BirdSleuth: A Great Resource for Birdwatching and Nature Study

As you may already know, we are dedicated backyard birders. As a form of nature study, birdwatching is easy and inexpensive and fun. You can even take the leap into the field of citizen science with the Great Backyard Bird Count and Project FeederWatch, both programs from Cornell's Lab of Ornithology.

I recently came upon another Cornell resource called BirdSleuth. This is wonderful! Read my full review over at Curriculum Choice. . . .

Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts -- Online

Photo credit

I'm always on the lookout for wonderful online resources that enrich our lives, particularly in the artistic or historic sense. I found two marvelous resources to share with you.

I have a fascination with illuminated manuscripts. On my first visit to London, I was crushed to find out that the Lindisfarne Gospels, a must-see on my trip, was off display at the British Library. A polite sign invited me to return in the fall, when it would be back on display. I wasn't going to be in London in the fall! Aaarrrgh!

So on my second trip to London four years later, a visit less than 24 hours in duration, I hightailed it for the library to feast my eyes. I admit I gazed (probably longer than necessary) upon the revered pages, marveling at the detail, the care, and the beauty of this amazing work.

Here is some information from the British Library website about this manuscript:

The Lindisfarne Gospels, one of the most magnificent manuscripts of the early Middle Ages, was written and decorated at the end of the 7th century by the monk Eadfrith, who became Bishop of Lindisfarne in 698 and died in 721. Its original leather binding, long since lost, was made by Ethelwald, who succeeded Eadfrith as bishop, and was decorated with jewels and precious metals later in the 8th century by Billfrith the Anchorite. The Latin text of the Gospels is translated word by word in an Old English gloss, the earliest surviving example of the Gospel text in any form of the English language, it was added between the lines in the mid 10th century by Aldred, Provost of Chester-le-Street. Today the manuscript is once again bound in silver and jewels, in covers made in 1852 at the expense of Edward Maltby, Bishop of Durham. The design is based on motifs drawn from the decoration of the manuscript itself.

On the off-chance you are not planning to be in London any time soon, you, too, can feast your eyes on this gorgeous work of art (and history and art history) by visiting the British Library's website and its amazing "Turn the Pages" online gallery. This gallery utilizes Adobe Shockwave, so you'll need to download that free application beforehand. But it is SO worth it. "Turn the Pages" features a Magnify function for an up-close look at the details. Another fabulous element is the Audio option, which offers interesting information on the manuscript. Or you can click the Text option to read the same information. Not every page of the manuscript is part of the "Turn the Pages" gallery, but the cross-carpet and opening pages of each gospel are on view.

However, if you don't have Shockwave, you can also view the pages here. For a quick view of the art pages only (no text), Wikimedia Commons offers these nine images.

For more information on the Lindisfarne Gospels, visit the British Library website and run a search for "Lindisfarne Gospels" to hit the motherlode. Here is a quick link to a bit of background. Also, Wikipedia offers an informative entry.

And, in case you ARE planning a visit to London this summer, don't look for the Gospels at the British Library; they'll be at Palace Green Library in Durham, to be displayed alongside the St. Cuthbert Gospel. So plan a jaunt to Durham. I've been there, and it is worth the trip. The cathedral alone (the final resting place of the Venerable Bede) is worth the trip.

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Photo credit

I was beyond excited to learn that Trinity College Library Dublin now has the Book of Kells available for viewing online. While all pages are uploaded, there are no scholarly comments as of yet. Here's an excerpt from the library's website on the Book of Kells exhibition:

The Book of Kells (Trinity College Dublin MS 58) is celebrated for its lavish decoration. The manuscript contains the four Gospels in Latin based on a Vulgate text, written on vellum (prepared calfskin), in a bold and expert version of the script known as "insular majuscule". 

The place of origin of the Book of Kells is generally attributed to the scriptorium of the monastery founded around 561 by St Colum Cille on Iona, an island off the west coast of Scotland. In 806, following a Viking raid on the island which left 68 of the community dead, the Columban monks took refuge in a new monastery at Kells, County Meath. It must have been close to the year 800 that the Book of Kells was written, although there is no way of knowing if the book was produced wholly at Iona or at Kells, or partially at each location. 

It has been on display in the Old Library at Trinity College Dublin from the mid 19th century, and attracts over 500,000 visitors a year. Since 1953 it has been bound in four volumes. Two volumes are on public view, one opened to display a major decorated page, and one to show two pages of script. The volumes are changed at regular intervals.

For some quick views of pages from the Book of Kells, check out this Wikimedia Commons page of images. And for a thorough (and excessively glowing, IMHO) exposition, read this article from Wikipedia.

Since I have no firm plans to visit Dublin, the online exhibit of the Book of Kells is really a blessing. It's not quite the same as viewing the real thing in person, but it's the next best thing. I look forward to the addition of scholarly explanations added to the website!

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Online resources for museum pieces are invaluable for history study and art study. Not only do they give us access to items thousands of miles away, they also give us means to compare similar objects. For example, a worthwhile project for older students would be to compare the Lindisfarne Gospels and the Book of Kells. How are they similar? How do they differ? Why were they created? Do their disparate ages have something to do with any differences? Do their respective histories have any bearing on their condition today? These are just a few areas of inquiry that pop to my mind (before I've had my coffee).

Of course, seeing these priceless artifacts in person is the peak experience. I imagine the hands that have touches the pages, now protected under glass and low lighting. Hands that worked quietly and surely, hands that smoothed pages before a sacred service, hands that seized roughly in a desperate effort to flee from raiders, hands that worked to restore the ravages of age. . . . 

Perhaps an online study will whet your family's appetite to plan a trip!

Weekly Happenings: Orchard Field Trip

The big highlight of this week was our field trip to an apple orchard in the mountains on a gorgeous autumn day. We tagged along with our friends, who attend an online school that often organizes such outings. We enjoyed a wagon ride through part of the orchards; a tour through a museum of 19th century life; cider samples; a chance to milk Buttercup, a sweet (and long-suffering, if you ask me) Jersey cow; a petting zoo; fun on the playground; and the orchard store.

We bought a 1/2 bushel of a variety of apples: Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Winesap, Rome Beauty, Arkansas Black, Mutsu, Pink Lady, and Cameo. We also bought apple cider doughnuts; a gallon of apple cider; a jar each of cherry jelly and cinnamon pear preserves; two hand-held apple pies; a small bag of dried apples; and a bag of pork skins. And while there, Miss Priss and I each enjoyed a cider slushie, while Tiny Girl dived into a caramel-apple-in-a-bowl: a sliced apple covered in caramel sauce. I helped her finish it up. Motherhood has its perks, after all!

One of the online school's teachers had set up a center for apple science. The children each selected an apple. They weighed it with a spring scale, found its volume, tested its buoyancy (thank you, Archimedes!), and measured its mass.





At home we did a bit of apple math. A 1/2-bushel bag of apples cost $17.00. The girls and I weighed the bag when we got home; it was 21 pounds. We did the math and found that these lovely, fresh, tree-ripened apples cost $1.24 per pound.

That's a fabulous price, but now I have 21 pounds of apples. What to do?

Well, Himself has requested a pie. I've never made my own pie crust, but given my new make-things-homemade bent,  I will now have to give it a go. Wish me luck.

I'm also planning slow cooker applesauce. I'm hosting bookclub this coming week, so a nice caramel apple crisp sounds just the thing for dessert. A drizzling of heavy cream wouldn't go amiss. Does it ever?

I could freeze some sliced, for future use. If the pie isn't a disaster, Himself might request another some day.

Then I guess we could just eat a few. You know, plain. There's an idea.

All our other subjects are clicking along. A brief glimpse:

• fractions for everyone in math
• noun study in grammar, focusing on finer details, such as mass and count nouns, compound nouns, etc.
• Psalm 46 in our pre-inductive study of the Psalms
• World War II in history
• poetry memorization for recitation
• a look at the planets in our solar system
• exploring Israel in geography
• our readings, two of which, Queen Victoria and Ordinary Genius, required notebook page installments 

I want to spend more time on World War II, so we are spending next week reading more about it via historical fiction and recollections. Next week is also our notebooking week, so I'll be designing more pages between now and then. Check back to see what I come up with!

I'm linking up with:
No Ordinary Blog Hop
HammockTracks
The Homeschool Mother's Journal
Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
Collage Friday @ Homegrown Learners

A Day in Our Life -- At Least for Now

We are still at the lake, but we started "back to school" two weeks ago. Since summer's in the air, I like to keep things light, refreshing, and different.

Each day, the girls complete a math workbook page as a review. We also read from Abraham Lincoln's World, which we are about to finish. Yesterday, we learned about Louis Pasteur and Joseph Lister and discussed their impact on medical practices of the day. We then read from either This Country of Ours or "Brutus," from Plutarch's Lives. We are just about to complete those, as well.

Today is "Scope Day." We have checked out a neat telescope from our town's library. It's clear today, so I'm hoping for good viewing tonight. There is not much light pollution where we are, so even without a telescope, we can see much more of the night sky than we can at home.

Tiny Girl found a butterfly's wing on our deck table this morning. We brought along our new microscope, which has yet to leave its box (!!!), so we're going to take a look at the wing with the microscope. I'll post photos later.

Our life at home is busy, activity-filled, and, now that the girls are in middle school, more academically rigorous. We don't tend to have or take time to venture out. While we're in Maine, I look for things to do and places to see.

Yesterday, we visited the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in New Gloucester. It is the last remaining Shaker community in the world, and there are five Shakers who live there. Volunteers and hired employees help run the community. Miss Priss had wanted to visit here for two years since she read Lois Lowry's Dear America book, Like the Willow Tree. The main character and her brother are sent to live at the Sabbathday Lake Shaker community after her parents die in a flu epidemic in 1918.

 A view of down the road at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village

We took a guided tour of the village, which was very informative. (Miss Priss related to me later that she knew much of the material already, but I did not.) None of us knew that the Shakers invented the roll-up shade, circular saw, and the flat straw broom!

As part of the tour we were able to go into some of the buildings. The worship building was built in 1794 and is still used today. Visitors are welcome to attend the Sunday service at 10:00 AM. I wished we lived nearby so we could experience worship with them!

House of worship

Interior photographs are not allowed. I wish I could have snapped a few photos for you. The dark blue painted trim is original and in fine shape. Shakers enjoyed painting the interior elements of their buildings. The three colors used most were the dark blue, a dark red, and a very popular mustard yellow. The ministry house sported a light aqua blue interior trim as well.

The Girls' Shop, where the younger girls lived and worked

We enjoyed a special exhibit on the children's lives at the village. Often, orphans or children whose parents fell on hard times were brought to the community to live. We learned about Sister Mildred Barker, whose widowed mother took her to the village when the child was seven. When her mother returned to collect her, nine years later, Mildred chose to stay. At 21 years of age, Mildred decided to become a Shaker herself, and signed the covenant. She died in 1990. Sister Mildred was an important figure in Shaker music, and she was also a poet. Here is the first line from her poem, "A Prayer":

I am so small alone, and weak,

Defeat I often see;

But by the strength of Thy right hand,

A conqueror I'll be.

The community still functions as a working farm, keeps an orchard, and sells goods in their store. It is certainly not the successful concern it was back in its heyday, but focuses now on preservation and education. Also, their herb garden provides much in the way for herb and spice sales, sachets, and TEA! All are reasonably priced. Here's a link to their online herb catalog.

At the store, we purchased two CDs of Shaker music; a kitted hat for my niece; and two bottles of homemade flavorings: mint water and rosewater (with recipes!).

The store, which smells wonderful!

I was surprised to see Highland cattle, which I'd only seen in Scotland before. The girls were delighted as well.

Sheep, too!

It was quite a fantastic and enjoyable day. If you're ever in the area, make plans to visit. You'll be glad.

So there's a look at A Day in Our Life! When we get back home, we'll hit the books hard. But doesn't everybody enjoy this style of learning, too!

Weekly Happenings: Flowers at the Finish Line!

Pay no attention to the part about "finish line" in this post's title. Education never "finishes" at our house. We might change direction, change focus, change methods, mix it up a bit, you name it. But we never finish.

I'm still learning even now.

We are, however, setting aside some subjects for a break, such as regular copywork, grammar, and foreign language. Tiny Girl finished her level in Spelling Power, and Miss Priss completed her latest Word Roots workbook. Tiny Girl also reached a natural stopping point in her Building Thinking Skills workbook.

Readings will continue until we finish those scheduled for AO's year 5. I don't like to rush readings. Also, we'll do some math every day to defend against mathematical brain drain.

In our readings this week:

• Abraham Lincoln's World: the world gets "smaller," i.e., not as remote
• This Country of Ours: President Johnson is impeached (but prevails); Grant is elected president for two terms
• Oliver Twist: our hero recuperates at the home of Mr. Brownlow
• A Passion for the Impossible: Lilias departs for north Africa
• Story Book of Science: flowers

I wanted to expand on our Story Book of Science lesson, so yesterday we took our readings outside (it was a gorgeous day). Armed with the Handbook of Nature Study, some flowers, and this helpful guide from the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, we began our study.

We began by looking at roses. Himself and I had pruned our Knock Out rosebushes over the weekend and kept several unopened buds in a cup of water. Perfect! Above is an excellent example of a rosebud's unopened corolla (collective name for flower petals).

Here is a rose sepal (rhymes with steeple), one of the green outer leaves that protects the developing rosebud. Taken together, the group of five sepals of each bud is called a calyx.

We also considered verbena flowers. Each verbena cluster comprises several tiny flowers.

Lantana and verbena are in the same family, hence the resemblance.

The girls seemed to enjoy our study, which gladdened this mama's heart. Next week, we'll study flower reproduction.

Here's our week in pictures:

From left to right, starting at top: 1. A hydrangea bloom; 2. A tomato that's sprouted! 3. Reading about Lilias Trotter; 4. Taking a rest in the shade; 5. A velvet milkshake; 6. Reading aloud outside; 7. Jasper investigating our flowers; 8. Thirsty Georgette; 9. Breakfast: mini cinnamon rolls from Trader Joe's and a cup of coffee in my new handmade mug

I'm linking up! Click below for more fun, encouragement, and ideas. Who doesn't need those things, I ask you?

Collage Friday at Homegrown Learners
The Homeschool Mother's Journal at iHomeschool Network
No Ordinary Blog Hop
Weekly Wrap-Up at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
Camera Phone Friday at My Home Sweet Home

Have a great weekend!

Weekly Happenings: In Which We Move Barns and Gear Up for a BIG Weekend

This week was hectic! Both girls had their annual check-ups on Monday (everyone is fine), and Tiny Girl's equestrian trainer also moved into her new barn. We helped move stuff on Monday afternoon: trunks, horse blankets galore, saddle pads, girths, etc. A high note (which would have been issued by my mouth if I'd seen it) was the scurrying rat in the storage room, irritated that its home under the blankets was ruined.

We were at the new barn every afternoon. The girls and I spread fresh shavings in the stalls. I shoveled shavings into a large wheelbarrow and then dumped four loads into each stall; the girls spread them out. This is a big, dusty job.

Miss Priss spreading shavings. 

We helped get the horses settled in: three ponies and one horse, who paced all afternoon at the gate of his turnout. The ponies revelled in their large, grassy turnouts, galloping, even bucking a bit, whinnying. No pacing for them!

Max grazing in his turnout.

Today, Tiny Girl and I leave for our Girl Scout Camporee. (Have I mentioned it's raining here? It hasn't rained like this -- a slow, steady rain -- in weeks. But today....) Miss Priss has a musical theatre production, A Tribute to Broadway, tomorrow night and is not able to join us. She has dress rehearsal tonight from 5:00 til 9:00 and has to be at the venue tomorrow at 3:00. Happily, Tiny Girl and I are going to be able to attend the show; the Camporee location is only 10 miles from the theatre venue. However, Himself is in charge of Miss Priss and her costumes, props, schedule, food, transportation, etc. He'll handle it beautifully, as he always does, but he's grousing a bit. "Wait. Do we have to go to the after-show 'party' at IHOP? That's not necessary!" Yes, they have to go.

Tiny Girl and I are looking forward to a fab weekend canoeing, letting arrows fly on the archery range, boating on the lake (pontoon), a luau pool party, s'mores, the whole nine yards. We may be sporting those plastic-wrappy Dollar Tree rain capes, but we'll be having a great time. Woo hoo!

We managed to get some schoolwork done. This week, we mixed up our math a bit. Miss Priss went back to Life of Fred Fractions, which she understands better since we spent some time with Ck12's sixth grade math program. Tiny Girl asked for a break from MEP, so she's been working in her Math Detective workbook (a Critical Thinking Company publication). I would normally post links, but my computer's been locking up (someone's coming this morning to take a look at it) and I don't want to take the chance since it's working well at this particular moment. I'll try to add them in later.

A peep at our some of our readings:

• This Country of Ours: the battle of Gettysburg. I've ordered the (epic) movie from Netflix for us to watch as a family.
• Story Book of Science: the power of steam
• Oliver Twist: our hero's on the lam. He's hooked up with the Artful Dodger and made his way to London.
• A Passion for the Impossible: Lilias meets John Ruskin in Venice
• Plutarch's Lives, "Brutus": Brutus goes to Greece and raises an army when he hears about Rome's troubles between Octavius Caesar and Antonius.

Those are highlights from our week! How was yours?

When you have a moment, take a look at parts one, two, and three of my series on Enjoying Poetry with Your Children. There's more to come, including resources!

Scout Camping Trip

We're off on a camping weekend with our Scout troop! The forecast calls for rain, which is just perrrrfect.

Happy weekend!

Weekly Happenings: Finally, A Field Trip!

 The idea of field trips appeal to me, but I have a hard time finding time in our schedule to accommodate any. So it's nice when a homeschooling friend calls and invites us to one. It's especially nice when that field trip educates us on our own town.

Isn't it funny how you often know more about other places than your own?

The girls and I learned a lot about the history of our town by watching a video and listening to a speaker at the visitors center. After a picnic lunch, we hiked through an old part of town, where we saw "the Bricks," apartments built for millworkers prior to the Civil War and some of the oldest apartments in the United States. They are now lovely townhomes. Meandering past the historic sites of the old mills, which were burned during the Civil War, we hiked through woods to the antebellum-era dam and waterfall, which powered the mills.

Along the way, I snapped some photos of wildflowers we saw. The only ones I can identify are the purple morning glories, which are annuals and have to be planted each year. I wonder how these came to be alongside the trail. Birds, perhaps? Or maybe there are actually folks who plant them each spring.

The dam and waterfall, which powered the mills more than 150 years ago 

Besides our field trip, we've enjoyed other activities, too. Last weekend, we attended a UKC dog show in another state. In the photo below, breeder extraordinaire, Leslie Reed, and the girls are showing the three amigos (and siblings) in the puppy match. Charity, the pup on the far right, won! That's our precious Georgette in the middle, and Tony's on the left.

This weekend, Tiny Girl competed in horse shows both Saturday and Sunday. Himself was Super Special Show Dad on Saturday, as I was attended Girl Scout training all day at a facility about 1 1/2 hours away from home. On Sunday, I took over equestrian pursuits, while Himself and Miss Priss attended both church services for Music Dedication Sunday. Miss Priss's middle school choir sang.

Tiny Girl and Tappy

Educational highlights:

Inspired by the name cards exchange in Little Town on the Prairie, the girls made their own out of colored cardstock.

Miss Priss is making great strides with the Math Mammoth curriculum, new for us this year. It's really boosted her math confidence, which had been lacking.

"Poplicola" from Plutarch's Lives and Gods and Heroes continue to be favorite readings. Miss Priss also cheers when it's time for Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution. Tiny Girl's response is a tad less enthusiastic, but at least she doesn't gag. Right?

Here's a quote that caught my eye in the book Im reading, A Little House Sampler, by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane. The quote comes from one of Laura's Missouri Ruralist columns, from 1919:

"Why should we need extra time to in which to enjoy ourselves? If we expect to enjoy our life we will have to learn to be joyful in all of it, not just at slated intervals, when we can get tijme, or when we have nothing else to do."

I need to remember this every day. Now here are two who enjoy life every day!

Jasper and Georgette, taking a break from rough-housing at the dog show.

I'm linking up with The Homeschool Mother's Journal. Pop over and read some blogs! And have a fabulous week!

Summer Afternoon, Summer Afternoon...

Summer afternoon, summer afternoon. . . the two most beautiful words in the English language.
-- Henry James

To which I say, Amen!

Himself arrived last night to spend a few days with us at the lake. After a bit of dreariness, the sun is shining today, and the expected high is 78 degrees. Tomorrow, friends arrive to spend the day. We are looking forward to lots of boating, bright blue skies, lobsters, and a high of 82.

Bliss.

Close Encounters of the Owl Kind

Two weeks ago, Tiny Girl and I were headed to her riding lesson when she cried out, “An owl!” I hit the brakes and reversed the car. There, in a tree just a few yards away, perched a rather large owl, staring at us while we stared back. I only had my phone with me, so I took a couple of (sadly unsatisfactory) photos before it soared away. After some rsearch at the library, I identified our owl as a barred owl. Here are some Wikipedia photos that put mine to shame. Note the dark eyes and yellow beak. We could clearly see those in our close encounter.
It was a nifty sighting, but a few summers ago, Himself and I had an even closer encounter with another owl. For several daysthat summer, we'd been hearing this strange whistling, hissing call and had no idea what it could be. A neighbor’s dad, who was visiting, identified it as an owl. And here I was thinking owls only said, “Who?”

A few nights later, at about 10:30, Himself and I were engaged in a highly competitive game of Scrabble when we heard that same call. “Let’s go look for it!” Himself suggested. Grabbing a flashlight, we headed outside.

Himself waved the flashlight at the tops of the trees. The eerie hissing whistle continued, tantalizingly close, but the owl remained hidden. A few moments later, we heard a whoosh of air and a big rustle of leaves on the ground to our right. We swung the flashlight beam that way. And there it was: a large barn owl, not five feet away. We stared at each other for a few seconds before it lifted off, silently, back up into the treetops. Here are some photos of barn owls, so you can see the difference.

We haven't heard any barn owls for at least two summers. I miss that hissing whistle.

Aloha!

Have you missed me? Or have you been too busy with summer activities to notice my silence? I'm guessing the latter!

Himself and I returned Saturday afternoon from a glorious week sans enfants on the Big Island of Hawaii (or, as they say, Hawai'i). Part of the time was a business trip for him; all of it was recreational for me. We had a blast. We rented a venicle and made a tour of almost all the island.

 Polulu Beach Overlook, north Kohala

Some Things We Saw:
- black sand beaches
- waterfalls
- rainbows
- southernmost tip of the U.S.
- sea turtles
- dolphins
- volcanoes
- snow atop Mauna Kea
- surfers
- beautiful flowers and flowering trees

My toes on the black sand of Punalu'u Beach Park

Some Things We Did:

- hiked through a rainforest AND a volcano crater
- snorkeled
- ziplined
- sailed on a catamaran
- toured a coffee farm and sampled delicious Kona coffee
- drove over rough, four-wheel-drive only roads to reach some places off the beaten path
- ate fabulous food

The trip home was a bear. We left Kona at 9:00 PM and, after five hours in the air, reached Los Angeles at 5:00 AM Pacific time. We boarded our second flight at 6:30 AM and landed at home at 1:30 Eastern time. We both tried to sleep on each flight, but were largely unsuccessful. So we were exhausted on Saturday and Sunday. Himself wonders if the return flight is worth the whole trip. I have no such ponderings. Hawaii is worth every minute of it!

Of course, now we're back home and smack into "real life" in real time. . . .

Springtime Sabbath

Spring is my favorite season. The girls prefer summer, which I enjoy as well; but as for pure loveliness, it's spring for me.

We are taking a break from lessons this week, and, since it is spring break for our county, we have no outside activities scheduled. We've all been needing a break, and my hope is that this week fills us with a sense of renewal, perhaps even revival. The latter may be more for me than the children, frankly.

So we talked about some plans for the week, and here is what we decided: a trip to a pottery painting studio; playing with friends; a trip to the bookstore and lunch out with some friends we haven't seen in a long time; just generally relaxing and enjoying ourselves.

For myself, I envision lounging in the hammock with a book and a glass of homemade lemonade. Perhaps Jasper will curl up beside me and snooze.

Here are the books I'm planning to read:

• Tyler's Row, by Miss Read
• I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith
• The Full Cupboard of Life, by Alexander McCall Smith

I also want to get back to blogging more regularly. I hinted in my last post about life interruptions -- which are really just parts of life themselves -- that have been the focus of my thoughts and energy lately, and I've been percolating ideas about those things in particular and how they occupied me. I've been wondering if I learned anything that I could shape into any sort of would-be wisdom to share. Probably not, but that won't stop me from sharing anyway.

Here is what I have planned not to do this break week:

• Lesson planning
• Worry about lessons or lesson planning
• Worry about anything

Here is what I've actually done thus far:

• Taken the girls to the library for a one-hour yoga retreat for Girl Scout Juniors, which was instructed by a Cadette troop as part of the Silver Award (I perused the library's shelves for reading materials and actually checked out some books for school. So I've already broken one of resolutions for the week. Alas.)
• Cleaned my bathroom
• Taken care of some laundry
• Attempted to assuage the feelings of one daughter whose friends are not available to play (while her sister biked away to spend the afternoon with a friend)

Hmmm. Do you sense a pattern, or is it just me? Many's the time when I have some free moments, an afternoon perhaps, that I fill with busy-ness: housekeeping that needs doing, chores I really must tackle, meal planning, sink scrubbing, et cetera. I sense a pattern developing, and I'm determined to stop it in its tracks.

I feel a deep need for quiet calm. I feel the need for sabbath.

The sun in shining, a breeze is blowing, and a hammock is calling my name.

A Glimpse of Spring

When my friend, Blossom, from North Laurel Home & School, commented on my green grass in a photo for a Weekly Wrap-Up, I thought I'd post a few photos of spring in my neck of the woods.

Daffodils are Blossom's favorites, and a favorite of mine as well.

I love this periwinkle-colored phlox at the foot of my driveway. Notice all the buds? They have now burst into bloom.

Just a few weeks ago, I severely pruned my six red Knock-Out rosebushes, and they put out new growth almost immediately. Another rosebush of mine, a yellow one, already has buds on it.

Some trees' new leaves start out red, which looks sensational mixed in with the white flowers of ornamental pear trees, the pink of ornamental cherry trees, and the bright lavender of redbuds.

This is one of two ornamental cherries that grace the parking area of our neighborhood pool and tennis courts. Not only do I love their flowers, which are actually pinker up close, but I also love their shape.

Another spring favorite of mine is forsythia. But I don't have any, nor are any close enough to my house to photograph. So I have to content myself with catching sight of them while I drive around town.

About to enter the spring scene big-time are the dogwoods, which are beginning to bloom, and the azaleas. I have two large white azalea bushes in my back yard, and one has just started blooming. Blossom (and everyone), I'll post photos of that when it's in its full glory.

I hope you are seeing signs of spring where you live!

Snow Blankets the South

Ah, blessed peace.  The girls are playing with friends, Himself is out and about, and Jasper and I are relaxing in front of a fire.  He has a bone; I have some tea.  We are cozy.

Several hours ago, it was another story.  It snowed here last night, which is quite a phenomenon where we live.  We have more than five inches.  Everything is closed.  Before breakfast, we "hit the slopes" with our sleds.  For once I am glad our house is atop a hill.  All was frenetic fun.

 Tiny Girl promptly flopped down and made snow angel.  Jasper trounced over her first, so she happily made another.

 This snowfall is quite deep for a short-legged little guy!

 Our steep hill is perfect for sledding.

Jasper loves the snow! And he suffers no ill effects that plague the rest of us.

School, of course, was cancelled, and most likely will be cancelled tomorrow as well.  The girls were a bit peeved when I insisted on math lessons (albeit shortened), but we're on a tight schedule.  In fact, they have a bit more today when they return.  And I'm guessing warm baths may be necessary as well!

An Easy and Inexpensive Sit-Upon

For those of you not well-versed in Girl Scout lingo, a sit-upon is exactly what it sounds like: something to sit on to keep your rear off the damp ground.  The girls' camp packing list included "a sit-upon or stadium cushion."  Since we didn't look at the packing list until last Thursday, this was an emergency situation.  Lots of troops make sit-upons as a project, but our has not.  So, like any somewhat tech-savvy and desperate mom would do, I Googled "sit-upon" to see what came up.

As it turns out, my search turned up quite a bit.  Most sit-upon projects entailed sewing together (with yarn) two square pieces of waterproof fabric or vinyl, and filling the resulting pocket with newspaper or quilt batting.  We didn't have time to make this version.

Another project used vinyl tote bags.  Fill said tote with newspaper, glue shut with glue "dots," et voila!  A sit-upon, complete with a handy carrying handle.  As an option, you could decorate the outside with paint pens, too.

Well, I didn't have any vinyl tote bags at hand, and I didn't want to go on a wild goose chase after them, either.  I had other things to buy, like water shoes.  Glancing around the study, my eyes lit upon these large plastic square envelopes I use to store the girls' schoolwork.  Hmmm.

Off to Michael's we went.  In the scrapbooking section, we found the pockets for less than $2 each and on sale for 40 percent off.  Yippee!  In the same aisle, I found Zots glue dots for securing the pockets' flaps.  We also bought colored Sharpies to use for decorating.

At home, the girls gussied up the outside of their pockets, then we filled them with newspaper.  The newspaper sections, folded in half, fit perfectly.  They field-tested their sit-upons to make sure the newspaper was thick enough.  Since we didn't want the newspaper itself to show (and detract from their artwork), we finished with some blank newsprint packing paper, which I had on hand and cut to size.

After that, we glued the flap shut with the Zots glue dots.  I used tweezers for this, which worked well.  To make things extra secure, we glued two rows of Zots on the flaps.

Here's Tiny Girl's finished product:

These may not last quite as long as a traditional, sewn sit-upon, but they'll do for the week at camp.  Plus, they were super-easy, fast, and inexpensive.  What more could I ask for?

Daytrip!

Yesterday, we hit the road for a drive to the mountains.  It was Jasper's first real adventure with the family.  The weather was mostly overcast, but the temperatures were pleasant, and the air in the mountains was cool and clean.

First, we took a short hike to the base of Anna Ruby Falls, a rare double waterfall.  Two creeks come together at the top of a ravine, and then converge to form one creek below.  The creek on the left falls in two tiers, so there are actually three sections of falls.

On the hike, we saw this large snail (photo courtesy of Tiny Girl),

some wildflowers like this woods violet,

and this enormous hemlock, which seems to be growing out of a rock!  A placard nearby explains that the tree's roots are actually in soil at the base of the rock.

Afterward, we visited a nearby state park and took another short (1/3 mile) nature hike.  By this time, Jasper was tuckered out, so he appreciated the shorter distance!  We also visited the beach on the lake, where the girls waded in the water and caught tadpoles in a Solo cup some thoughful person left floating in the lake.  Just for us, presumably.  I left my camera in the car, so these adventures remain undocumented, alas.

I love days like these.

Campin' Queen Cries Uncle

First, you'll be glad to know we survived the Girl Scout camping weekend.  Thank heavens I bought -- at the last minute -- enough disposable rain ponchos for our group.  That gives you a good idea of what the weather was like.  The girls had a great time, which is the point of it all, but I was glad to get home to my own comfy bed.

However, after spending the weekend squelching through mud, waiting out thunderstorms to run through the night to the bath house, and all the other glories that embody the group camping experience, I decided to postpone our family camping trip originally scheduled for this weekend.  One (read: I) can only do so much.

Besides, Himself is not available this week to pack the camping gear, and that it his arena.  How's that for an excuse?  Yes, I thought it was lovely and convenient, myself.

Campin' Queen

The girls and I are in a flurry this morning, packing for our weekend camping trip with the Scout troop.  It's only two nights, but we still have loads of stuff.  Hmm.  And then there's the necessary items for the (two-hour) drive to the camp that MUST NOT be forgotten.  At least we'll be in cabins.  This is especially welcome, since the weather forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms tomorrow.  Yippee.  Remind me why I am doing this?

And next week, we are taking a family camping trip.  Why I thought that would be a good idea escapes me at the present time.

Not that I abhor camping.  I like it.  But two weekends in a row is a tad much, unless you're a die-hard.  With a pop-up camper.  We have a tent.  And a puppy.  Need I say more?

But we'll make it a good time, anyway.  I tend to moan and whinge before a trip and then have a fun time when I'm actually there.  Homebodies are like that.

But I'm sure it'll be great.  Really.  A really, really fab time.  In the rain.

Weekly Wrap-Up: Spring Breakin'

Isn't my phlox lovely?  Ah, spring!  I love it.

We took a break from our regular schedule this week (along with everyone else in our area) and got a few things done, like cleaning out the girls' dresser drawers.  That's always fun.  What fits, what doesn't, what can be given away, what can be put away until cooler temps roll around again, etc.

But we also planted seeds in our raised-bed garden and starter egg cartons, which I consider educational.  The girls have high expectations for this, our first endeavor into gardening.  Our ambitious planting scheme includes: cherry tomatoes, cucumbers (bush-type), carrots, watermelon (at Tiny Girl's insistence), strawberries, basil, zinnias (purple, pink, AND red), hollyhocks, and foxglove.

Miss Priss also put in two salvia plants.

Himself is skeptical:  "You have more seeds than you do garden space."  I figure we'll see what comes up and replant, if necessary.  We're also planning to transplant some of the flower seedlings to other areas in our yard.  We can also always pass along seeds to any interested friends.

The funny thing is that we'll be in Maine when most of this is ready to harvest.  I guess Himself will be giving a lot of produce away!  Although I intend to transplant two tomato plants and one cucumber plant to large containers and take them along with us to Maine.

April continues its lovely dance.  Deciduous trees are leafing out in earnest, and several other blooming varieties have burst forth, like this beautiful redbud.

I had originally planned to clean out our study/schoolroom this week, too.  But when the sun is shining, it's far too easy to put off that sort of chore, isn't it?