Sick Week

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Last week, we were all sick. We fell ill at different times and we had different symptoms. It could have started as a ragweed allergy. Then, it became an infection and one of us even ended up with a high fever. Another had the beginning of bronchitis.

Peace, love, homeschooling

On a car in the parking lot at our co-op

When sickness strikes, all you can do is hunker down and do the bare minimum around the house: make tea, heat up soup, take out the trash overflowing with facial tissue, and rest. As such, it is a miracle that my son and I still managed to get our SAT prep done. We have a goal of 5 hours per week and we got it done through fits of cough and while downing gallons of herbal tea. Continue reading »


Happy Labor Day

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The Labor Day weekend is going on right now and, since we live in a tourist town, we stay off the roads. We are homebodies. What can I say? Besides, the traffic in our area resembles city traffic. Forget the fact that we are considered a rural area. When one has 11 million people visiting in a year, one must expect delays and bottlenecks.

Cat watching bear

Our cat, Shrub, watching a black bear in our backyard.

Our son took ill yesterday, so we are at least relieved he does not have to miss co-op this week, as co-op will be closed for the holiday. We nurse him back to health, while his sister picks up his chores because she is such an angel. Continue reading »


Sewing and Harp

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This week, I would like to feature our daughter and two of her endeavors: sewing and harp. We have always encouraged our children to pursue what they enjoy, especially as they grew older.

Playing the harp

Practicing the harp at home

Our daughter asked for sewing lessons and I found a friend who was willing to come to our house once a week to teach. Continue reading »


Back-to-Homeschool 2024-2025

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And…we’re off! Off to tackle another exciting homeschool year. My son is a junior in high school this year. My daughter is a freshman in high school. That means 11th grade and 9th grade, respectively, for those not used to the US terminology.

Homeschool mom with giant pencil and eraser

I think I am ready for a new school year and yes, this really is the way I dress to homeschool my children (jk).

We had a wonderful summer break. I worked hard in my soap business and helped my husband with his, too. The kids stayed busy with summer camps, developing skills and hobbies, and playing with the cats. We have two inside cats and one outside cat. Never a dull moment.

Giant Pencil and Eraser

Having fun with my new props

They could have read more books, but at this point I have learned to just let it go. It is what it is. They will learn at their own pace in their own way. And one day they will look at me and say, “I wish you had made me read more as a teenager.” Ha!

They did not care to take back-to-school pictures this year, so I had fun with retrieving some pictures of them from 2018… On the other hand, my daughter had a lot of fun taking pictures of me today with my jumbo pencil and eraser.

Governor and First Lady Haslam with Mom and Daughter

Claire and I in 2018, at the Governor’s Mansion in Nashville, meeting Governor and First Lady Haslam

Written goals

There is so much excitement in the air in the beginning of a school year. I get really excited about setting goals. Personally, I am an advocate for writing goals down and reviewing them daily. Don’t just stick them in a drawer.

Boy in astronaut suit

Preston made this astronaut costume for himself back in 2018

Did you know that just writing goals down gives you a 43% better chance to reach your goals? But you must also pull them out and look at them daily. Take three minutes to absorb them and maybe even copy them down again. Experts in personal productivity recommend this. Don’t shoot the messenger.

Right now, I have seven goals for the next 12 months and I write them down every morning. It is part of my morning routine, my personal time with God and with myself. More on that in a future blog post.

For now, I wish everybody a wonderful new school year, many successes, learning opportunities, friends, and challenges. To our growth!


The Last Week of Summer Break

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Well, well, what do you know? Summer break is almost over. We start school next week and that means 11th grade and 9th grade for us. What do we do this last week of summer break?

Bear Cub in a yard

Bear cubs in our backyard

To be honest, we have already started SAT prep with our son, who will be a junior this year. He plans to take the PSAT in October. With only eight weeks to go, we thought he might as well get on a regular schedule with his test prep. Continue reading »


TeenPact Registration

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August is here and soon it will be September 1. Do you know what happens on September 1? Let me tell you then: TeenPact registration, at the lowest price of the year.

TeenPact Registration

TeenPact Registration opens soon. Get ready!

If you live in Tennessee, please know they have three dates available. We are just that kind of a state: we care about teaching our young people about government, civics, and the political process. Continue reading »


Planning a New School Year

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Have you started seeing “Back-to-School” signs everywhere? It’s not fair. But if we already have “Christmas in July” signs, might as well accept that school is around the corner.

Four Seasons Paintings

Four Seasons – paintings in a doctor’s office in Knoxville

Mentally, I am not ready to start a school year, in all honesty. I was going to start the week before we start going to co-op, but then I got to thinking… Why? Why make it complicated? It is hard to have the number of school weeks be one off compared to the number of co-op weeks. Continue reading »


Checking In On Goals

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Writing goals down is the key to success in achieving them. There is a second key. One must check in on one’s goals on a regular basis. Success coaches recommend you read through your goals daily. Some say, copy them down. Every day? Yes, every day.

Teenager with cat

Our son holding one of our cats, OC – a reminder to not take ourselves too seriously as we review summer goals

This way, you stay with your goals and your goals stay with you, in the forefront of your mind. You remember where you are supposed to go and you stay on track. Also, you find ways, means, and solutions for your challenges.

Continue reading »


Cohutta Springs Teen Camp

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Our daughter attended Cohutta Spring Teen Camp last week, with an emphasis on Mountain Lore. That’s code for Arts and Crafts.

My daughter and I

My daughter and I on drop off day at Cohutta Springs Youth Camp

Every day, the campers go through four rotations, of different activities. However, they have one main emphasis and you can choose which one you want. This year, our daughter wanted to focus on Mountain Lore because she really enjoys making candles and crafts. Continue reading »


Black Bears Rock

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We live in a mountain resort and many black bears live here with us. They visit our neighborhood daily and go by our house at different hours of the day. There is no routine, so I do not walk around our neighborhood that much anymore.

Black bear on patio

Black bear on our patio – a daily occurrence

I miss walking through our neighborhood because it is so hilly and wooded, it is simply a beautiful walk. But these bears are everywhere these days, at all hours of the day and night. They trigger our cameras at odd times so we cannot detect a routine or a pattern. Continue reading »