Wilma Dykeman wrote several books and newspaper columns and lived in Tennessee. Tennessee Woman, An Infinite Variety is an interesting list of outstanding women from Tennessee who have made a difference in the lives of others.
This book is actually an updated version of a previous project
From Dolly Parton to Pat Summit and less famous women in between, Dykeman walks you through a series of role models. Continue reading
We had a more relaxed week last week, without co-op and with a hike. No complaints here about staying home and “only” homeschooling.
Middle Prong Trail Bench
These days, I find myself in the kitchen a lot. Not only do my children eat more, but they want healthier, from scratch meals. I really enjoy cooking for them. As a result, I have been buying more cookbooks and even reading some cookbooks from the Libby app. It’s fun. Continue reading
We still cannot homeschool full time due to the recent death in the family and its aftermath. There are many tasks we have to do and this is the time to do it. Nothing can wait.
Our daughter next to our truck, full of donations for the Food Ministry Second Hand Store
One day at a time, we wake up, discuss the situation, and decide which subjects we can tackle and which subjects we can leave for Christmas break. We already see ourselves doing some school through the end of December and the beginning of January. Continue reading
The Danger by Dick Francis covers a series of kidnappings in England, Italy, and the US, in the horseracing world. Andrew Douglas, a private detective who specializes in finding victims and negotiating with kidnappers, helps solve all these crimes.
I highly recommend any thriller by Dick Francis
Douglas and the firm he works for know a lot about kidnappings. Usually, the criminals target the wealthy. This private force of detectives and kidnap specialists collaborate with the police to save the victims. Sometimes the police cooperates with Douglas’ firm. On other occasions, the police hate taking orders from an organization which flies under the radar. And things do not end up so well. Continue reading
And… the trend continues. We had to cut our studies short this week as well, because on Monday we returned from camping around lunch time, and on Friday we left for Nashville in the early afternoon, for our son’s cubing competition. Never a dull moment.
Our five-person roof top tent sits over a trailer my husband designed.
We really enjoyed camping over the Labor Day weekend. Nature is good for the soul, but several things happened during this trip also, which bonded us even more as a family. I would not say everything that happened was easy to take, but that is exactly the point. Challenges bring us closer together. Continue reading
“Have you gotten into a rhythm yet with the new school year?” a dear friend asked me. “Yes and no,” I replied. Every week, we have had some kind of project or reason to not go full blast every single day. However, I feel like we are definitely into a school rhythm.
Leaving our home to go camping; the roof top tent opens atop the trailer
Week 3 – no exception. We had to prepare for a camping trip, so Friday’s lessons got cut short. Also this week, my daughter and I got to spend some time with the middle schoolers from our co-op, in the National Park, while enjoying a back-to-school picnic and multiple games. Continue reading
In all honesty, the week before we started our new school year, I felt anxious, fearful, already defeated, behind, and on the verge of burnout. Ten years of homeschooling have taught me to fear the rhythm and the workload. I am no longer “young and dumb,” as they say about newbies in every area. Burnout has reached me one too many times and I have developed a healthy fear of it.
My first issue of Homeschooling Today
Besides, summer has gone by way too fast. We had a lot of fun together as a family and I just did not want to interrup that fun with a “school schedule.” My children worked at my husband’s business and I had the entire morning to myself to catch up on my own projects. Continue reading
Our daughter has reached 8th grade (2023-2024 school year). She is “the baby” in the family, so this reality hits hard. How can this be? Anyway, here are her courses this year: English, Math, US History, Bible, ASL I, Performing Arts, Personal Finance, Sewing, PE.
Our daughter wanted to learn sewing so we found a friend who was willing to teach her.
For English, Bible, and US History she is taking Notgrass US History, a wonderful curriculum which offers enough content to grant three credits. That’s not just a good deal. We are very impressed with Notgrass in general and proud that they are from Tennessee. Continue reading
One week down, 35 more to go, but who is counting? The kids learned about their new schedule and curricula on Monday. We made new binders together for their different subjects.
We walked in Knoxville, on the Greenway, between violin and harp lessons
They are so much older and more mature, I could say to them, “This is how I would like to tackle our subjects. Let’s give it a try for a few weeks and see if it works. We can always switch things up.” Continue reading
An ancient grain, einkorn contains gluten, but it does not bother me. They have not messed with this kind of wheat, which goes back 12,000 years.
My einkorn banana bread came out very nicely from the first try
Whole Foods sells einkorn flour and I made the banana bread recipe on the box. Some people say einkorn flour is expensive and, well, maybe it is, compared to other flours. However, you can make the recipe three times out of one bag of flour, which means the cost is not as high as you might think per loaf of bread. Continue reading