Place of Promise - Homeschool Blogger

"The Emancipator's Wife"- spoilers

Tue, 9 Oct 2007 22:16:00 -0500

Late in August it appeared that we were going to get to go to Ken Ham's Creation Museum and to visit my dear friend in Springfield, Illinois. We were so excited and she sent me the web page for their new Abraham Lincoln museum, I enjoyed browsing it but knowing who I am and how I'm wired I knew that books in the book shop would be a big temptation. So, I checked this one out from our public library to preview in advance so as not to waste my money and all.

Well, as things go, we didn't get to go but I did thoroughly enjoy this book. It is a novel, but a very seriously researched novel, so although it reads like a novel it has the feel of being true.

I know Mary Todd Lincoln has a well deserved reputation for being a difficult woman- but my sympathies for her began years ago when I read I, Mary by Ruth Painter Randall. The Emancipator's Wife draws you in right from the start with the gripping drama of her arrest and trial for insanity. Betrayed by her only surviving son and stripped of her rights she is institutionalized for about 3 months. Her story unwinds during those 3 months through flashbacks.

Was she insane? I don't know, she always was known as difficult,scheming and unpredictable. She endured so much pain though- the deaths of 3 of her 4 sons, her husband being murdered at her side, the whole debacle of the Civil War and all that entailed of family estrangement, the Chicago fire.... up against all that is her obsessive spending, necromancy, fiery temper, debilitating headaches, female health problems... It seems the insanity verdict was a wake-up call for her to pull herself together. And she did, on June 15, 1876 the court reversed its decision, affirming her sanity. She never again allowed herself to fall in the deeps of those weeknesses she so struggled with.

As a novel would have it there is a fictional sub-plot running through the story of a runaway slave who becomes involved in Mrs. Lincoln's life at significant times- I finished this book a few weeks ago and can't find the direct quotes but, early on in the book Mrs. Lincoln asks this runaway slave what he would do with his freedom if granted. He becomes defensive and annoyed with her- as if a person had to have a worthy plan for deserving freedom, as if freedom were earned, as if it was in the power of some to withhold freedom from others. Towards the end of the book he is in a postion to help her regain her freedom and he, likewise, asks her what she will do with freedom- and as she thinks, her response mirrors his quite strongly. I wish I had marked the specific quotes but didn't realize their sigificance until I was reflecting on the story. Makes one think, the irony of her losing her freedom because after all she was the Emancipator's Wife.

5 stars

School Schedule

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:51:00 -0500

We have done this scedule for 2 weeks now- and it's working!!! Even sick ;-P We've had head colds here this week but still managed a good deal of quality work. The asteriks are for the books/subjects we do together.

September 2007 Grade 7 1^st quarter schedule:

Monday:

*Bible memory, Poetry, Home Comforts

Copy Book

Math

I, Mary – 1 chapter w/ written narration

*More Than a Carpenter

Zoology- w/narrations and notebook entries

*Pride & Prejudice

Geography/history w/ J

LLATL

Tuesday:

*Bible memory, Music (Marsalis), Nature walk & notebook

Copybook

Bible – Genesis 1-11 Exodus 20 w/Hold That Thought Notebook

Math

Story of the World – ½ chapter w/ written narration

Ordinary Genius

Zoology – w/narration and notebook entries

*Pride & Prejudice

W/ J stuff

LLATL

Rosetta Stone

Wednesday:

*Bible memory, Art- Da Vinci, Signs & Seasons

Copybook

Bible- 1 chapter per day w/ notebook entries

Math

I, Mary- 1 chapter w/ written narration

*More Than a Carpenter

Story of the World – ½ chapter w/ written narration

*Pride & Prejudice

W/ J stuff

LLATL

Rosetta Stone

Thursday:

*Bible memory, Arts & Crafts(clay or paper)

Copybook

Bible – 1 chapter w/ notebook entry

Math

Ordinary Genius

Freckles- 1 chapter w/ written narration using narration cube

*Pride & Prejudice

W/ J stuff

LLATL

Rosetta Stone

Friday:

*Bible memory, Signs & Seasons, Home Comforts

Copybook

Bible

Math

Freckles- 1 chapter w/written narration using narration cube

*Pride & Prejudice

W/ J stuff

LLATL

Rosetta Stone

New School Year

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 19:54:00 -0500

The school year is well under way. Only one scholar left to teach....Tomorrow I will post the schedule we are using. It seems to be working fine. I'm always second guessing myself am I planning too much or too little? It's easy for me to go overboard but this plan seems workable. It's a barely recognizable Year 6/grade 7 from AmblesideOnline

ENGLISH:

Poetry: Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg

Reading: selections from free reading list

Literature: Pride & Prejudice; Sense & Sensibility; The Hobbit; Animal Farm

Copybook & Penmanship: daily

Oral & Written Narrations: daily

Grammar & Spelling: Learning Language Arts Through Literature- green book, Common Sense Press, 1992

MATH:

Saxon Math 76; Saxon Publishers, Inc., 1992

Money Matters for Teens (11 – 14) by Larry Burkett

SCIENCE:

Exploring Creation with Zoology 1; Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 2005

Signs & Seasons: Understanding the Elements of Classical Astronomy; Fourth Day Press, 2007

Biographies:

Ordinary Genius- by Stephanie McPherson;

Archimedes & the Door Of Science – by Jeanne Bendick;

Galileo & the Magic Numbers

Nature Study- weekly nature walks and notebook entries

SOCIAL STUDIES: The Modern Age: 20^th Century-

The Story of the World volume 4 by Susan Wise Bauer;

TruthQuest History: Age of Revolution IV (America and Europe, 1865-2000)

History Tales & Biographies-

Trial & Triumph by Richard M. Hannula

A Passion for the Impossible by Miriam Huffman Rockness

Genesis: Finding Our Roots by Ruth Beechick

Never Give In: Winston Churchill by Stephen Mansfield

Geography-

Explore the Holy Land by Ann Voskamp

LIFE SKILLS & TECHNOLOGY:

Home Comforts: The Art & Science of Keeping House By Cheryl Mendelson

Regular computer usage. videography

HEALTH:

I Am Joe’s Body by J.D.Ratcliff

MUSIC:

Composer study: Handel, Ives, Stravinsky, Marsalis

Folk songs, hymns

VISUAL ARTS:

Artist study: Leonardo Da Vinci; Rembrandt van Rijn; Jan Van Eyck

jewelry, clay, weaving, origami and other paper art

PHYSICAL EDUCATION:

swimming, bike riding, outside play, and other seasonal activities

LIBRARY SKILLS: regular use for pleasure & study

OTHER:

Foreign Language: Rosetta Stone- French

Bible: How To Be Your Own Selfish Pig by Susan Schaeffer Macauley

Beautiful Girlhood by Mabel Hale

More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell

The Holy Bible: Genesis 1-11; Exodus 20; John; Romans; 1Corinthians 15; and Revelation 21-22

Memory Work: Genesis 1 – 2:3; Exodus 20:1-17; John 1: 1-5; Romans 12; 1Corinthians 15: 33, 51-57; Revelation 21: 3-4, 22-27

Does "Pleasure" Bring Happiness?

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 21:22:00 -0500

"I hate pleasure. Cocktail parties, air travel, silk underwear, late-night banquets, lying on the beach, ring-side seats, disco music, and anything jolly. I'm not especially puritanical; that word doesn't come close to describing or explaining my negative feelings. Nor am I other -worldly, ethereal, or whatever you want to call indifference to the five senses. I just don't think the common notion of pleasure retailed by the ad-men and enforced by peer preasure comes close to whatever it is that makes me happy(whatever that means).

"Being happy is dirt under your fingernails, wearing old clothes, having a good idea get better the longer you work at it, starting a new bed, giving plants away, and listening to rain....

"Gardener's must take their pleasure where they can find it, often alone; their high points are little spots of color, tiny oases of neatness, a whiff of perfume, hairs on a leaf, everyday pleasure."

I picked up this gardening book today at the library, "The Opinionated Gardener", and while browsing through it came across this little essay on pleasure and happiness. Made me smile, it did. I can relate to this guy- except lying on the beach is a definite pleasure for me, and even though I do enjoy giving plants away I also like to be given new plants to play with.....

I have been having a good time in my gardens this year. Even though we're rather in a drought here, it sure beats the very soggy, cold and not very nice summers we've had in recent years. I started, with much help from Jack, a large circular herb bed right smack in my "close to the house backyard" (we have a pretty large yard). It doesn't have a lot in it yet but what is there seems to be doing good: lavender, rosemary, chives, echinacea, parsley, thyme(2 kinds), sage, russian sage(one large right in the middle), hyssop, lemon basil, calendulas, and nastertiums......and there is plenty of room for more!

Between the back door and the outside cellar entrance has been a muddy weedy triangle the animals make a mess of. Last year I put some overflow plants there, fenced it off a bit to discourage the dog, and they took over and it is looking very healthy and green there this year. In that bed is lemon balm, echinacea, tansy, chocloate mint, balloon flower, sundrops, and a few annuals. I'm greatly encouraged. Since moving here, near the river, I have had trouble growing things, too many bugs and slugs and molds and fungus', but the lack of rain this year has allowed me a fighting chance to keep up and it brings me pleasure.

We Travel an Appointed Way...

Mon, 12 Mar 2007 16:28:00 -0500

I haven't posted anything in almost 2 months! There is a couple of reasons for that. First Homeschoolblogger got troublesome and Jack was going to help me move my blog somewhere else. We didn't get around to that yet. Also life has gotten really messy here. It's still messy with no end in sight, I may blog about it sometime but not right now.

This is sort of a test post, something short that I don't have to compose in my head, in case it gets lost in cyberspace. See, I'm going to share a portion of an A.W. Tozer essay. The essay is about the lack of spiritual discernment.

"Mere evangelism is not our present need. Evangelism does no more than extend religion, of whatever kind it may be. It gains acceptance for religion among larger numbers of people without giving much thought to the quality of that religion. The tragedy is that present-day evangelism accepts the degenerate form of Christianity now current as the very religion of the apostles and busies itself with making converts to it with no questions asked. And all the time we are moving farther and farther from the New Testament pattern.

"We must have a new reformation. There must come a violent break with that irresponsible, amusement-mad, paganized pseudo-religion which is being spread all over the world by unspiritual men employing unscriptural methods to achieve their ends.

"When the Roman church apostasized, God brought about the Reformation. When the Reformation declined, God raised up the Moravians and the Wesleys. When these movements began to die, God raised up fundamentalism and the "deeper life" groups.

"Now that these have almost without exception sold out to the world- what next?"

Contentment

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 19:35:00 -0600

...that is one of my New Years Resolutions. I know I'm a little slow in posting this but I think it is worthwhile anyway. For quite awhile now I've been challenged by the Deputy Headmistress over at the Common Room to "use what's in your hands". In other words, when at all possible, try to use something you already have rather than run out to buy something new.

I like it when

I want to spruce up my home- because of having a lot of work done here by contractors over a year ago we have A LOT of paint on hand, much of it in various *colors* of white. So it was rewarding to paint our dining room and kitchen recently without much outlay of cash.

or need gifts- I like to sew and quilt and have a stash of fabrics, kits, and books and patterns. So, I'm working from what I already own. It makes one feel so resourceful to actually put a gift together at home without running out to buy.

or read- this one is a bit tougher. Not because I don't have plenty here to read, but I do so love buying more(books and fabric are my 2 stumbling blocks). But I recently took a book challnge(see previous post for update) to read 5 pre-owned-never-read-before books by the end of January. It's been good for me because I can tend to get flighty in my reading and have too many things going at a time. Makes me feel so...disciplined!

or cook a meal. I don't mean that I'm not buying groceries. But I am taking the time to make meals out of what I buy and what I have on hand instead of getting pressed for time doing other things and settling for something quick to pick up and fix. This will not only save money but is much healthier- and more appreciated by my family.

All around the blogosphere I've been reading these amazing ladies' posts about abundant living- not buying more but spending(pun intended) a year celebrating the abundance the Lord has already blessed us with. I talked it over with mrbeaver and he LOVED the idea! .

Our own special plan with this is not to swear of all extra spending or put ourselves on a tight austerity budget but to purpose to be content with what we have, to practice abundant living by enjoying what the Lord has given us, and whenever possible to "use what's in our hands". I have this little game I play in which I try to see how many days I can go without spending anything. It's even more of a thrill than splurging on yourself because there is no guilt involved- and you feel so proactive, so intentional, so discilplined.

The Book Challenge

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 19:51:00 -0600

We'll try this again. I wrote this post once already, last night and it disappeared on me......

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and is enjoying a Happy New Year. I had a pretty productive break from school considering all the holiday things. I made several Christmas gifts- quilted placemats, penny wool table runner and table topper, quilted book cover and bag. After Christmas I made new pillow/cushion covers for all the pillows in the living room- it is such an improvement. The old ones were getting ratty enough but the new fabric is so much nicer. We also finally got the wallpaper up in the kitchen. And I did some reading, not just the book challenge but that is what this post is about.

I have finished 3 out of the 5.

Elisabeth Goudge's "A Christmas Book" was exactly what I expected. Each chapter was a Christmas chapter taken from a book- most I had read already and they were good. The last chapter in the book was a literary re-telling of the Christmas story. It was worth the whole book! I have heard Bible teachers say that it is the hardest Bible story to re-tell because it is so familiar to everyone. It was charming and interesting and fresh. I even read part of it aloud to my kids at our school Christmas party. Highly recommended.

"The Christmas Bower" was dull, I thought. It's a story about a department store that decides to use real birds in its Christmas display. The birds get loose, cause havoc and are finally removed from the store. All but 1 rare pair. A family who works at the store has an odd ornithologist uncle and son who play heavily into the story and are naturally the heroes at the end.

"Once There Was a Farm" was quite good. It is a childhood memoir/tribute to the author's mother. A remarkable story about a pretty unique life set in the warm atmosphere of the early 20th century. It's a hard life full of challenges but you see it through a child's eyes.

I am over half way through "Cross Creek" - autobiography of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings(The Yearling). It is set in rural Florida, I think in the 1930's. She is funny and descriptive of the place and the people. Good reading.

I am also almost half way through Madeleine L'Engle's "The Irrational Season". I read her other two books in the Crosswicks Journals, and liked them better. She usually makes me think but often leaves me frustrated because I want to argue some conclusion of hers or something. I came across something a couple of days ago that I really like and am trying to act on it. She is talking about the love Christians show-or don't show- to each other and others. Here it is:

"When this young man was a boy he had read A Wrinkle in Time, which he said he still rereads occasionally. So I said, "Okay, remember when Meg has to go back to Camazotz to rescue Charles Wallace from the power of IT, the naked brain, she knows that if she could love IT, her love would defeat IT. And she can't do it, so she turns to Charles Wallace because she can love her little brother, and that love is strong enough to defeat the cold intellectual power of IT. I came to this ending from my own experience, because there was someone I knew I ought to love, and with every effort of will I tried to love and I couldn't do it. But I found that if I turned away completely, and thought about those I could love, my husband, my three children, then I could get back into love, and then I could turn with love to the person I had such difficulties with."

"And later I said, "But in A Wind in the Door Meg has to make the next step into mature love; she has to learn to love Mr. Jenkins, and Mr. Jenkins is not an easy person to love."

"We love wherever we can love, and the power of that love spreads until the circumference of the circle of love grows wider and wider. At least that has been my own experience, even though I know to my rue that the circumference of my love is still much too small."

Isn't that good stuff?

Here is one more thing I really liked, it's a quote she includes and credits it to someone called Rilke. It's about marriage. " It is a question in marriage of not creating a quick community of spirit by tearing down and destroying all boundaries, but rather a good marriage is that in which each appoints the other guardian of his solitude, and shows him this confidence, the greatest in his power to bestow..."

I like the intimacy of that- appointing the other the guardian of your solitude.

Tomorrow I'll update you on how Jack & Lily are doing on their stacks, and hopefully share my New Years resolution

Doe The Next Thynge

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 18:04:00 -0600

From an old English parsonage down by the sea

There came in the twilight a message to me;

It's quaint Saxon legend, deeply engraven,

Hath, it seems to me, teaching from Heaven.

And on through the hours the quiet words ring

Like a low inspiration: "DOE THE NEXT THYNGE."

Many a questioning, many a fear,

Many a doubt, hath its quieting here.

Moment by moment, let down from Heaven,

Time, opportunity, guidance, are given.

Fear not tomorrows, child of the King,

Trust them with Jesus, doe the next thynge.

Do it immediately, do it with prayer;

Do it reliantly, casting all care;

Do it with reverence, tracing His hand

Who placed it before thee with earnest command.

Stayed on Omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing,

Leave all resultings, doe the next thynge.

Looking to Jesus, ever serener,

Working or suffering, be they demeanor;

In His dear presence, the rest of His calm,

The light of His countenance be they psalm,

Strong in His faithfulness, praise and sing.

Then, as he beckons thee, doe the next thynge.

-unknown

Christmas vacation!!!

Sun, 17 Dec 2006 23:20:00 -0600

We are downright giddy here. We are officially on Christmas break- hence why I am up so late.

Lily's contata was last night and this morning and she did a great job. Mrbeaver's birthday was today and we had fun celebrating. He actually made his own birthday dinner(lasagna, I've never made it, I can't eat it), and Jack made a delicious chocolate cream pie for dessert.

I am busy finishing up some gifts, and need to still do some shopping and all the wrapping. We have some cookies made and frozen and a few more types to bake up this week. But the tree is up and the house is decorated, and the school work is done AND put away!!!

In reading through my emails I came across this hilarious version of The 12 Days of Christmas. I am having such a good time chuckling to myself(everyone else is in bed you see) and I wanted to share it with you guys. It is funny because I have been homeschooling for 16 years(gasp) and I have indeed answered all these questions at some point.

The 14 days of Homeschooling (sung to The 12 Days of Christmas)

On the first day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Can you
homeschool legally?”

On the second day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Are they
socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the third day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Do you give them
tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fourth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “What about
P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool
legally?”

On the fifth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “YOU ARE SO
STRANGE! What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized,
can you homeschool legally?”

On the sixth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “How long will you
homeschool, YOU ARE S0 STRANGE, what about P.E. , do you give them tests,
are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the seventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Look at what
they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what
about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you
homeschool legally?”

On the eighth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Why do you do
this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE
SO STRANGE, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized,
do you homeschool legally?”

On the ninth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “They’ll miss the
prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long
will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E. do you give
them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the tenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “What about
graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what
they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what
about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you
homeschool legally?”

On the eleventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “I could never
do that, what about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do
you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool,
YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E., do you give them
tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the twelfth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Can they go to
college, I could never do that, what about graduation, they’ll miss
the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long
will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, What about P.E., do you give
them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the thirteenth day of homeschool I thoughtfully replied: “They Can go
to college, yes you can do this, they can have graduation, we don’t
like the prom, we do it because we like it, they are missing nothing,
we’ll homeschool forever, WE ARE NOT STRANGE!, We give them P.E., and we
give them tests, they are socialized, AND WE HOMESCHOOL LEGALLY!

On the fourteenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “How can I
get started, why didn’t you tell me, where do I buy curriculum, when
is the next conference, WILL PEOPLE THINK WE’RE STRANGE? I think we can
do this, if you will help us, we’ll join a sports team, and we’ll
homeschool legally.

It's Going To Be Alright

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 09:01:00 -0600

In the way that important days also seem to be busy days I have not gotten around to posting recently on days that I had something specific to say like Veteran's Day, Aunt Anne's 80th birthday, Thanksgiving, and yesterday, C.S. Lewis's birthday.

So this post is going to tie the last two together a bit. I was thinking about what I am thankful for (the Thanksgiving part) and what I would want to share about that. Besides all the really obvious things- my Lord, my family, my home, my friends, all the ways the Lord has blessed and kept us- a specific memory came to mind. Last December we were sitting in the theater watching the long anticipated movie of The Lion,The Witch, and The Wardrobe (this is the C.S. Lewis part)- me, my family and some good friends. But one of us was not there. It was a dark time to me. As the following scene played out(this is from the book) it struck me as significant and I wept with grief and with *hope*

"We have come - Aslan"

"Welcome Peter, Son of Adam," said Aslan. "Welcome Susan and Lucy, Daughters of Eve. Welcome He-Beaver and She-Beaver."

His voice was deep and rich and somehow took the fidgets out of them. They now felt glad and quiet and it didn't seem awkward to them to stand and say nothing.

"But where is the fourth?" asked Aslan.

"He has tried to betray them and joined the White Witch, O Aslan," said Mr. Beaver. And then something made Peter say,

"That was partly my fault, Aslan. I was angry with him and I think that helped him to go wrong."

And Aslan said nothing either to excuse Peter or to blame him but merely stood looking at him with his great unchanging eyes. And it seemed to all of them that there was nothing to be said.

"Please- Aslan," said Lucy, "can anything be done to save Edmund?"

"All shall be done," said Aslan. "But it may be harder than you think." And then he was silent again for some time.

Early in January The Still Small Voice whispered to me in my heart, "It's going to be alright." And I really did experience the peace that passes all understanding, nothing changed outwardly, all looked as bleak as ever- but there was peace and there was HOPE- the hope of being sure of what you can't see.

In February things began to turn around and I thought, "this is IT, this is the fulfillment of that promise, it's going to be alright". Of course it wasn't that easy or that complete. Many times for every 2 steps forward we took 4 steps back and it has been a year of struggle. No denying that. But God has been near and working in all of us. I am thankful for His word of HOPE in my heart and I am thankful for the memory of the grief I felt a year ago and the joy and the peace that are there now. I can honestly give thanks for the trial and for the hope that still springs in my heart, and the good things I see happening in this situation.

One thing that I learned that I want to share with moms out there, especially moms of teens, and I stumbled on this serendipitously(is that the word?) and I wish I had realized the power in it sooner. Keep telling your kids their story. They forget. Some lose sight of who they are really and adopt someone else's story. Share with them again their birth story, toddler stories, funny things they've done, endearing things they've done & said, talk about vacations, holidays and family traditions. Show them pictures and videos if you have them. Keep identifying them as the person you've known for years. Don't be afraid to confront the lies they are believing head on and call them lies!

Another nod to C.S. Lewis- from The Horse and His Boy

"It was I who wounded you,' said Aslan. "I am the only lion you met in all your journeyings. Do you know why I tore you?"

"No, sir."

"The scratches on your back, tear for tear, throb for throb, blood for blood, were equal to the stripes laid on the back of your stepmother's slave because of the drugged sleep you cast upon her.You needed to know what it felt like."

"Yes, sir. Please-"

"Ask on, my dear." said Aslan.

"Will any more harm come to her by what I did?"

"Child," said the Lion, "I am telling you your story, not hers. No one is told any story but their own."