

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OK, so National Chestnut Week is not high on my celebration list! Didn't even know there was such a thing!

But hey, part of the fun of homeschooling is trying things new....and getting to go on field trips... or, even better, getting to do both in one shot!

Yesterday, the girls and I gathered chestnuts at a local orchard. We spent three hours there, each of us picking enough to fill a 5 gallon bucket. The bucket weighed about 35 lbs. when full.    We were paid $10 for each full bucket.

It was a good lesson in economics....maybe they'll be less likely to blow that $10 they earned, knowing it took 3 hours to earn it!

So, what do you think of when you hear the word chestnuts? I think of the Christmas song......chestnuts roasting on an open fire.....   But what else can you do with chestnuts besides roast them??? Does anyone still even eat roasted chestnuts??? I can't say I ever have!

I decided to find out a few facts about chestnuts. I was surprised.

First off, we Americans don't eat much of them. (OK, that was no surprise...no one I know eats them!) The U.S. per capita consumption is only 0.04 lbs, compared to 2 lbs. for China and 1 lb. for Europeans. Big difference!

Next, I thought we were just doing old fashioned labor yesterday and gathering the nuts by hand. Nope, worldwide this is the norm. However, there are folks looking to mechanize this step. (My hands say.......please do!! Even with lined leather gloves on, those burrs still can poke through....OUCH!!!)

And, I learned that most American think that chestnuts are only used for roasting (again that was not really a surprise), but did ya know that chestnuts can used in flours, main dishes, soups, and even desserts. Taiwan even has chestnut flavored ice cream bars!

Chestnuts are high in fiber and low in fat....sounds like Americans need to eat more of them!! Chestnuts are gluten free, so they can be ground into chestnut flour for those sensitive to gluten.

It takes about 2.5 lbs. of chestnuts in the shell to make one pound of dried chestnuts peeled.   So that means that each bucket that we gathered will be about 14 lbs. once they are peeled and dried.

There are quite a few recipes at Chestnuts Online, including some great sounding Italian ones!    Now I'm hungry!

OK, here are some pictures from our outing.

Here in the Appalachian foothills, the fall colors are just starting.

Looking back.....it was a long drive up to the top orchard.

The orchard at the top of the hill.

The orchard where we decided to gather. It was the oldest of the 4 orchards.

We found a tree with burrs all over the ground and started in.

Aren't they pretty!

Thermogram results are in!

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 15:53:00 -0500

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As mentioned before, I had a full-body thermogram done earlier this week. The results, with thumbnails of each scan, came in today's mail. The thermography report revealed no suspicious (as in cancerous) areas! \o/

That's not to say that I don't have a lot going on, however! There were several inflamed areas, many likely having to do with my dermatomyositis, interstitial lung disease, or Raynaud's phenomenon. The only one that is likely not a result of those was some inflammation in the upper abdominal region.....I'm wondering if that's not stress on the liver by the medication I'm on???

I hope to take this information to the doctor and see what he says....my rheumatologist isn't an "alternative option" kinda guy. But I've tried his way for 6 years.....now it's time to explore some other ways. I did learn of an D.O. within our network that does have alternative leanings......I hope to call him next week.

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A P.S. for the thermography post

Sat, 3 Oct 2009 13:37:00 -0500

A couple things I forgot to post about on the previous thermography entry......

When you call about thermography, not only ask about the manufacturer of their equipment but also ask who interprets the scans. The lady I went to sends the images to be read by doctors at Duke University, but she told us about another local themographer who interprets his own even though he was never trained to! Your doctor is more likely to appreciate the findings if read by a reputable organization.

The other thing I forgot to write about was that you should have a second scan done about 3 months after the first. This will provide a baseline for you, tell you what your norm is. After that, they are recommended to be done yearly to keep an eye out for changes.

The UBCF that I mentioned in the previous entry has been also paying for the second, follow-up breast screening.

Themography....instead of or in addition to mammograms

Fri, 2 Oct 2009 19:28:00 -0500

I just had my first thermography earlier this week. I have been considering it for a year or two.

Thermography is a non-invasive, thermal imagining scan that does not use radiation. It can be used for early detection, either in place of a mammogram or in addition to.

It has been FDA approved for over 25 years and is finally getting some well-deserved recognition. It can detect cancer up to 10 years sooner than mammography!!! And the procedure is not painful at all. It is used in hospitals around the world and has become a popular choice for many hospitals in the Western United States.   Where I live, it seems we still need to educate our doctors!

I recently heard a speaker. She is a two-time breast cancer survivor. Both times that she had cancer, she had both mammograms and ultrasounds and neither showed a thing.....she was pronounced "fine" because they couldn't see any cancer. (She knew with her symptoms that she quite obviously was NOT fine!!!)   Thermographies showed the cancer immediately, both times. The second time she had cancer, it was contained in a sack......until the doctor required a mammogram, which broke the sack , and then the cancer spread to 8 of her lymphs.

Thermography takes a picture of the "heat" (or lack of) of your body.

Thermography is not just used for the breasts, but the entire body. Thermography is not overly good at showing uterine/ovarian or prostate cancer due to their location (deep and midst an area that is already usually very warm). It's also not all that great at scanning the brain.   Hopefully, as they improve equipment, these areas will also show up better.

Themography reveals vascular and nerve problems (or potential problems if left alone).   So, thermography is not only used for cancer, but also to detect fibromyalgia, immune dysfunction, diverticulitis, Crohn's, arthritis, sinus problems, carpal tunnel, and more.

As with all equipment, not all thermography machines are the same. Meditherm units are supposed to be very accurate.   The images are interpreted by doctors at Duke University and you are sent the results within a week or so. If something suspicious is revealed, you can then take these pictures to the physician of your choice and you can proceed as desired with the information.

Most insurances around my area do not cover the scan for breast screenings.   However, the United Breast Cancer Foundation has been re-imbursing for the breast screenings!   You have to fill out "paperwork" on the website at United Breast Cancer Foundation and once you get approval, you schedule a screening. After the screening, you complete the process for re-imbursement.

Around here, a thermogram for just the breast area is $150. For half of the body, it is $250 and for the whole body, $325.   Each exam takes half an hour to a full hour to complete, depending on which one you have done. If you can stand and sit on a stool, you can do this.....there is no painful squishing and pulling or anything!!!

Some pictures of scans and more information:

http://www.meditherm.com/breast_thermography_default.htm

http://www.meditherm.com/thermography_page9.htm

http://naturalhealthcenter.mercola.com/services/Thermography.aspx

White is very hot/abnormal, reds and oranges are the next, down to the greens and the blues. Lack of heat in some areas is just as telling as white in others.

I opted to have the full body scan done. I'm anxiously awaiting my results. I expect them next week.

Disclaimer: This post is not meant to give medical advice....just wanted women to know about another possible option and how they might get reimbursed for the breast screenings if their insurance does not cover it.

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Did you know that books are not machine washable?

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:09:00 -0500

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Hoodies are great. When you wear a hoodie, you feel like a kangaroo. You've got a pouch to keep your hands warm. And it's a handy place to put your book and some paper and a pen for taking notes while you read. (It's a unit writing thang!) When the weather warms up you can remove the sweatshirt and run around in the t-shirt you wear under it and throw the sweatshirt in the car. And when your wonderful children unload the car for you and kindly remove the sweatshirt you carelessly left behind and considerately toss it in the wash bin for you and you neglect to go through the pockets before placing it in the washer.....well, let's just say it wasn't pretty! Oh, here, see for yourself......

Thankfully, there is PaperBackSwap to rescue me.....some kind soul out there is going to send me another copy of the book. I wonder if she would still send it knowing what happened to the last one??? Thank you, dear Flora......I'll try not to wash this one!!

The real bummer about the whole thing was losing the notes of the first three chapters!! They didn't survive the wash.

PS.....my youngest wishes to add a public service announcement:

Do not try this at home.

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Unexpected blessing

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:34:00 -0500

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We wanted to do something special last night with the girls, and since Plan A didn't work out, we decided to make a Plan B and go to the movies instead. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was playing.

I don't watch much in the way of TV and have never seen previews for the show. Didn't even know the book was going to be a movie until someone mentioned it on the Homeschool Share Message Boards, so I didn't know what to expect. Couldn't imagine taking the book and filling 1.5 hours! But, overall, we were pleasantly surprised and rather enjoyed the movie. Not something I'm likely to purchase, but it was good.

Our unexpected blessing of the evening was, when we walked in and were trying to determine when the show was playing and how much it was, a lady came up to us and asked if we were going to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs--in 3D--and we said we were thinking about it. (Still didn't know the cost yet.) She said that they bought a bunch of tickets and one child didn't show......we could have the extra ticket.

Wasn't that sweet!! It was a real blessing....it cost $30 for the other 3 of us. Wow....when did movies go up so much!?!?! (Can you tell we don't go often? That we're used to going to the dollar theatre!?!)

Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?????

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:37:00 -0500

Oh, I'm excited about our church's new Sunday evening classes! This time around, I'll be participating in Focus on the Family's The Truth Project!!

Most of the believers of today live pretty much like non-believers: not having a biblical worldview. This small group study is designed to help Christians start to look at daily life through Biblical lenses. I can't wait to start reinforcing this in my own life!

I've come a long way in my thinking....

but I'm sure I've got a lot yet to learn...

do I really believe that what I believe is really real????