We are a homeschooling family in the not so peaceful Middle East. Every day is an adventure and a blessing. We could do with a dull moment every now and then. PLEASE NOTE: - For security reasons I do not use our names and try to be vague about our location. - Comments are appreciated, if you know who and where I am, I would appreciate you leaving these details out of your comments. I reserve the right to modify comments revealing these details. **!!PLEASE NOTE THAT SINCE THE 100TH POST, THIS IS A TAG FREE AND AWARD FREE ZONE!!** http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:07:00 -0500 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:07:00 -0500 HERE   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/734897/ Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:07:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/734897/ There are some laws in the universe that work regardless of our belief in them - like gravity for example.  The principle of sowing and reaping is another.  There are consequences for breaking rules.  There is safety in obeying the rules even when it is not convenient or pleasant. Woman was made for man - not the other way around. Anyone can love someone that is lovable.  There is no reward in taking the easy path. Once words have left our mouths, they can not ever return. Words have the potential to make or break.  God created the world with a Word.  What do I create with my speech? Don't be so open minded that your brains fall out. If you don't stand for something, you fall for everything. If you aim for nothing, you are bound to hit it. If you go in search of yourself you will get hopelessly lost. Only dead fish go with the flow.  Be a salmon! If it is crowded and popular it is probably not from God - (Matthew 7:14 - Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/707353/ Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:52:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/707353/ For some reason or another I am not able to upload any more photos this evening.  Maybe I have reached my graphic quota?? I wanted to show you a photo of our Passover meal with the lamb, bitter herbs and unleavened bread.  We ate really quickly, we did not sit around the table, we did not dress up fancy and we all wore sandals.  We do a lot of entertaining but this was different than our usual meals.  We had no ceremony and after we had eaten, we moved away from the food.  We then sat around reading from Leviticus 23 and Exodus 12.  There were lots of questions and answers and fun! Exodus 12: 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire—head, legs and inner parts. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/689662/ Sat, 16 May 2009 13:16:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/689662/ So, for 8 days, to comply with Rabbinic (as opposed to Biblical) Law, the shop keepers cover up things that might be considered 'leaven'. Some sweets, some beans, all the rice and pasta, and things containing vinegar. Just out of interest, one can still buy leavening agents throughout the whole week but it is impossible to buy wheat products of any kind as well as any products made from barley, spelt, oats and rye.  The Rabbis have ruled that only matzah and matzah flour is to be used during this week.  Matzah is made with wheat (makes no sense) and made in accordance with Rabbinic rules, not Biblical ones.  God has no problem with food that rises or swells and does not have an issue with bubbles in unleavened bread. Exodus 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. 19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.  20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread. Leviticus 23:6 On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. Psalm 19: 7 The law of the LORD is perfect,        reviving the soul.        The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,        making wise the simple.  8 The precepts of the LORD are right,        giving joy to the heart.        The commands of the LORD are radiant,        giving light to the eyes.  9 The fear of the LORD is pure,        enduring forever.        The ordinances of the LORD are sure        and altogether righteous.  10 They are more precious than gold,        than much pure gold;        they are sweeter than honey,        than honey from the comb. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/689643/ Sat, 16 May 2009 12:28:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/689643/ The days leading up to Passover are pretty crazy.  There is a frenzy in the air and people act as if there will be no tomorrow.  It is not peaceful, in fact people are more aggressive and rude than usual.  So, with some hesitation I ventured out because I needed supplies.  It gave me the opportunity to take a few photos of things that were interesting. In the market there are these 'flat' cabbages.  The leaves are great for making rolled or stuffed cabbage. The picture isn't all that clear but look at the size of them next to the corn. Throughout the year the Jewish shop owners have to meet certain requirements to keep their 'Kosher' license.  Some Rabbis come and make their inspections.  In the above photo they are questioning the shop owner. They then give him specific instructions on how to keep kosher during the Passover week. The shop owners then have to say certain prayers, pay a certain amount of money and then they are issued their 'Kosher for Passover' license.  All over the place you can see some very happy birds and little piles of bread, pitta, cake and other baked goods.  Exodus 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/677571/ Thu, 9 Apr 2009 15:46:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/677571/ We have been out of town for a while.  I have a backlog of photos to share. I can't even remember when we last bought bread.  For absolutely NO religious reason, we have been making all our own bread products and saving lots of money too.  So I asked my son if he wanted to make pitta and he jumped at the opportunity. So, after preheating the oven, the first thing the boy did was divide the dough into balls.  It was only when he started rolling out the balls that he thought to ask his sister to take photos. He is my 'neatnik'; very orderly and precise.  He rolled all the dough balls flat and made a pile of the flattened, raw pitta. He then lay the pitta 'rounds' on dry baking paper and put them in the oven. Without fail, it never ceases to impress the children when the pitta 'grow'! The finished product!  So very useful for all sorts of dishes! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/675622/ Fri, 3 Apr 2009 14:21:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/675622/ Around the corner from us is a seed and nut business.  A few days per week the aroma of roasting shells comes wafting up into our apartment.  This past week we got to see them doing their work up close. They were roasting watermelon seeds on that day.  They soak them in salt water overnight and then drain them in the morning. They then transfer the seeds into oven trays. They trays are then taken to the very hot drawer ovens. Against the back wall you can see some trays that have already been taken out of the ovens.  Those seeds are cooling before being packaged and sold. Have you ever eaten roasted watermelon seeds? http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/661600/ Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:24:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/661600/ My latest fun thing to do is make my own peanut butter.  It is so expensive to buy it ready-made (here where we live) and it has all sorts of things in it that I don't even know the names or functions of so I really prefer not to put it into my mouth let alone my childrens'.  To make peanut butter one needs to buy peanuts.  There is a store just around the corner, literally a 2 minute walk (very slow walk) where I can buy nuts, spices, dried fruit and a variety of other interesting goodies.  The business has been passed down for 3 generations.  They know what they are doing and I like to support privately owned businesses. When I buy the peanuts they still have their skins on so I ask for the skins to be removed.  The last time I went, the children were with me so they got a demonstration. After the peanuts are weighed, he empties them into this wire mesh receptacle with a metal frame.  He keeps stirring the nuts, pushing them against the mesh. He shakes the frame, throwing the nuts up into the air.  The skins fly up and fall through the holes in the mesh.  I took these pictures with my cell phone, it kind of caught the action shot quite well I think. Here are the shells. I will have to take a photo of the peanut butter!!! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/661543/ Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:56:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/661543/ Until very recently I had never heard of this scarlet coloured cake.  Last week I offered to make a cake for a friend.  He has been under the weather and it was his birthday.  I told him that he just needed to tell me which cake he REALLY wanted and I would do my best to make it.  He ordered a Red Velvet Cake with sour cream frosting.    So, I went to the internet and perused recipes.  I have to admit I was quite stunned at the amount of food colouring that it called for.  There is no way that all that artificial stuff can be good for one, can it?  But, if the colour had to be red, then all the colouring had to go in. The mixture fascinated me so much, so I took photos. No, seriously, look how red that is!!! This is the finished product: I suppose the contrast is nice? I am not a 'cake' person, but I did taste.  It was interesting to me.  It got rave reviews.... It doesn't take much to please some people.  http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/661484/ Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:13:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/661484/ It has been so long that I am surprised I even remember my password.  I had messages in my inbox and I feel quite guilty for not even signing in to check.  Sorry everyone.  I appreciate you stopping by. So what have I been up to?  For a long time I was sick.  I had a recurring chest infection and my lungs finally succumbed to pneumonia.  Between that and asthma I was very weak and stayed in bed for a long time and pretty much had no energy to do anything.  When I could get up there was no way I could warrant time to blog.  My children are wonderful and incredibly helpful.  My daughter almost took over most of my duties and her wonderful father took her out for a treat to show our appreciation.  So for a little update- We have started our new curriculum (our academic year goes from January to December) and now that my children are older and we have more stuff to do, it is taking up more of my time.  I am having a lot of fun with all they are learning.  They are also doing well in their gymnastics and it is the season of competitions and displays which means more time practicing.  We are quite impressed with their progress. As if the dust from the continuing roadworks isn't enough, we have had a dust storm for a few days.  Here is a photo taken directly into the sun at about 4pm the day before yesterday. I think that is about it for this entry. Hope to be back in blog land again soon.   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/660496/ Fri, 20 Feb 2009 13:37:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/johnightthirtytwo/660496/