http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/ en-us Homeschool Blogger Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:14:00 -0600 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:14:00 -0600 I love this time of year! I generally have 3 or more very large pumpkins of my own hanging around and folks give me their holiday pumpkins as well. I cook and freeze them and use throughout the year. I really love fresh pumpkin and anything made with pumpkin so I went looking for new to me fabulous recipes. These gals in bloggy land are so creative!  I found everything from a facial to Souffle and more! I am amazed at all the creative ways to use pumpkin! Pumpkin Latte ( this is so yummy) http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/crockpot-pumpkin-spice-latte-recipe.html http://christopherandtia.blogspot.com/2009/10/make-homemade-pumpkin-spice-latte.html Pumpkin Pie Milkshake ( YUMMMO) http://www.thriftynorthwestmom.com/2009/11/recipe-swap-pumpkin-pie-milkshake.html Pumpkin Pie http://splummer-aviewofmylife.blogspot.com/2009/11/tempt-my-tummy-tuesday_10.html Crustless Pumpkin Pie http://cupcakesandcrinoline.com/2009/11/pumpkin-pie-low-cal-heart-healthy/ Chocolate Pumpkin Oatmeal ( talk about sneaking in the good veggies!) http://newlyweds.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/chocolate-pumpkin-oatmeal/ Pumpkin Cream Cheese Squares http://swappinspoons.blogspot.com/2009/11/baking-day-part-6-pumpkin-cream-cheese.html Pumpkin Pancakes http://www.onefrugalfoodie.com/2008/12/28/almost-marthas-pumpkin-pancakes/ Pumpkin Cheesecake Pancakes ( gluten free) http://christopherandtia.blogspot.com/2009/09/national-pancake-day.html Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Bundt Cakes http://iamglutenfree.blogspot.com/2009/10/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-mini-bundt-cakes.html Pumpkin Apple Muffins http://www.thefrugalgirl.com/?p=3762 Dairy Free, Gluten Free Pumpkin Souffle http://www.godairyfree.org/Recipes/Dairy-Free-Desserts/Pumpkin-Souffle-Gluten-Free-Soy-Free.html Pumpkin Dump Cake ( a favorite!) http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf76072496.tip.html Ricotta Pumpkin Ice Cream http://blog.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/pumpkin-ice-cream.html Pumpkin Ice Cream http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/pumpkin-ice-cream/ Pumpkin Fudge ( wow!) http://realmomkitchen.blogspot.com/2009/10/pumpkin-fudge.html Pumpkin Smoothie http://glassdharma.blogspot.com/2009/10/fresh-pumpkin-smoothie.html Pumpkin Ravoli ( trying this one!) http://blog.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/pumpkin-ravioli.html Ginger Pumpkin Soup http://dailyfoodfix.blogspot.com/2009/10/ginger-pumpkin-soup.html Lots of recipes: http://urbanext.illinois.edu/pumpkins/recipes.cfm http://www.pumpkin-patch.com/recipes.html What to do with the Seeds... Savory http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001524.html Sweet http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/sweet-and-spicy-pumpkin-seeds A Pumpkin Facial ( I kid you not!) http://merryheartjournal.blogspot.com/2009/10/honey-pumpkin-pie-and-pumpkin-facial.html http://www.care2.com/greenliving/pumpkin-face-mask-vitamin-rich.html http://www.spaindex.com/HomeSpa/pumpkinfacemask.htm Pumpkin Body Scrub http://naturalgraceorganics.com/blog/?p=186 Different ways to prepare your fresh pumpkin for use in recipes: Microwave: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/ReviewsAndMore/743510/ Bake: http://www.ehow.com/how_4502519_cook-fresh-pumpkin-pumpkin-recipes.html   How Healthy is Pumpkin ? ......check it out!!!!! http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2600/2   http://nutrican.fshn.uiuc.edu/tables/Pumpkin.html   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/743623/ Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:14:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/743623/ This week marked the end of quarter one at our school. So the gals had friday off. We celebrated by having a mom and daughter date. We did our favorite thing: Shop. But we do not shop at regular stores! I love love love saving money. We are thrift store, yardsale and flea market regulars. I buy clothes, shoes, needed dishes, books, gifts, furniture. and jewerly second hand.  We try not to buy things we only want as opposed to need. Sometimes though if something is a great buy I will get it because I "want" it. It was a blessing to spend time with my gals and just enjoy shopping together. I bought a 1960 lamp ( that I LOVE and need!) for 2.00!. A wall plaque ( a want but I sure love it) for 1.99, Some candle holders. A basket. A beautiful round frame and print for 25 cents. A train set for hubby. Beautiful dishes.  I want to share about the dishes. We had a dinner for some friends on Friday. I really wanted to decorate for fall. So I went looking for fall themed paper plates. The cheapest fall design paper plates I could find cost $2.99 for 8. I needed at least 12 and dessert plates. Just could not see wasting that kind of money. At the thrift store I found a complete old set of fall themed porciline dishes for $5.00! Serving platter, bowls, salad plates, plates, cups and saucers to serve 8. Not quite enough for my dinner party but a close enough match to mix and match with my white dishes and make it festive. DD got two pair of jeans for 5.50. This would have cost her 100.00 brand new. A pair of vans. A beautiful bird cage for $3.00. My younger daughter got an antique suitcase ( she sort of collects vintage stuff), a cute pair of shoes, and six first edition Nancy Drew books. ( by Carolyn Keene) These books we 50 cents each. All the stores we go to have a free table. I love this! We always find something. All toll the gals and I spent $25.94 on $433.99 worth of stuff! And this photo has nothing to do with thrift stores....just our love of our felines. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/743059/ Sun, 8 Nov 2009 13:19:00 -0600 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/743059/ We are blessed to find free opportunities for our children to enrich their music appreciation. This month was the kick off the the Comminity Music Series. The first concert was free and was held in a very old church. We were treated to piano, violin and voice of very talented and famous people. We listened to pieces by Adlophus Halstork, Claude Debussy, Florent Schmitt, Ralph Vaughtn Williams, Sergei Prokofiev and Andrey Kasparov. Andrey Kasparov  and his wife Oksana Lutsyshyn live locally. Our 18 yo son is a music major in college. This week we were part of the audience of Improv Jazz Band. Another great opportunity for learning as the professor in charge was teaching a Music Appreciation class while directing the Improv! Before each piece was played he explained the style and a bit of history about the composer and the song. Here is a photo of the Jazz Band. The band was to play outside on the "green": a beautiful patch of green in the middle of many buildings. They were forced to play in cramped quarters due to rain. The band is in the college admissions foyer right in front of the elevators and sorta wrapped around down the hall. Josh is the blond in the middle of the photo. We are looking forward to our next free concert: Candlelight Noel. Josh and Jazz Band are also playing several more times this semester. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/738991/ Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:41:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/738991/ Saving on Fabric Softner Sheets: I put the sheet in during the cool down cycle of the dryer. Then I remove it when the load is done and reuse. I get about 7 loads out of a dryer sheet this way. Out of dryer sheets?  Add 1/4 cup baking soda to the wash cycle and add 1 C. white vinegar to your laundry's rinse cycle. Stains:Rub liquid dish soap into stains. My kids know this one well and grab the dawn dish soap as soon as they get something on their clothes. Rub it in well on the spot and leave it on a while. Then wash as usual. Soak stained clothing in a small bowl of hydrogen peroxide (this works best on whites and light fabrics). Other Laundry Tips that save money: Use cold water! Do not use hot water unless the clothes are greasy. ( and then only set it for the wash cycle not the rinse cycle) Presoak soiled clothing. Make sure your machine is full. ( do one instead of two loads) Spin clothes out a second time to reduce drying time. This really helps with heavy loads like jeans, towels and blankets. Clean dryer filter after each load and chech the dryer exhaust monthly. Wash and dry at non peak times. The rates are cheaper. Its called Time of Use Rate or TOU. You can look up the TOU for your area. It can save you as much as 18,609cents per kilowatt hour. You generally have to sign up for this and some areas do not offer this. We do not hang our clothes out due to mold, mildew spores, lots of bird stuff and high humidy. ( allergies) Hanging your clothes outside is a huge savings though. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/738989/ Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:37:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/738989/ I should have taken a photo of the gift the gals and I put together for a friend. She and I share an avid love for the same thrift store so when we had an opportunity to bless her with a gift at a recent ladies get together at our church I knew just where to shop. The gift was to honor her as a Proverbs 31 woman. It was a blessing to be the one presenting the gift. The gals and I had a blast picking out "her favorite things". Her home is filled with thrift store finds. She makes things over to go with the decor ( thrift store shek!) and is a whiz at painting furniture.  We had a theme in mind as we shopped and also set a price limit per item. This helps us stay in budget. We bought her a large basket with wire leaves and banding accents, a tall leaf design candle holder, ( rustic metal), a pumpkin wire candle holder ( again rustic metal), a metal wall plaque in the shape of a cross with "Faith" written in the middle, a small metal basket that hangs on the wall, ( we filled it with flowers),and four old lace and cotton hand towels. I paid $6.75 for all the above. Below are the prices of the same ( or near same) items if purchased new. Basket with Wire Accents 22.00 Pumpkin Candle Holder 13.00 Leaf Design Candle Holder 17.00 Faith Wall Hanging 9.95 Wall Tin Basket  17.99 Cotton Towels 40.00 Shopping at the thrift store enables me to buy great gifts on a shoestring budget. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/737554/ Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:02:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/737554/   I have finally caught up on all my photos and adventures. Please scroll down the last 4 entries to catch up! This is the second church we visited last week. ( See 2 post on the first one below) We so enjoyed our visit to this church. We plan to go back and study the graveyard on the other side of the church as well as wander through the building again. St Pauls Episcopal Church was organized in 1636.The Current building was build in 1641. The walls surrounding the church yard are dated 1759 and a replacement wall ( very very old) not dated. The church had the only burying yard in the city. It was closed to burials in 1835. This church is most known for the British cannon ball lodged high on the wall of the church. It was fired on the orders of Lord Dunmore on January 1 1776. Norfolk was bombarded and burnt and the town destroyed,. Only the walls of the church remained. The church was restored in 1785.  Below:Pulpit, Schoolboys Balcony ( boys school), Marble floor in the Nave, and box pews. The pews were rented by parishioners. There was no heat in the early church so each family brought their own small portable heaters with hot coals to the enclosed pews.    School boy Loft      Below: The organ. This is a reproduction of what might have been here in Colonial times. The carved shade coverings are symbolic to our local history. The organ player actually played a song for us.  Below: The Baptismal. This is so beautiful. This happens to be late 19th century.    Below: The stained glass in this church is amazing. Window on the left  honors a bride who died on her wedding day ( before the wedding). The window on the right shows Paul preaching on Mars Hill.  This window was made in 1892    Below: Each of the clear windows has memory plaques. The words are carved into the window sill. Notice the cool candle holder.  Below: Stairs were fasinating!     Below: Exterior Views The date 1739 and the initials of the builder are in the brick (look on each side of the round window)    The Fountian is from the 1870s.  A lot can be learned from visiting a graveyard. Especially one this old. Many of the markers on the wall were brought from other locations ( long since destroyed) for safe keeping.   The oldest reable marker is dated 1673. The grave yard started before the church was built. So there are many graves older than that. There are  head stones amongst the tree roots. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/736523/ Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:00:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/736523/ I posted this a few weeks ago but not many saw it so I thought I would recycle a post for todays Show and Tell. This is a busy season for us! I am always amazed at my children: their differences, their talents and how fast they are making their way in this world. My second oldest ( 18) is a talented guitar player. He is very passionate about it. He is almost completely self taught. He graduated from highschool ( homeschool) in May and is now pursuing a degree in music and recording arts. Currently he is part of a band called Beautiful Discord. They play for the Lord. This past week we got a chance to be at two of the bands performances.  Here are a few photos,     http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/735854/ Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:09:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/735854/ Here are views from inside Freemason Church ( see below post). Photos do not give justice to the awe of the beauty. The brass was stunning. There was only two stain glass windows ( picture ) in this church. They are beautiful. The other windows had some color glass on the edges. All the side windows were replaced. The cost was prohibitive to putting the wavy glass back in. They are still very pretty.       Its all in the details! The medallion is one of three that exhisted in the ceiling. These use to be lowered down with gas lamps on them for light. They are huge! We were not allowed upstairs but the balconany was in a full U above the sancuary.   This photo shows a scale model with all the additions added over the years. They are just finishing the final addition. Great care has been taken to make the exterior match. And I have saved the best for last...okay the best if you love music and old things! We actually get to hear this beauty this month. We are going to a concert. I cannot wait! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/735716/ Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:49:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/735716/ Last weekend we went to visit our oldest son and his dear wife. Both attend different schools and are adjusting to married life and life away from home. It was a fabulous visit! So good to just spend time with them. It was all too short. The gals really missed their big brother. Josh was not with us on this trip. It was wonderful to walk and talk with the kids. Lots of beautiful walking paths all over where they live. The gals and I got in a great botany lesson. ( As my son says" My mom always the teacher.") There were trees and flowers there that do not grow here and I just could not pass up the opportunity. There were so many learning moments on this trip. Are we there yet????? Virginia Tech and Radford U.  The grounds of both of these schools are beautiful. The architechure is amazing. Naomi was captivated by it all. She is my budding architect. It was family weekend at both schools. We were treated to a craft fair and festivities. It was hard to get photos of everything as it was so crowded. It was awesome to walk around with my new DIL and get to know her even better. I learned her favorite textures, colors, and just more of who she is. Here we are learning about metal crafting, candle wicking and corn husk art. The artist were actually doing their craft at the fair and more than happy to demonstrate. The candlewicking was amazing. The artist had samples from the early 1800s and shared the old as well as modern techniques.    Here are more crafts...Pillows: This gal had every variety of pillow you could imagin. Carved roosters, bee keeping, and walking sticks. The walking sticks had real crystals and precious stones embedded in them. The bee keeper was really like going on a homeschool fieldtrip. So much information! They were selling complete bee hive kits, honey, wax, and candles. The candles were beautiful and I am still upset that I did not purchase a set of tapers.   Forge for metal working, making apple butter, basket weaving demo, and knitting, I just love seeing artist actually doing their crafts and showing others how to do it. These folks really enjoy what they do and their passion is contagious! The apple butter was delicious!!!! I was really inspired by the knitting. All the caps in the box are for babies. Arn't they adorable?! I was unable to get photos of the pottery, jewerly ( beading mostly and very lovely), gourds, ( we bought some), and the Scottish festivities. Radfords mascot is Highlander....they do all kinds of games and wonderful bagpipe music. They played Amazing Grace.   I learned so much from the Lord on this trip. When he knits a family together the fabric of that family fits and is a beautiful piece of art work like a quilt. I am so proud of my kids ( all of them). http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/735184/ Sun, 11 Oct 2009 07:39:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/735184/ Last week we continued our tour of Norfoks History at Your Feet. These are free tours. I always walk away feeling as though I had been transported back to that time period. With cameras in hand ( we had two that day) we set out to learn all we could about two historic churches in the city of Norfolk. Our first stop was Freemason Street Baptist Church. Church is still held there today. Built in 1848 ,it is a neo gothic style and was designed by Thomas U Walter, the designer of our nations  Capital Dome. The bell was founded by Meneely Bell Foundry in 1850. Exterior Views. The exterior is horsehair stucco on brick.     "The tall steeple of the church holds aloft the only one left of the dozens of plain and fancy old weathervanes that formerly indicated the direction of the wind in downtown Norfolk. Created by some long-forgotten Nineteenth Century tinsmith, the vane is an imaginative copy of Gabriel's trumpet. It was placed on top of the original spire (a much taller one than the present one) when the church was built." Above quote from: Norfolk Highlights 1584 - 1881 By George Holbert Tucker Chapter 41 Well that is the exterior of this beautiful historical building. In another post I will take you inside this jewel. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/734547/ Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:33:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/734547/ I love watching the "wildlife" in my garden. It is such a busy place with bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and small birds. It is peaceful to observe. I just love the way God puts colors together. Here are this week favorites. Who says a gal cannot wear spots and stripes together?!   I took several photos of these two "twins". They always landed on the same color zinnia and always faced the same direction.   Don't you just love that the Butterfly matches the flower? ( the orange) http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/732261/ Fri, 2 Oct 2009 05:09:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/732261/   With the Lord: Went on a ladies retreat last weekend. It was a fabulous time of renewal and restoring. We had many teaching sessions, time of fellowship, and time to be alone. The main focus of the weekend can be summed up: The power of the gift of today as we come to the table:  (our theme was Come to the Table) We have specific works already prepared by the Lord (for me specifically ) My portion is an opportunity to show evidence to transform (me) so as to change the world around me. I need to choose a joy filled life: Col 3: 1 – 2 3:1 Therefore if you have been raised  up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated  at the right hand of God. 3:2 Set  your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.  On the Missions Field: Had a great time of ministry with new homeless this past week. One always loves to tell about Jesus and this guy really wanted to know how he could have Jesus in his life. One of the homeless living in his car is now attending a bible study at church and really enjoying it. On the Homefront: Just staying ahead of the feline and canine hair/fur!!!! Doing my best to keep the house, do school, the food pantry and all it entails. In the Schoolroom: We have had a few bumps in the road but are managing to work out schedule differences, reassessing some of our lessons and making more room for spontaneity. We toured two very old homes this week. You can read about that in the Show and Tell Post for this week. I am encouraged that the path of learning seems to be weaving through many subject areas at the same time for History, Literature, and Art. The gals even gleaned information for biology from a 200 year old house garden. Two books we got from the library today to enrich our fieldtrip experience: The Fever by Lon Wagner  ( all about the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1855 in our area), and Norfolk, Virginia :The Sunrise City by the Sea ( a tribute to one of our areas famous photographers. He left a wonderful legacy of photos to document history) The photo below is a gate made specifically for a cementary during the yellow fever epidemic. It seems odd to me that it is no longer where it belongs. Lifestyle Change Still finding it difficult to stay the course…busy schedule brings on poor choices. Working hard to stay the course and make a more healthy lifestyle stick. From the Library: Lots of reading going on. I have many books at this time. Most are short devotional types that I can keep in each area of the house so that when I have a few moments I can glean and grow. Understanding the Bible: Biblical Survey from Genesis to Revelation  by Cindy Zeigler The Prayer of Jabez by Bruce Wilkinson, Mocha With Max by Max Lucado,God’s Mirror by Max Lucado, The Prayer That Changes Everything by Stormie Omartian, Twelve Extraordinary Woman by John Mac Arthur On the Creative Side: Finished another hat. Gals are working on Paper Mache project. In the Garden: Idle at this time. I just do not have time to get out there. I am enjoying the morning glories and the late blooming sunflowers. Love to see the birds and squirrels feasting on the seeds. The Chayote did indeed sprout and root. My felines think it is their responsibility to uproot and eat every house plant I try to keep. So the poor Chayote is struggling to make it. I have five more in the windowsill in various stages of sprouting. Also an avocado pit.   http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/730415/ Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:35:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/730415/ This week we had the opportunity to visit two very historic homes in our area. The tours were fabulously educational and fun.  The first home we visited was the Willoughby Baylor Home which is now the Norfolk History Museum. The home was built in 1774. Built on a 200 acre land grant by Thomas Willoughby in 1636, this magnificent house is a classic example of Georgian and Federal architecture and it is filled with authentic 18th century furnishings that offer visitors a view of Colonial life for a middle-class family in 18th century Norfolk. A charming 18th century style garden is also located on the grounds. This was an unguided tour with no docent. We were left to wander on our own. The floors were fabulous worn wood with nicks and character marks of 200 plus years. Ropes kept us from venturing to the well lit third floor attic. We learned a tremendous amount about the Yellow Fever outbreak in 1855 in which one third of the cities population died. Whole families were overcome by the disease. It was difficult getting good photos ( no flash allowed and lots of stuff behind glass). The second home is the Moses Myers home.   The Moses Myers House is an exceptionally accurate picture of life in the 1700s, representing life as it was lived by the merchant class in prosperous Virginia. Moses Myers was a Jewish entrepreneur, civic leader, and patron of the arts, as well as an ancestor of former Norfolk mayor Barton Myers. The building was one of the first brick homes built in Norfolk after the British bombardment during the Revolutionary War. We experienced paintings, furnishings, clothing, and everyday artifacts all from five generations of this family. The docent was fabulous! She gave us so much history and answered all our many questions. My oldest daughter had lots of questions and did a fabulous job of asking the docent. The house was a feast for her architecture mind. This house is an excellent example of the Federal Style. Seventy percent of the furniture in the home are family orginals from the 1810 -1840 period. Most of it made by Thomas Newbern. It is known as Classical Norfolk Furniture. The family portraits are done by Gilbert Stuart. He is a famous artist of that time period. A few facts: The Leftover Dish: At the end of the meal leftovers were stored in the left over dish. Then the dish was taken up to the family for the nighttime meal or guest could munch when ever they were hungry. There was no refridgeration. The gold on the Fire Place: This was painted over when the whole town went through economical ruin. A tax was levied any gold you had in your home. The Safe: Was bolted to the floor. It was not moveable! The lock was in the middle of the top. It appears the metal was over an inch thick. Decoration: Most was Roman in style. The foyer ceiling way called Pompeii. It was a new style for the period. Each room had a different style fire place surround and different moulding. All the windows have indoor and outside shutters. Outside steps were marble in the front and granite in the back. The room with the piano forte and harp is the family room. Children under the age of 13 were not allowed down stairs in the formal rooms. Even the family room.  Children did all of their activity on the third floor. There was a second floor room for the kids that seems to have been for a specific daughter. All the children were groomed in social graces: Boys in the business of shipping, gals in normal homemaking stuff, music, arts, and at least 3 languages. You will notice game tables in every room. These tables are beautiful! No TV ect..so games and music was your entertainment. The two matching hutches in the dinning room were built for the space...and locked into the space behind the moulding on the floor with the back legs of the hutch. One hutch is 1/2 inch smaller than the other. The tea cups are from the orginal owners collection.  The clock in the foyer is from England and was the first piece of furniture placed in the home. It is older than the home. The lamps in the music room ( on mantle with blue paint) are whale oil lamps. These were new to the era. They were suppose to burn brighter and cleaner. Seveal of the rooms are still undergoing rennovation. In 2002 rennovation was started to undo what the Colonial Preservation Club started. The interior was painted in Colonial colors not Federal. ( very bright , where as federal is more subdued). Most of the orginal color has been discovered.  Notice the pretty blue color in the foyer. Most of the walls are white and that is the color of the period. They are now trying to figure out the window coverings. Moses Myers had slaves. They slept in the home on mats on the floor. There was a room on the second and third floors as well as above the outside kitchen.  He often traded his slaves out when he did not need them to help in the shipping business. It is said that he treated them very well and most were what are called free slaves.  Many of his slaves purchased slaves that were family to free them. Other free slaves would also purchase slaves just to have as workers under them. The photos turned out much better at this house.       Following a tour of the to be renovated outdoor kitchen ( it is not really picture worthy in its present state) we wandered into the mall. Yes the mall! This treasure is in the center of a very busy city. Parking Garage on one side, mall on the other, and many more taller buildings. The gardens around the house keep it private and sancuary like. At the mall we planned on a quick item off the dollar menu at Mc Ds and then return home to finish up our school day. However we ran into a friend who took us to a wonderful lunch at a diner in the mall. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/730145/ Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:45:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/730145/ Our library has a book sale every month. Paperbacks are 25 to 50 cents. Hardbounds are $1.00. We really enjoy going to these book sales. This month we got all these books for $11.00. The art books ( four of them ) alone are worth $217.00 brand new. Dd 1 got 3 books on architecture, Dd 2 got one very nice book on China and four very large art books. Hubby even got a book on trains. We also found three novels. Several of the books we purchased are books we regularly check out for school so this was a real find! One of our libraries also host an ongoing book swap...take a book leave a book. This is free! So check with your library and see if they have similar programs. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/729000/ Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:26:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/729000/ Meal Planning saves time and money! I have shared this before but with a new school year and new schedules its time to put good planning in the kitchen back into action. I plan meals with my whole family. My girls will be doing the bulk of the cooking this year so they will also be planning the meals. We have a few rules for planning: We must use what we already have in our pantry, fridg and freezer. We must plan so that at least one meal each week is leftovers. We must plan around time schedules ( two nights a week are quick out the door nights and the meals need to reflect that) Meals are planned, items pulled from the pantry, and  all the meat for the week is pulled from the freezer on Sunday. ( put in the fridg). Meal plan is posted on the fridg. Doing all of this helps with impulse to just cook anything, go out to eat, ect. Our meals are more nutritious, yummy, and enjoyed by everyone. Here is a great site on meal planning: http://organizedhome.com/kitchen-tips/menu-planning-save-time-kitchen A great way to start saving is to do an inventory of your freezer and pantry. Plan around what you already have as much as possible. Look for new recipes. We love looking on line and getting cook books at the library. Get the whole family involved! My kids have cooked in the kitchen since they could sit on the counters and stir something in a bowl. Here are a few favorite sites: http://cookingformyfamily.blogspot.com/  http://www.crockpot-cooking.com/  http://www.yummycrockpotrecipes.com/  ( has recipes by seasons ) http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/ This gal did a year of crockpotting and then produced a book! I love her creative recipes. http://allrecipes.com/ http://www.menus4moms.com/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/727011/ Tue, 15 Sep 2009 06:33:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/727011/     With the Lord: I am enjoying our new family bible study : Understanding the Bible: Biblical Survey from Genesis to Revelation  by Cindy Zeigler. This study is keeping us all in the word each day. Now that school has started I am up much earlier and find the quiet time I so much need with the Lord each and every morning. The mornings are cool so taking time in the garden is such a pleasure. Favorite scripture this week: I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! Isaiah 65:24 So encouraging! On the Missions Field: We are still seeing a huge increase in homeless folks. The newest group we are working with are living in their cars in parking lots. ( like WalMart). The food pantry has also seen great increases this month. We are blessed to continue to find free food to stretch our budget. On the Homefront: I am finding that I have more time in my day to zone clean now that the gals are back on a school schedule. Our life is crazy busy 3 days a week with the Food Pantry. I worried that I would not be able to keep up…so I do 15 minute cleaning blitzes. (Starting in the kitchen before my coffee each morning) 15 minutes in each room just about knocks out anything that needs to be done for that day. The key for me is just focusing on what needs to be done for that day and not to look ahead. I am also back to planning meals ahead of time. This is such a huge timesaver and budget helper. The girls are taking a more active role in cooking this year.  ( part of home ec) This past weeks menu included oven fried chicken, stuffed shells, grilled steak, ham, and of course leftovers. In the Schoolroom: The first week of school went wonderfully! I am thrilled to say we had only a few meltdowns ( attitude related) and more smiles than usual. I am not happy with the curriculum we have for French…we borrowed it so if I decide to ditch it it is of no cost to us but still leaves us without a curriculum.  What language course teaches without English translations? I don’t get how the student is suppose to understand what they are learning if it is all in French and not one bit of English translation???? I cannot teach French! "Do not train children to learn by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each." -Plato Lifestyle Change ( diet and exercise) I have gained a few pounds….still below my goal so okay but now happy with falling back into bad habits. Starting this week I will go back to tracking all food that passes my lips. Tedious but necessary. I need to walk more and set time to stretch and strength train. We will be going to the Y on a regular basis now that school has started. This is part of our PE. From the Library:  A Mom After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George, Praying the Scriptures for Your Children by Jodi Berndt, Understanding the Bible: Biblical Survey from Genesis to Revelation  by Cindy Zeigler On the Creative Side: The gals and I have been working on Christmas gifts since August. We have three done!!!! I am knitting hats for the homeless again. ( this gives me something to do while being available to the kids during school) Working on getting the gourds clean so we can craft with them. That is much harder than it looks! In the Garden: Sunflowers are dying. Way too much rain this summer. The zinnias continue to look fabulous! We will be planting them again. The girls found leaf bugs on the sunflowers! Cool little creatures. That’s about it for the week!         http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/726224/ Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:45:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/726224/ Here is the girls Biology Blog. They will be posting photos of their Botany assignments here. Todays lesson was on roots and leaf shapes . http://morningstar-academy.blogspot.com/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/725994/ Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:35:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/725994/ Our first week of school has gone very well. Today ( friday) will be the first full day of school. I like to ease them into all their subjects. Here are the gals hiding from the camera as we try to get school pictures: On the first day of school after becoming aquainted with all their topics the gals got to decorate and organize their notebooks. They would really have liked to have had those cute sets that all match...but instead mom bought the much cheaper plain notebooks and ten cent sprial notebooks, 50 cent composition books ect. Here is what the gals did with a little paper, glue, stamps and ink. I think they are very creative gals! http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/725819/ Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:39:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/725819/ This weekend we went to a yard sale in our neighborhood. I had $2.00...not much for a yard sale. The gals had more on hand so we stopped to take a look. The gals faired well with great jewerly finds and two cute dresses. I found a box of dishes. One item caught my eye. It was labled .75 cents! I took it up to the lady in charge and she said it was .75 cents for all the dishes in that box. Four of the items in the above photo are HULL brand pottery and worth a whole lot more than the fraction of the .75 cents each I paid for them. I got them because I love them...I have no intention of selling them for what they are really worth. Here is my second favorite piece. It bears no mark and looks ot be a HULL copy cat. Anyone know anything about this piece? And these cuties are just for fun.  They have no mark. Anyone know anything about them? I found four of these individual "pots" with lids for $1.00. They seem to have the wrong lids. However the lids fit perfectly. Lids are marked Treasure Craft, Pots are  marked USA with a Maple Leaf. Anyone have a clue? The pots appear to be another HULL look alike but not the lids. The lids are clearly Treasure Craft in style and mark. I also found a christmas table cloth for .75 cents ( borrowed a quarter from my kids!) So for 2.25 I think I did really well!  All of the dishes are in fabulous condition with no cracks , chips or glazing. Amazing considering how they were stored in the box. Sometimes treasures are found in everyday things. When looking for a craft I saw at our museum gift store ( so we could do it ourselves) I came across this really cool site. Dollar Store Crafts.  http://dollarstorecrafts.com/  There are lots of crafts using things we normally would toss..like soda bottle coin purse. Its cute! And here is another cool site!!!! http://craftstew.com/category/recycled-crafts Ideas like making a clock out of a book and much more. Fun stuff!!! As for the craft I was really looking for? Here it is! http://notbeige.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/repurpose-old-magazines-into-a-magazine-reed-box/  Our museum was selling small picture frames using this technique for $25.00 each. I have tons of old magazines ( and the library has a free magazine box) We think these will make a nice gift.  Chayote??? Ever heard of it? We do the fresh food pick up for two stores as part of the food pantry. In todays pick up there was a Chayote. Interesting looking fruit/veggie. ( it grows on a vine is classed a veggie but smells like a pear!) If I had more of them I would cook it up and give it a try. Check out the link below. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/79336/ Now I may try sprouting it. This looks doable. Maybe I will get a free house plant out of this silly looking veggie/fruit!?http://www.laughingduckgardens.com/ldblog.php/2009/01/09/starting-chayote-in-virginia/ http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/724710/ Mon, 7 Sep 2009 12:27:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/724710/ The Sunflowers got mold due to too much rain this year. Notice the yellow leaves and black gunk where the seeds should be. However we leave the sunflowers standing untill they are completely void of seed as the birds feast on them. Below are pictures of a few of the birds that visit daily. These little guys are hard to catch on film as they do not stay still!   Here are the mystery seeds! Morning Glory. They are beautiful each and every morning. http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/723999/ Fri, 4 Sep 2009 17:00:00 -0500 http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/solidrock/723999/