Oct 30 2023

Week 11 – Done

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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.

Food Ministry Donation

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 »

Oct 23 2023

Book 35 of 50 – An American Beauty

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Shana Abe specializes in historical fiction. An American Beauty (affiliate link) by Abe focuses on the life of Arabella Huntington, once the wealthiest woman in the US.

Arabella Huntington, An American Beauty

Arabella Huntington, An American Beauty

This is my second book by Abe, after having read The Second Mrs. Astor. I like historical fiction and Abe does a lot of research for her books. Continue reading »

Oct 23 2023

Weeks 9 and 10 – Done

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Somewhere along September and October, I lost track of time. My blog lagged behind but, you know, we still homeschooled. The biggest change for us as far as school was that we switched math curricula for 8th grade. My daughter was finishing up Math Mammoth 7B this semester when I realized we were just going in circles.

Black bear on patio

One of the black bears who venture onto our patio

She needed more pre-algebra concepts but Math Mammoth 7B was starting her on Statistics and Probability. Those are great topics, but not what my daughter needed. We bought Saxon Math 8/7 and liked it a lot. It gives her step-by-step more pre-algebra practice and we can advance quite fast. Continue reading »

Oct 16 2023

Book 34 of 50 – A Walk in the Woods

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The funniest book I have ever read, A Walk in the Woods (Amazon Affiliate link) by Bill Bryson  details a long hike along the Appalachian Trail. Bryson felt inspired to hike the AT out of the blue, in his mid-forties. Midlife crisis? Probably.

A Walk in the Woods

I laughed with tears while reading the first half of the book.

His wife tried to talk him out of it. Somehow, he managed to persuade her to let him do this crazy thing. The only person who accepted to come along with him was an overweight, out-of-shape former high school friend. The two went through several adventures together, including a bear sniffing at their tent. Continue reading »

Oct 15 2023

Book 33 of 50 – Freedom from Tyranny of the Urgent

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Apparently, Freedom from Tyranny of the Urgent (Amazon Affiliate link) was a classic title from a few decades ago. I just now got acquainted with it. Hummel is a Christian author and his book represents a “Christian time management guide.”

Tyranny of the Urgent

You will learn how to manage your time and view it as a gift from God

I learned a few things. For instance, in Greek, there are (at least) two ways to express time: chronos and kairos. Chronos means time as we understand it in the West. That is the root we use for “chronology.” Kairos means time also, but in the sense of timeliness – the proper use of time, saying and doing the right thing at the right time. Kairos is an art, obviously. Continue reading »

Oct 15 2023

Week 8 – Done

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Normally, this week 8 should have been “Fall Break.” However, we do not usually take a fall break. Besides, we are slightly behind because of the death we had in the family in September.

Backyard fungi

My daughter took pictures of backyard mushrooms.

Therefore, we did our regular learning whenever possible. The co-op we attend was not in session because of “Fall Break.” We took advantage of that and stayed home and continued in our books. Continue reading »

Oct 4 2023

Week 7 – Done

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Last week, my husband’s mom passed away, so everything turned on its head. We had to take care of urgent matters and skipped homeschooling here and there. However, lots of learning happened.

Teenage boy getting a haircut

Our son got his previously scheduled haircut.

Legal matters, household management, family relationships – it all came in full focus. The kids were learning fast and we were, too. Sometimes you learn what to do and other times what not to do. Continue reading »

Oct 2 2023

Death in the Family

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Last Tuesday, the unthinkable happened: my husband’s mother passed away. It has been a whirlwind of shock, grief, legal matters, cleaning her home, and homeschooling. When death hits, we learn what really matters.

Wooden Mask

Finding humor in any situation, our daughter posed with a wooden mask we found while cleaning her grandmother’s house.

My husband needs my support, but he also tells me to homeschool as much as possible, so the kids do not get too far behind. We drop everything as needed and we homeschool as much as possible in the time left over. Continue reading »

Sep 24 2023

Week 6 – Done

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We are still recovering from fall allergies and sore throats – at least my daughter and I. My son drove himself to the weekly hike, which was actually a picnic at Metcalf Bottoms, since other members were under the weather, too. Of course, he only has a permit, so I had to be in the car with him. I hung out with them for a bit, but then I came home and straight to bed. One of the ladies brought him home.

Raccoon eating cat food

This raccoon showed up on our patio to eat the food we feed our outside cats.

It’s amazing how much bed rest can do for a sore throat and cold symptoms. I spent the next two days in bed and read a lot. We skipped church, as we did not want to share our germs with anybody. My daughter and I also skipped a bondfire we were planning to attend with the middle schoolers from the co-op. It may not be contagious, but you never know. Ragweed allergies and colds have such similar symptoms. Continue reading »

Sep 20 2023

Book 32 of 50 – 52 Ways to Walk

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Annabel Streets grew up in Wales without a car or public transportation, so she walked everywhere, sometimes for miles. She is not afraid to walk or write about it. In her book, 52 Ways to Walk, (Amazon Affiliate link) Streets encourages us to find innovative ways to get outside and move.

52 Ways to Walk

She found 54 ways, but her editor said they should stop at 52, one for every week of the year.

How ironic is it that her name is Streets, right? Well, we can all do better when it comes to exercise. Streets quotes many research studies which show the benefits of walking for the body and for the mind. Continue reading »