With the older kids in bed and The Baby in the bathtub (there's no water in it...she's just sitting in the bathtub with her P.J.s on playing with toys), I'm thinking about the weeks ahead.
Each year for the past five years (except the year I was pregnant with The Baby) I have worked in the mail order department of the local cheesehouse. Our cheese factory invented baby swiss cheese and people from all over the globe call into my little office high atop the cheesehouse to have cheese shipped to their parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts/uncles, neices/nephews, ex-spouses, neighbors, doctors, patients, clients, bosses, co-workers and employees, among others. It's my job to keep them happy, to get their cheese ordered, paid for and shipped out. I talk to little old ladies who are so lonely that they want to talk to the cheese mail-order girl. I converse with men who have had lunch with the president of the United States. I listen to stories of visits to our cheesehouse that took place many years ago.
I get decent pay, a GREAT bonus, and a really nice employee Christmas banquet where they call the kids up by name and give them gifts. Plus, the work environment is fun and friendly. AND there's LOTS of baked goods, which is just what I need to keep my energy up while I'm sitting on my butt in front of a computer all day talking on the phone.
I like my job. It does get stressful, but I still enjoy it. It's just quirky enough to be hip, and just quaint enough to make the stress manageable. The hardest part is maintaining order at home for the ten weeks I'm away. Sure, there's an adult here--my dad--and I'm only a few minutes down the road, but I can be in the next room (like right now) and chaos can occur.
But this year, I have a plan. At least I think I do. It involves breakfast together, the mornings in their rooms working on their lessons, lunch together, and the afternoon spending some quiet time reading or catching up on lessons. They all know what's expected of them, but that doesn't mean they get it done. Heck, when I'm here, I often have to struggle to keep a couple of them (read: The Boys) on task.
We have incentives, like Friday Night Family Night with pizza and movies or games if the kids get their lessons and chores done, but I'd like something with a bit more oomph.
So if you have suggestions for how to keep kids on task when you're away, please fire them this way.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Semolina Dough
"Semolina flour is usually associated with pasta, but it also produces the most crispy and flavorful pizza crust. Dough made from this hard durum wheat flour is especially suitable for moist fillings. It makes excellent calzone and double-crust pizza because it resists getting soggy.
Semolina dough is much les elastic than basic pizza dough made with white flour, so it must be rolled out rather than stretched. The dough should feel moist but not too sticky, and it may require a few extra tablespoons of water to attain the right consistency. If it sticks while it is being rolled out, dust the dough lightly with a small amount of flour. (if the dough tears, that means it is too dry. Just gather it up into a ball and add a small amount of water, knead the dough until it is softer, and give it a 15-minute rest before continuing.)
1 cup warm tap water (110 to 115 degrees)
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup all-purpose white flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 2 1/2 cups semolina flour
1. Pour the water into a medium-sized mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Stir gently with a fork until the yeast has dissolved and the liquid turns light beige in color.
2. Add the all-purpose flour, olive oil, and salt and stir with a wooden spoon. Add 1 cup of the semolina flour and mix. After the cup of semolina flour has been mixed in, the dough should be soft and should start to come away from the sides of the bowl. Add more water by the tablespoonful if the dough appears to be too crumbly and dry. Continue as if you were making the basic dough."
From The Pizza Book by Evelyne Slomon.
Semolina dough is much les elastic than basic pizza dough made with white flour, so it must be rolled out rather than stretched. The dough should feel moist but not too sticky, and it may require a few extra tablespoons of water to attain the right consistency. If it sticks while it is being rolled out, dust the dough lightly with a small amount of flour. (if the dough tears, that means it is too dry. Just gather it up into a ball and add a small amount of water, knead the dough until it is softer, and give it a 15-minute rest before continuing.)
1 cup warm tap water (110 to 115 degrees)
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup all-purpose white flour
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 2 1/2 cups semolina flour
1. Pour the water into a medium-sized mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Stir gently with a fork until the yeast has dissolved and the liquid turns light beige in color.
2. Add the all-purpose flour, olive oil, and salt and stir with a wooden spoon. Add 1 cup of the semolina flour and mix. After the cup of semolina flour has been mixed in, the dough should be soft and should start to come away from the sides of the bowl. Add more water by the tablespoonful if the dough appears to be too crumbly and dry. Continue as if you were making the basic dough."
From The Pizza Book by Evelyne Slomon.
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
The Pendulum Swings
There are days when I'm up. I hate to be banal and cliche, but it really seems to happen when the sun is shining and there are whispy white clouds in the clear, blue sky.
On those days, I get so much done. Housecleaning, cooking, baking, shopping, gathering, planning, visiting...
But then, the clouds turn dark, and the pendulum swings the other way. I get impatient with my loved ones, get very little done, and I don't even care. At first. I just want to sleep it off.
After a couple of days of this, though, depression sets in. Not only am I down because of the gray sky and the dark clouds, but then I'm also overwhelmed by the work I didn't do while I was in my deepest funk. Dishes pile up, kids lose their discipline, dust overtakes my furniture and we all eat ramen noodles, which, I'm sure, makes us all feel so much better. As if.
Today, I seem to be nearing the bottom of the pendulum swing. I'm not completely down, but I'm not nearly up. I'm tired and unmotivated, and everything seems to take too long to do. I don't even want to curl up with a good book. I want to curl up with a mindless movie and a great big glass of icy Dr. Pepper. Give me my down pillow, my cotton blankie, and leave me the heck alone.
I know it's not hormones. Well, it might be, but if it is, I'm a freak of nature. I chart my cycles, so I know that now is supposed to be my peak time. I'm supposed to be full of energy, hopeful, gregarious. But I'm not. I'm just...tired and lazy.
If I took a "who are you" quiz right now, I'd be Eeyore. Without a doubt.
I don't want to believe that it's the weather. I know there are other factors that contribute to my feeling down, I just don't know what they are. And I don't really care.
But if it is the weather, I'm in for a long, long winter.
I wish we could bottle the sunshine. I wish we could take it whenever we started to feel down and depressed; just open it up and snort it in. But me, being the teetotaler that I am, never taking so much as a Tylenol unless I'm dieing, I'd rarely pull it from the shelf.
I'd just nurse my Dr. Pepper, curled up in a ball watching Sommersby and crying my eyes out, waiting until the blue skies returned.
On those days, I get so much done. Housecleaning, cooking, baking, shopping, gathering, planning, visiting...
But then, the clouds turn dark, and the pendulum swings the other way. I get impatient with my loved ones, get very little done, and I don't even care. At first. I just want to sleep it off.
After a couple of days of this, though, depression sets in. Not only am I down because of the gray sky and the dark clouds, but then I'm also overwhelmed by the work I didn't do while I was in my deepest funk. Dishes pile up, kids lose their discipline, dust overtakes my furniture and we all eat ramen noodles, which, I'm sure, makes us all feel so much better. As if.
Today, I seem to be nearing the bottom of the pendulum swing. I'm not completely down, but I'm not nearly up. I'm tired and unmotivated, and everything seems to take too long to do. I don't even want to curl up with a good book. I want to curl up with a mindless movie and a great big glass of icy Dr. Pepper. Give me my down pillow, my cotton blankie, and leave me the heck alone.
I know it's not hormones. Well, it might be, but if it is, I'm a freak of nature. I chart my cycles, so I know that now is supposed to be my peak time. I'm supposed to be full of energy, hopeful, gregarious. But I'm not. I'm just...tired and lazy.
If I took a "who are you" quiz right now, I'd be Eeyore. Without a doubt.
I don't want to believe that it's the weather. I know there are other factors that contribute to my feeling down, I just don't know what they are. And I don't really care.
But if it is the weather, I'm in for a long, long winter.
I wish we could bottle the sunshine. I wish we could take it whenever we started to feel down and depressed; just open it up and snort it in. But me, being the teetotaler that I am, never taking so much as a Tylenol unless I'm dieing, I'd rarely pull it from the shelf.
I'd just nurse my Dr. Pepper, curled up in a ball watching Sommersby and crying my eyes out, waiting until the blue skies returned.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Hot Buttered Pretzels
This weekend, we made a huge supply of these pretzels, three recipes, and they were gone by the afternoon. Follow the recipe to a T and you'll have pretzels to die for! If you have unsalted butter, it really does make the difference. We used salted, and with the gourment/coarse salt, it was too salty.
This recipe comes from the King Arthur Flour website. Better than Aunt Annies by a MILE!
INTRO
Pretzels are available crisp and hard from your grocery or, if you're lucky and in the right place, soft and chewy from street vendors. Our recipe is for the soft, chewy kind.
INGREDIENTS
Dough
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons regular instant yeast
7/8 to 1 cup warm water*
Topping
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
coarse, kosher or pretzel salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
INSTRUCTIONS
*Use the greater amount in the winter, the lesser amount in the summer, and somewhere in between in the spring and fall. Your goal is a soft dough.
Food Processor Method: Place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in the work bowl of a food processor equipped with the steel blade. Process for 5 seconds. Add the water, and process for 7 to 10 seconds, until the dough starts to clear the sides of the bowl. Process a further 45 seconds. Place a handful of flour in a bowl, scoop the slack dough into the bowl, and shape the dough into a ball, coating it with the flour. Transfer the dough to a plastic bag, close the bag loosely, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Bread Machine Method: Place all of the dough ingredients into the pan of your bread machine, program the machine for Dough or Manual, and press Start. Allow the dough to proceed through its two kneading cycles, then cancel the machine, flour the dough, and give it a rest in a plastic bag, as instructed above.
Manual/Mixer Method: Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl, and beat till well-combined. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, till it's soft, smooth, and quite slack. Flour the dough and place it in a bag, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 500°F. Prepare two baking sheets by spraying them with vegetable oil spray, or lining them with parchment paper.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces (about 70g, or 2 1/2 ounces, each). Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved; if it isn't, it'll make your pretzels splotchy.
Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28 to 30 inches long), and twist each rope into a pretzel, as illustrated. Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they're golden brown, reversing the baking sheets halfway through.
Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you've used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that's what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave. Yield: 8 pretzels.
This recipe comes from the King Arthur Flour website. Better than Aunt Annies by a MILE!
INTRO
Pretzels are available crisp and hard from your grocery or, if you're lucky and in the right place, soft and chewy from street vendors. Our recipe is for the soft, chewy kind.
INGREDIENTS
Dough
2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons regular instant yeast
7/8 to 1 cup warm water*
Topping
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
coarse, kosher or pretzel salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
INSTRUCTIONS
*Use the greater amount in the winter, the lesser amount in the summer, and somewhere in between in the spring and fall. Your goal is a soft dough.
Food Processor Method: Place the flour, salt, sugar and yeast in the work bowl of a food processor equipped with the steel blade. Process for 5 seconds. Add the water, and process for 7 to 10 seconds, until the dough starts to clear the sides of the bowl. Process a further 45 seconds. Place a handful of flour in a bowl, scoop the slack dough into the bowl, and shape the dough into a ball, coating it with the flour. Transfer the dough to a plastic bag, close the bag loosely, leaving room for the dough to expand, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Bread Machine Method: Place all of the dough ingredients into the pan of your bread machine, program the machine for Dough or Manual, and press Start. Allow the dough to proceed through its two kneading cycles, then cancel the machine, flour the dough, and give it a rest in a plastic bag, as instructed above.
Manual/Mixer Method: Place all of the dough ingredients into a bowl, and beat till well-combined. Knead the dough, by hand or machine, for about 5 minutes, till it's soft, smooth, and quite slack. Flour the dough and place it in a bag, and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 500°F. Prepare two baking sheets by spraying them with vegetable oil spray, or lining them with parchment paper.
Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface, and divide it into eight equal pieces (about 70g, or 2 1/2 ounces, each). Allow the pieces to rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes. While the dough is resting, combine the 1/2 cup warm water and the baking soda, and place it in a shallow bowl. Make sure the baking soda is thoroughly dissolved; if it isn't, it'll make your pretzels splotchy.
Roll each piece of dough into a long, thin rope (about 28 to 30 inches long), and twist each rope into a pretzel, as illustrated. Dip each pretzel in the baking soda wash (this will give the pretzels a nice, golden-brown color), and place them on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them lightly with coarse, kosher, or pretzel salt. Allow them to rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Bake the pretzels for 8 to 9 minutes, or until they're golden brown, reversing the baking sheets halfway through.
Remove the pretzels from the oven, and brush them thoroughly with the melted butter. Keep brushing the butter on until you've used it all up; it may seem like a lot, but that's what gives these pretzels their ethereal taste. Eat the pretzels warm, or reheat them in an oven or microwave. Yield: 8 pretzels.
Shortbread Cookies
My baking mood has extended beyond pizza, obviously.
I haven't made these yet, though I've made other shortbread recipes. I think they're just what I'm looking for to decorate for our Poe and Pizza night and our costume party this weekend. I'll cut them out with leaf, acorn and pumpkin cookie cutters and then top the finished product with fondant icing (recipe follows). They'll be just yummy.
Recipe:
1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered (confectioners) sugar
1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer cream the butter (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Stir in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface roll out dough to 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick. Cut into rounds or whatever shapes you wish using lightly floured cookie cutters. Place on the prepared baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cookies are dry but not brown. (The bottoms of the cookie will be lightly browned.) Cool on rack.
The basis for this recipe came from The Art of Fine Baking by Paula Peck
The Shortbreads are great plain or you can frost them with chocolate or confectioners sugar
FROSTED SHORTBREADS:
2 cups (170 grams) sifted confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar
2 tablespoons (40 grams) light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
In the top of a double boiler (use large stainless steel bowl over a saucepan) over barely simmering water, place all your ingredients. Stir until the sugar is melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
At this point you can color the frosting different colors using food coloring (I use the food paste color that comes in small jars. It can be bought at cake decorating and party stores.). If the frosting is too thick to spread just add a few drops of water until you get a spreadable consistency. You can spread the frosting by using a small knife or paint brush. To further decorate the cookies use colored sugar or sprinkles. Can also place the frosting in a pastry bag and pipe a design on the cookie - dots, lines, etc.
I haven't made these yet, though I've made other shortbread recipes. I think they're just what I'm looking for to decorate for our Poe and Pizza night and our costume party this weekend. I'll cut them out with leaf, acorn and pumpkin cookie cutters and then top the finished product with fondant icing (recipe follows). They'll be just yummy.
Recipe:
1 cup (2 sticks) (226 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered (confectioners) sugar
1 teaspoon (4 grams) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer cream the butter (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 minutes). Stir in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) with the rack in the middle of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface roll out dough to 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick. Cut into rounds or whatever shapes you wish using lightly floured cookie cutters. Place on the prepared baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cookies are dry but not brown. (The bottoms of the cookie will be lightly browned.) Cool on rack.
The basis for this recipe came from The Art of Fine Baking by Paula Peck
The Shortbreads are great plain or you can frost them with chocolate or confectioners sugar
FROSTED SHORTBREADS:
2 cups (170 grams) sifted confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar
2 tablespoons (40 grams) light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
In the top of a double boiler (use large stainless steel bowl over a saucepan) over barely simmering water, place all your ingredients. Stir until the sugar is melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
At this point you can color the frosting different colors using food coloring (I use the food paste color that comes in small jars. It can be bought at cake decorating and party stores.). If the frosting is too thick to spread just add a few drops of water until you get a spreadable consistency. You can spread the frosting by using a small knife or paint brush. To further decorate the cookies use colored sugar or sprinkles. Can also place the frosting in a pastry bag and pipe a design on the cookie - dots, lines, etc.
Basic Pizza Dough
I'll post a few pizza dough recipes over the next week or so. I thought it would be pretty basic to start with...well, with a basic dough.
The following recipe came from The Pizza Book by Evelyne Slomon. I found this book in the library years ago when I was first learning to make pizza. I liked the many options she had for pizza dough. Apparently the book is now out of print, but there are used copies available on Amazon.
There are three doughs that I use from this book. Here is the first:
Basic Pizza Dough
1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 package active dry yeast
3-3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I use Hi-Gluten flour. Gives it a bit more oomph)
1/2 teaspoon salt.
1. Pour the water into a medium-sized mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Stir gently with a fork until the yeast has dissolved and he liquid turns light beige in color. MY NOTE: I place all of the ingredients in my breadmaker according to the breadmaker directions and set it for "dough." I also use my KitchenAid mixer with a dough hook, putting the hot water in first, then the salt, then the flour, then the yeast on top. Then I continue with the rest of the direstions.
2. Add 1 cup of the flour and the sale. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add a second cup of flour and mix well. After the second cup of flour has been mixed in, the dough should start coming away from the sides of the bowl and should begin to for a soft, sticky mass. It is now ready to be kneaded.
3. Measure out the third cup of flour. Sprinkle some over the work surface and flour your hands generously. Remove all of the dough from the bowl and begin to work the mass by kneading the additional flour in a bit at a time.
From here, I assume you know how to knead dough and when to know it's ready for a rise. If you don't, let me know and I'll point you to some directions.
I put my dough in a tupperware-type bowl and either put it in the fridge for a 24-hour rise, or let it rise until doubled. If you put it in the fridge for a slow rise, this is supposed to improve gluten and flavor. Take it out about four hours before you need it and put it in a room-temp location, not too warm.
After that, divide it in half for two small pizzas, or leave it for one large. There's a great instruction video for shaping pizza crust here and a good basic pizza dough recipe with instructions here (thanks, MamaGeph!). It's kind of a by-feel thing. Sometimes I use the rolling pin (a big no-no, huh Michael S. Class?) and sometimes I use my hands. I just keep messing with it, letting it rest occasionally, until I get the size and shape I want.
Then I put it in or on a pan that's been oiled and dusted with semolina flour. Let it rise for about ten to fifteen minutes before putting the toppings on if you want a nice, thick crust.
Top with stuff, but not too much. This is a more delicate crust than the semolina crust I'll post later. If you want a deep dish pizza, wait for the semolina recipe; it holds up better and doesn't get soggy with lots of toppings.
I bake mine on the bottom rack at around 450 (depends on your oven's temp) for around 18-20 minutes, sometimes putting on the broiler for a few minutes to brown the top very slightly (gotta watch that broiler, though!). I hope to get a pizza stone (which I understand can be as simple as terra cotta tiles from the hardware which you can leave in your oven all the time, even when you're not using them. This tip comes from Alton Brown).
Thanks for all the pizza tips! I can't wait to try them. I wonder how long it will be before my family tires of pizza?
The following recipe came from The Pizza Book by Evelyne Slomon. I found this book in the library years ago when I was first learning to make pizza. I liked the many options she had for pizza dough. Apparently the book is now out of print, but there are used copies available on Amazon.
There are three doughs that I use from this book. Here is the first:
Basic Pizza Dough
1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 package active dry yeast
3-3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I use Hi-Gluten flour. Gives it a bit more oomph)
1/2 teaspoon salt.
1. Pour the water into a medium-sized mixing bowl and sprinkle in the yeast. Stir gently with a fork until the yeast has dissolved and he liquid turns light beige in color. MY NOTE: I place all of the ingredients in my breadmaker according to the breadmaker directions and set it for "dough." I also use my KitchenAid mixer with a dough hook, putting the hot water in first, then the salt, then the flour, then the yeast on top. Then I continue with the rest of the direstions.
2. Add 1 cup of the flour and the sale. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add a second cup of flour and mix well. After the second cup of flour has been mixed in, the dough should start coming away from the sides of the bowl and should begin to for a soft, sticky mass. It is now ready to be kneaded.
3. Measure out the third cup of flour. Sprinkle some over the work surface and flour your hands generously. Remove all of the dough from the bowl and begin to work the mass by kneading the additional flour in a bit at a time.
From here, I assume you know how to knead dough and when to know it's ready for a rise. If you don't, let me know and I'll point you to some directions.
I put my dough in a tupperware-type bowl and either put it in the fridge for a 24-hour rise, or let it rise until doubled. If you put it in the fridge for a slow rise, this is supposed to improve gluten and flavor. Take it out about four hours before you need it and put it in a room-temp location, not too warm.
After that, divide it in half for two small pizzas, or leave it for one large. There's a great instruction video for shaping pizza crust here and a good basic pizza dough recipe with instructions here (thanks, MamaGeph!). It's kind of a by-feel thing. Sometimes I use the rolling pin (a big no-no, huh Michael S. Class?
Then I put it in or on a pan that's been oiled and dusted with semolina flour. Let it rise for about ten to fifteen minutes before putting the toppings on if you want a nice, thick crust.
Top with stuff, but not too much. This is a more delicate crust than the semolina crust I'll post later. If you want a deep dish pizza, wait for the semolina recipe; it holds up better and doesn't get soggy with lots of toppings.
I bake mine on the bottom rack at around 450 (depends on your oven's temp) for around 18-20 minutes, sometimes putting on the broiler for a few minutes to brown the top very slightly (gotta watch that broiler, though!). I hope to get a pizza stone (which I understand can be as simple as terra cotta tiles from the hardware which you can leave in your oven all the time, even when you're not using them. This tip comes from Alton Brown).
Thanks for all the pizza tips! I can't wait to try them. I wonder how long it will be before my family tires of pizza?
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Sweetheart
A few posts ago, my fifteen-year-old daughter Bard suggested that I do specialized posts for each of my kids, and I thought that was a pretty good idea. I did one for The Baby (who is growing out of her name WAY too quickly), and now it's time to do one or Sweetheart.
Sweetheart comes by her blog name honestly; she truly is a sweetheart. Yeah, sure, every kid has their faults, and Sweetheart is no exception, but she means well, and even when she doesn't, she never intends to hurt a soul.
My darling second daughter was quite a surprise to me. I wasn't interested in having another baby for all the wrong reasons--weight, personal freedom, selfishness, fear of being a horrible parent, fear of what others would think about us having ANOTHER baby--so when I found out that I was pregnant with Sweetheart, I was devastated. While I'm always open to new life and am pro-life across the board, I felt that I was somehow being challenged, tested, or, maybe, even punished. I'd had a very difficult pregnancy with my third child, Monet, and the labor was emotionally exhausting. I wasn't ready to face any of those issues again, and I wasn't ready to hit the reset button on the baby game.
But there I was, pregnant and pouty, horribly afraid I'd have another boy (because I wasn't doing very well raising boys) and feeling fairly well isolated from--well, from just about everyone.
But when Sweetheart was born--oh, my. She wedged her sweet little self right into my heart, even from the first look at her tiny face, when I knew she was a girl before I had looked at the other end. It was those rosebud lips, I said. I knew she was a girl from those gorgeous rosebud lips!
Sweetheart loves to dance. As a toddler, she could regularly be seen dancing with her older brother, Houdin, twirling around with a binky in her mouth and a kitten in her arms. She constantly insisted on showing me her dance moves, and I would watch as she'd dip and sway and wiggle and hop.
But one morning, Sweetheart didn't feel like dancing. She was complaining of pain in her knee, so I rolled up her little leggings and looked. It was swollen to twice its normal size, and she couldn't bend or extend her leg without great pain. I immediately thought it was a bite of some kind, a spider or something, since we'd recently been spending most of our time living in a cabin in the woods. But after a couple of days, the swelling increased and the pain sharpened to the point that we were carrying her around whereever she needed to go.
So, off to the doctor we went, who referred us to a bone specialist, who agreed to draw fluid from her leg right there in his office instead of having her x-rayed and anesthetized. While Sweetheart wailed, this saint of a doc drew a huge vial of clear liquid from her knee and blood from her little two-year-old arms, and then she and I were left alone while he went off to finish his paperwork. Upon his return, he told me that he didn't think it was cancer, found no evidence of tumors, and as referring me to a specialist; he believed that Sweetheart had JRA, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.
On Sweetheart's third birthday, she was indeed diagnosed with JRA. I was so afraid, so confused, and feeling very pressured by the JRA specialist to do many things that I felt were invasive and possibly damaging: steroid injections, a battery of low-dose chemotherapy drugs, and a full course of immunizations (which he insisted upon before he would further treat her, knowing that I vaccinate only for tetanus; turned out he was the head of infectious diseases in his hospital). We opted for physical, dietary and natural treatments. And a lot of prayer.
During that time, our family was attending a Bible Study group where we regularly prayed for one another. We shared with this group our struggles with Sweetheart and her health, telling them how this disease, especially her particular type, could leave her with damaged vision, further joint issues, and even blindness. The part that bothered me the most, I said, was watching her walk, each step painful and burning, especially in the morning or when she had been too inactive. And I shared how difficult it was for me to hear the song "I Hope You Dance," which was very popular during that time. These people, whose names I would be hard-pressed to remember now, gathered around us in prayer, and while I have to admit that I'm not a person who has ever fully believed in miraculous healing, I believed with all my heart that Sweetheart could be healed, that she had been healed, that I could extend a hope for her to dance.
That weekend, the swelling in her knee went down, and her physical therapy teacher tranferred to a different location, leaving us with the decision to either use a different therapist or continue our therapy at home. We decided to choose the home option. We bought her a tricycle and gave her regular warm baths, followed by a routine of "bend and stretch" exercises that everyone in the family helped her perform.
And before the week was out, her little legs were carrying her around again, twirling and dancing and leaping, albeit still slightly painfully.
She rarely has a problem now. Occasionally, she'll awaken with a stiff knee, but only in that one joint, and never so that it's debilatating.
And she still carries kittens around in her arms, and she still has beautiful rosebud lips and, thank God and all that is Good and Right, she still spins around with her older brother, insisting that I watch all of her dance moves.
I'm so very blessed, and I'm thankful that God is so patient with ignorant, selfish, impatient me. I can't imagine my life without Sweetheart. I can't believe I ever existed without her. My life is so much richer watching her marvel over butterflies and caterpillars, cutting flowers from our butterfly garden, cuddling the kittens, singing while she tidies up, dressing in as many outfits as
she can in one day, having tea parties, pretending she's a princess, singing and dancing with The Baby, and, as of two weeks ago, learning to play piano. She loves the color pink, wants to grow her hair really long, insists on wearing dresses every day, adores jewelry, would own all of the Barbies in the world (if her mother would buy them), gathers leaves and writes her name on them with permanent marker, loves to draw and paint and work with clay, and works very hard on her lessons every day. She's learning to read and write and rarely complains about getting her jobs done. Her big brother Monet is her best pal, and she carries her special bear with her just about everywhere she goes. She loves to pick tomatoes from the garden and spoils the bunnies by feeding them carrots every day.To think I didn't want another baby. Harumph. What was I thinking?
But I know better now.
Everyone should have a Sweetheart in their life.
Scenes of Bounty
It seems to me that there's an interesting phenomenon about blogging and, indeed, journaling in general. It's akin to the infernal grocery list; we tend to leave out the things that are the most obvious. How many times have you made your grocery list, checked it twice, walked dazedly around the pretty, brightly lit grocery store, beautiful music lulling you into peaceful aquistition of consumable goods, and just as you find yourself smiling broadly at the cashier as she tells you to have a nice day, you remember. You remember that one thing that was crucial for your comfort of life, the thing that sent you shopping in the first place. The thing that you thought was so obvious, you didn't even bother to write it on your list. And, somehow, standing there at the checkout, you determine that it's easier to just come back later than to push your cart aside, walk to the back of the store and pick up that one last completely necessary thing. I find that I'm kinda like that with my blogging and journaling, too. Surely, I'll remember the hilarious quip Monet threw out, and I'll definitely recall the details of my mother-in-law and her aunt's visit to our house, and I'm sure nothing could make me forget all the things we learned and did and created and said and bought and planted and harvested and fought over and cried over, so, at the end of the day, when I'm sitting in front of the brightly lit screen, beautiful words lulling me into clicking on another link and another and another, my mind draws a blank. I don't write about that visit, or that cute little quip. It seems easier just to do it later, like tomorrow. But, unlike the package of toilet paper that I really should have taken the time to walk to the back of the store to lug home, there really isn't any reminder of those great moments that I miss, no great motivator that makes me sit down and write.
So, in times of bounty, I seem to slack off on my writing and journaling, when I really just need to discipline myself to get it done. I'm always so thankful when I do.
For the past couple of weeks, the bounty has been great. We've been busy with excellent classes, in spite of a very nasty cough that has been holding on for weeks. Last night, we attended the Bohemian Art Club, an informal gathering of friends in different homes where all ages share with each other the creative things they've been doing. I read a piece I wrote about saving Japanese bantams from hypothermia. I'd read it earlier in the day when Bard and I had attended a wonderful writers' retreat at the home of a local poetess.
The visit from my mother-in-law and her aunt, who is my children's great, great aunt, was a wonderful opportunity to extend hospitality. We all pitched in to clean the house and create a charming guest room out of Sweetheart's bedroom. Thanks to the inspiration from A Circle of Quiet, I had some good food in the freezer and was able to make a couple of chicken pot pies for dinner and serve pumpkin roll for breakfast. Sweetheart had a wonderful time cutting fresh flowers from our butterfly garden to make bouquets for the guest room. You can see both the guest room and the bouquets in the collage above, as well as pictures from our trip to the local apple orchard where I buy our yummy apple cider that I freeze for the winter.
We attended Chili Hill for the third year. Chili Hill is held at the home of some good friends of ours who, every year in October, mix up a huge batch of chili in a big cast-iron kettle, and cook it over an open fire, serving it to friends and family from all over the place. This year, we got there in time to enjoy lots of delicious foods (provided by guests--I took Killer Brownies this year) and a nice, long hayride. While I was there, I bought three rabbits from Chili Hill host, Sara--two mini-lops and a brown mini-rex--to go with the rabbits we already have. I use their manure on my gardens, since it's not a hot manure and can be placed directly into the garden. I hope to breed them so that we can have some baby bunnies for a little while and to make a few extra dollars, which I hope to put into a fund to purchase a pair of dogs to breed and family-raise the puppies to fund the kids' future choir trips. We haven't decided on a specific breed yet, so I'm open to suggestions.
See, it's slipping away already. I know there are more things I should write about. I pulled out my Morning Pages journal yesterday and hope to start writing in it again on a daily basis. I can't remember why I stopped, but I did, and it's been too long.
Time slips away so quickly, and next thing you know, you're checking out...and, as my favorite musician, David Wilcox says, "I mean, you're checking out," and you forget what you came in for in the first place, leaving without the most important thing, the thing you knew you needed but didn't bother to write down.
I NEED to bother to write it down. I don't want to forget this bounty.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
When the Moon Hits Your Eye...
I've been on a pizza kick.
A few years ago, I got on the same kick. I do these things, find something I want to do and immerse myself until I feel I've mastered it to my satisfaction. At some point, and I don't remember the inspiration, I decided that I wanted to make my own pizza, and I wanted it to be just like Pizza Hut's pizza. I researched at the library and on the internet for a copy-cat crust recipe, but never did find one. In my search, however, I came up with a few keepers. My magnum opus was a deep-dish pizza that my husband's co-workers still discuss to this day.
And then something happened. I can't remember what, but the storm blew over as quickly as it came. Likely, something more fresh and challenging crossed my path, like cheesecake, or knitting, or braided rugs (none of which I've mastered to my satisfaction, but all of which I've gotten about knee-deep and am still slogging through). And I set pizza aside.
Well, now that I have a wonderfully appointed kitchen suitable for cooking and baking, with adequate counter space and three sinks, and now that I've been Freecycled a breadmaker that saves my arthritic hands from cramping up after two and a third minutes of kneading, I'm on that pizza kick again.
Every weekend, I make several balls of dough, harvest several sprigs of basil and a few tomatoes, and pull out the plethora of toppings that sound fitting for the evening. So far, the pizzas have been a huge hit. I've made semolina crust, regular crust, and, tonight, I'm venturing into new territory, pepper-lard crust, made with naturally rendered pork lard (mmmm...doesn't that sound healthy?). Lucky for me I live in a community that still bakes. There's no shortage of flour choices: semolina, hi-gluten, pastry, unbleached/nonbromated, white whole wheat, bread flour, cake flour, buckwheat flour--you name it, I can probably find it within ten minutes of my house.
So, if you unique pizza recipe you'd like to share that works for you, I'm interested. You have my attention.
And if this pepper-lard dough works out, I'll publish the results along with a recipe, if you want.
In the meantime, tell me:
what's your favorite pizza place?
What do you like on your pizza?
What's the worst pizza you've ever eaten?
What's the best memory you have that's triggered by pizza?
And now, I'm off to throw some dough.
A few years ago, I got on the same kick. I do these things, find something I want to do and immerse myself until I feel I've mastered it to my satisfaction. At some point, and I don't remember the inspiration, I decided that I wanted to make my own pizza, and I wanted it to be just like Pizza Hut's pizza. I researched at the library and on the internet for a copy-cat crust recipe, but never did find one. In my search, however, I came up with a few keepers. My magnum opus was a deep-dish pizza that my husband's co-workers still discuss to this day.
And then something happened. I can't remember what, but the storm blew over as quickly as it came. Likely, something more fresh and challenging crossed my path, like cheesecake, or knitting, or braided rugs (none of which I've mastered to my satisfaction, but all of which I've gotten about knee-deep and am still slogging through). And I set pizza aside.
Well, now that I have a wonderfully appointed kitchen suitable for cooking and baking, with adequate counter space and three sinks, and now that I've been Freecycled a breadmaker that saves my arthritic hands from cramping up after two and a third minutes of kneading, I'm on that pizza kick again.
Every weekend, I make several balls of dough, harvest several sprigs of basil and a few tomatoes, and pull out the plethora of toppings that sound fitting for the evening. So far, the pizzas have been a huge hit. I've made semolina crust, regular crust, and, tonight, I'm venturing into new territory, pepper-lard crust, made with naturally rendered pork lard (mmmm...doesn't that sound healthy?). Lucky for me I live in a community that still bakes. There's no shortage of flour choices: semolina, hi-gluten, pastry, unbleached/nonbromated, white whole wheat, bread flour, cake flour, buckwheat flour--you name it, I can probably find it within ten minutes of my house.
So, if you unique pizza recipe you'd like to share that works for you, I'm interested. You have my attention.
And if this pepper-lard dough works out, I'll publish the results along with a recipe, if you want.
In the meantime, tell me:
what's your favorite pizza place?
What do you like on your pizza?
What's the worst pizza you've ever eaten?
What's the best memory you have that's triggered by pizza?
And now, I'm off to throw some dough.
Monday, October 17, 2005
A Child's Geography
A Child's Geography
From the website: "An original work in the lively style of Hillyer, these online installments of "A Child's Geography" will take you and your fledgling geographers on adventures through our Father's world that you will never forget! With Charlotte Mason-type narration prompts throughout the text, and notebooking suggestions at end of each "journey", you and your children will soon be singing exuberant praises to Him for the glorious creation of our home--Earth!"
I found this site while visiting one of my favorite blogs, A Quiet Life and I thought I'd share it with you.
This year, we've been using Ambleside Online as our primary curriculum after years of trying different things and mostly unschooling or learning based on interest. I've really enjoyed Ambleside and plan to continue using it for the remainder of our homeschooling journey. I know it works because Houdin, who is prone to resist structure and assignments, shared with me that he doesn't mind that I assign so much reading to him; in fact, he says, he enjoys it and thinks he will much smarter at the end of the C.M. year. I agree.
One of our favorite books, the one that the boys pick up first when choosing the day's first independent reading book, is A Child's History of the World by Virgil Hillyer, Calvert's first headmaster. The book is written much in the style of A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh books, conversational and personal. Ten-year-old Monet today declared A Child's History his favorite book.
I'm excited to find A Child's Geography because the author, Ann Voskamp, approaches geography in much the same way Hillyer approaches history, with a conversational and personal tone. Her writing voice is filled with excitement and fosters a natural interest in the subject.
Voskamp currently offers the e-book for $10.00 with all profits going to WorldVision. For a sneak peak, Voskamp provides a link to a 35-page sample of the e-book that you can download and peruse for free.
Hooray for go-getters like Ann Voskamp and Michael Class, people who are dedicated to providing today's children with excellent, high-quality reading materials.
From the website: "An original work in the lively style of Hillyer, these online installments of "A Child's Geography" will take you and your fledgling geographers on adventures through our Father's world that you will never forget! With Charlotte Mason-type narration prompts throughout the text, and notebooking suggestions at end of each "journey", you and your children will soon be singing exuberant praises to Him for the glorious creation of our home--Earth!"
I found this site while visiting one of my favorite blogs, A Quiet Life and I thought I'd share it with you.
This year, we've been using Ambleside Online as our primary curriculum after years of trying different things and mostly unschooling or learning based on interest. I've really enjoyed Ambleside and plan to continue using it for the remainder of our homeschooling journey. I know it works because Houdin, who is prone to resist structure and assignments, shared with me that he doesn't mind that I assign so much reading to him; in fact, he says, he enjoys it and thinks he will much smarter at the end of the C.M. year. I agree.
One of our favorite books, the one that the boys pick up first when choosing the day's first independent reading book, is A Child's History of the World by Virgil Hillyer, Calvert's first headmaster. The book is written much in the style of A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh books, conversational and personal. Ten-year-old Monet today declared A Child's History his favorite book.
I'm excited to find A Child's Geography because the author, Ann Voskamp, approaches geography in much the same way Hillyer approaches history, with a conversational and personal tone. Her writing voice is filled with excitement and fosters a natural interest in the subject.
Voskamp currently offers the e-book for $10.00 with all profits going to WorldVision. For a sneak peak, Voskamp provides a link to a 35-page sample of the e-book that you can download and peruse for free.
Hooray for go-getters like Ann Voskamp and Michael Class, people who are dedicated to providing today's children with excellent, high-quality reading materials.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Being Arbitrary
"On the way from Chicago to Edmonton, I boarded the plane with my slightly oversized roller-board suitcase, and asked the man at the ramp whether I should gate-check it, or if it would fit in the overhead compartment. He told me to give it a try in the overhead bin, and if it didn’t fit then I could bring it back to him.One of the things that we constantly attempt to remind ourselves in this home is the importance of thinking a thing through before speaking it. As a parent, it's sometimes--okay, it's often-- tempting to pull a Nancy and just say "no." The thing is, no isn't always the easiest answer. And it's definitely not always the right answer.
So, I wheeled it inside, and began to lift it above my head, when the passenger behind me barked “Nope”. I looked at him and said “I’m
sorry?” and he said, “It won’t fit.” I said, “Oh, I think it might.” “No, it won’t.” “Well, just let me try at least” and he said, “I’ve never seen a bag like that fit up there.” “You mean like that one?” I said, pointing at a similar bag already in the compartment just behind him. As he looked back to see what I was talking about, I easily slid my suitcase into the overhead bin above my seat, and as it clicked shut, I said, “yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Exasperated, he sputtered, “I was just trying to help!” And I said, “No you weren’t! How is saying “no” trying to help? I asked you to let me try and you said “No!”” He told me that I shouldn’t be so snotty and sat down."
Steve, from the Barenaked Ladies blog
How many times have I said no just because I'm tired, grumpy, or, I'll admit, too lazy to say yes? Saying yes might take commitment on my part. It might actually mean that I have to get up off my butt and do something. Or it might mean I have to think a bit.
Saying "no" might end up being more work. Kids know when you're being arbitrary, there's no doubt about it, and they do their best to poke holes in your reasoning. Thinking it through first is a definite plus. As a parent, you're much less likely to waffle on your original decision if you know why you're answering the way you are.
I'm not saying that "yes" is always the right answer, either. There are times when we must recognize that we're too overwhelmed to add even one more thing to our plates, that our schedules are about to explode and that the calendar looks like a page from Leonardo Da Vinci's journal, frantically written, filled to the margins and practically impossible to read. We say, "yes, you can go to your friend's house," before we think about the cost or the inconvenience of the obligation because we feel guilty for not reading a bedtime story last night, or because we just heard a glowing review of Johnny's mother and we feel we're slipping on the parent poll. We say "yes" to the homeschool organization president because...well, because she intimidates the heck out of us and we're afraid we'll be blacklisted from future field trips, even though saying "yes" puts a very big burden on us--and on our families.
So the word in our house is, "Don't be arbitrary."
Arbitrary. Resulting from whim or caprice instead of from a rule or reason. Random , haphazard , absolute , overbearing.
How many things do we miss because we're being arbitrary? How many things do we do that don't involve our hearts? We arbitrarily say, "no" when the kids ask if they can make cookies for tea. We arbitrarily say, "yes," when the pastor's wife calls and asks us to provide the cookies for Wednesday night's ladies' fellowship. We arbitrarily say "no" when our kids ask if they can roll out the cookie dough or use the cookie cutters or have a piece of dough of their own. Our answers come randomly, haphazardly, absolutely, completely capricious and totally on a whim.
Today, I hope to live with purpose, not to be arbitrary.
Read an extra chapter.
Tell the president of the blah-blah group no.
Turn off the computer.
Make a homemade pizza.
Order the rubber chicken.
Let the dust settle.
Be open to possibilities.
Say yes when I mean yes.
Say no when I mean no.
Now, if you'll excuse me, my son has a rube goldberg invention he wants to make involving paper towel tubes, a Van DeGraff generator and a radio.
I have to think about this one.
"And don't say anything you don't mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, "I'll pray for you,' and never doing it, or saying, "God be with you,' and not meaning it. You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say "yes' and "no.' When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong."
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Seven Things
You were wrong, Michael. I do read you. ;-)
7 Songs I am digging at the moment:
- Sara Smile by Hall & Oates
- Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink.
- Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
- Jingle Bells
- Frosty the Snowman.
- Santa Claus is coming to Town
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
*These are all songs that are being sung in our house almost daily. The Christmas songs are thanks to The Baby.
7 things I plan to do before I die:
- Have grandchildren
- Travel to Europe
- Graduate all of my children and see them doing what they love.
- Spend some time being a "real" writer.
- Go downhill skiing again without being afraid.
- Build a log cabin.
- Convince my husband of his true worth.
7 things I can do:
- Knit
- Bake decent bread
- Touch my nose with my tongue
- Recite all of the states in alphabetical order
- Multitask
- Have real conversations with my kids
- Run a household
7 things I cannot do:
- Play guitar
- Lift heavy objects (thank God for strong husbands and sons)
- Please everyone
- Sing like Celine
- Sleep (right now, anyway)
- Pay all my bills
- Hug my parents
7 things that attract me to another person:
- A sense of humor
- Honesty
- Compassion
- A very nice smile
- An honest, sincere love of God
- Wisdom
- Understanding
7 things I say most often:
- "If you want a calm, peaceful mother, you need to be a calm, peaceful child."
- "Your face!"
- "What on earth...?"
- "Are your lessons done?"
- "No," or "Not right now."
- "It'll be ready when it's ready."
- "I love you."
7 Celebrity crushes:
I don't really have any celebrity crushes and can't name more than ten celebrities without serious thought.
I'm not going to tag anyone. I just had to prove Michael wrong. ;-)
7 Songs I am digging at the moment:
- Sara Smile by Hall & Oates
- Skinnamarinky-dinky-dink.
- Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
- Jingle Bells
- Frosty the Snowman.
- Santa Claus is coming to Town
- Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
*These are all songs that are being sung in our house almost daily. The Christmas songs are thanks to The Baby.
7 things I plan to do before I die:
- Have grandchildren
- Travel to Europe
- Graduate all of my children and see them doing what they love.
- Spend some time being a "real" writer.
- Go downhill skiing again without being afraid.
- Build a log cabin.
- Convince my husband of his true worth.
7 things I can do:
- Knit
- Bake decent bread
- Touch my nose with my tongue
- Recite all of the states in alphabetical order
- Multitask
- Have real conversations with my kids
- Run a household
7 things I cannot do:
- Play guitar
- Lift heavy objects (thank God for strong husbands and sons)
- Please everyone
- Sing like Celine
- Sleep (right now, anyway)
- Pay all my bills
- Hug my parents
7 things that attract me to another person:
- A sense of humor
- Honesty
- Compassion
- A very nice smile
- An honest, sincere love of God
- Wisdom
- Understanding
7 things I say most often:
- "If you want a calm, peaceful mother, you need to be a calm, peaceful child."
- "Your face!"
- "What on earth...?"
- "Are your lessons done?"
- "No," or "Not right now."
- "It'll be ready when it's ready."
- "I love you."
7 Celebrity crushes:
I don't really have any celebrity crushes and can't name more than ten celebrities without serious thought.
I'm not going to tag anyone. I just had to prove Michael wrong. ;-)
Gimmee, gimmee, gimmee
I have needs, too, y'know.
Michael over at Blogin' Idiot did this fun little thing, so I thought I'd do it, too. Since we're rather sick at our house, my actual thinking is down to a minimum, so all I can do is mourn the "real" posts I should be writing. Alas.
Still, this one was funny, and amazingly accurate.
What you do is, start a new Google search and enter "(your name) needs" minus the parentheses, but WITH the quotation marks. Then write down either the first five results or the five funniest, whatever you want. I searched with my real name, but I'm using my pen name in this entry.
1. T.D. needs a big fat raise.
2. T.D. needs to define herself.
3. T.D. needs to stop lying to herself about her feelings and make up her mind.
4. T.D. needs to give us the recipe for that cake.
5. T.D. needs to go home.
6. T.D. needs prayers.
7. T.D. needs to be changed.
8. T.D. needs support, too!
9. T.D. needs to stop thinking she's the one with the problem.
10. T.D. needs to work on saying she's sorry.
Michael over at Blogin' Idiot did this fun little thing, so I thought I'd do it, too. Since we're rather sick at our house, my actual thinking is down to a minimum, so all I can do is mourn the "real" posts I should be writing. Alas.
Still, this one was funny, and amazingly accurate.
What you do is, start a new Google search and enter "(your name) needs" minus the parentheses, but WITH the quotation marks. Then write down either the first five results or the five funniest, whatever you want. I searched with my real name, but I'm using my pen name in this entry.
1. T.D. needs a big fat raise.
2. T.D. needs to define herself.
3. T.D. needs to stop lying to herself about her feelings and make up her mind.
4. T.D. needs to give us the recipe for that cake.
5. T.D. needs to go home.
6. T.D. needs prayers.
7. T.D. needs to be changed.
8. T.D. needs support, too!
9. T.D. needs to stop thinking she's the one with the problem.
10. T.D. needs to work on saying she's sorry.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Fives (and then some)
I'm finally getting around to answering this tag. Sorry it took me so long, Billi-Jean!
First the rules:
Remove the blog at #1 from the following list and bump every one up one place; add your blog's name in the #5 spot; link to each of the other blogs for the desired cross pollination effect.
1. Writing from the hip: http://writingfromthehip.blogspot.com
2. Blue Stocking: http://bluestocking.typepad.com
3. Simply Coll: http://colleenscorner.com/blog
4. My Boutiful Life: http://billi-jean.com/thebounty.html
5. Today's Lessons: http:todayslessons.blogspot.com
Next: select four new friends to add to the pollen count. (No one is obligated to participate and anyone can play if they want to).
1. Hindsfeet: http://hindsfeet.blogspot.com
2. Impromptu Mom: http://happyhousewife.blogspot.com
3. Pensive Wanderer: http://stationsoflife.blogspot.com
4. Peaceful Lady: http://www.xanga.com/PeacefulLady
(and I'm adding a fifth and sixth, just for fun)
5. Prism: http://thethoughttrain.blogspot.com
6: Bard: http://barmyblogger.blogspot.com
What were you doing 10 years ago?
1995
I was 26.
I had three children: four-year-old Houdin and five-year-old Bard, plus four-month-old Monet. We had one dog, Indiana, and we were living in a very small house wishing for a big house in the country. I had just had my first homebirth with Monet and was thinking about attending births, which I began doing around that time, or maybe shortly after. I think I was working with a homebirth task force, too.
What were you doing 5 years ago?
2000
I was 31. We'd added Sweetheart to the family, my second homebirth, and she was about eighteen months old.
We were doing a lot of biking, hiking, camping and traveling.
I was thankful that Y2K didn't bring an antrax attack and that we were still all alive and all together. After spending some time at a friend's cabin in January and February, I had been dreaming and planning for my own cabin and my own home.
By May of that year, we had found a piece of property that we loved and made an offer on it.
By August of that year, we had purchased the property that we now live on and were living part-time in a small cabin, loving the simple life that it provided.
What were you doing one year ago?
2004
One year ago, we were making some finishing touches on the house we'd begun building and had finished, mostly, in July. I was also trying to get our homeschool lives organized, evaluating my kids, dreaming about a yard and gardens, planning and executing a family gathering, Freecycling, thinking about the upcoming elections, meeting Jane Goodall, attending the chili cook on Chili Hill, having a big disagreement with a good friend, attending an art class organized by Pensive Wanderer, watching a lunar eclipse, and blogging as often as I could.
What were you doing yesterday?
Being sick, running the kids around to Speech and Debate, Biology and Philosophy classes. I shopped a bit at the bulk food store--bought semolina flour for pizza crusts, made bread, cleaned the kitchen (including scrubbing the stove, which really needed done). I also cleaned a lot in anticipation of my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's visit, which was thwarted because of our coughs. So we ordered pizza and watched Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
5 snacks you enjoy
- popcorn
- breyers vanilla ice cream with hershey's syrup and roasted almonds
- roasted, unsalted almonds with coke or dr. pepper
- homemade french fries
- Grandma Shearer's Select potato chips or Gold'n Krisp chips with Yoder's Sour Cream French Onion Dip
- (one more) White Trash.
5 songs you know all the words to
- One Tin Soldier - I know this one, too, Billi-Jean!!
- You Are My Sunshine
- Boy Like Me, Man Like You, but Rich Mullins
- Star Spangled Banner
- WAYYYY too many pop songs, but not as many as I thought I knew, which I realized while doing karaoke.
5 things you would do if you had a million dollars
- pay off debt
- buy more land
- lots to charity/friends
- bunch in savings
- travel
5 things you like doing
- cooking
- reading
- visiting
- gardening
- blogging
- learning
- researching
5 bad habits
- Being nitpicky/over-critical.
- Not exercising
- Being impatient
- Biting nails
- Losing my temper over little things
5 things you would never wear again
- bikini. Wore one once, and it scared me to death. Now I would never wear one, but for completely different reasons.
- stirrup pants.
- legwarmers
- blue eyeshadow (never did, never will)
- "Jams." Remember those?
5 favorite toys
- computer/blogger/google
- breadmaker, kitchen aid mixer, cuisinart food processor
- camera/picasa
- printer/copier
- husband
First the rules:
Remove the blog at #1 from the following list and bump every one up one place; add your blog's name in the #5 spot; link to each of the other blogs for the desired cross pollination effect.
1. Writing from the hip: http://writingfromthehip.blogspot.com
2. Blue Stocking: http://bluestocking.typepad.com
3. Simply Coll: http://colleenscorner.com/blog
4. My Boutiful Life: http://billi-jean.com/thebounty.html
5. Today's Lessons: http:todayslessons.blogspot.com
Next: select four new friends to add to the pollen count. (No one is obligated to participate and anyone can play if they want to).
1. Hindsfeet: http://hindsfeet.blogspot.com
2. Impromptu Mom: http://happyhousewife.blogspot.com
3. Pensive Wanderer: http://stationsoflife.blogspot.com
4. Peaceful Lady: http://www.xanga.com/PeacefulLady
(and I'm adding a fifth and sixth, just for fun)
5. Prism: http://thethoughttrain.blogspot.com
6: Bard: http://barmyblogger.blogspot.com
What were you doing 10 years ago?
1995
I was 26.
I had three children: four-year-old Houdin and five-year-old Bard, plus four-month-old Monet. We had one dog, Indiana, and we were living in a very small house wishing for a big house in the country. I had just had my first homebirth with Monet and was thinking about attending births, which I began doing around that time, or maybe shortly after. I think I was working with a homebirth task force, too.
What were you doing 5 years ago?
2000
I was 31. We'd added Sweetheart to the family, my second homebirth, and she was about eighteen months old.
We were doing a lot of biking, hiking, camping and traveling.
I was thankful that Y2K didn't bring an antrax attack and that we were still all alive and all together. After spending some time at a friend's cabin in January and February, I had been dreaming and planning for my own cabin and my own home.
By May of that year, we had found a piece of property that we loved and made an offer on it.
By August of that year, we had purchased the property that we now live on and were living part-time in a small cabin, loving the simple life that it provided.
What were you doing one year ago?
2004
One year ago, we were making some finishing touches on the house we'd begun building and had finished, mostly, in July. I was also trying to get our homeschool lives organized, evaluating my kids, dreaming about a yard and gardens, planning and executing a family gathering, Freecycling, thinking about the upcoming elections, meeting Jane Goodall, attending the chili cook on Chili Hill, having a big disagreement with a good friend, attending an art class organized by Pensive Wanderer, watching a lunar eclipse, and blogging as often as I could.
What were you doing yesterday?
Being sick, running the kids around to Speech and Debate, Biology and Philosophy classes. I shopped a bit at the bulk food store--bought semolina flour for pizza crusts, made bread, cleaned the kitchen (including scrubbing the stove, which really needed done). I also cleaned a lot in anticipation of my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's visit, which was thwarted because of our coughs. So we ordered pizza and watched Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
5 snacks you enjoy
- popcorn
- breyers vanilla ice cream with hershey's syrup and roasted almonds
- roasted, unsalted almonds with coke or dr. pepper
- homemade french fries
- Grandma Shearer's Select potato chips or Gold'n Krisp chips with Yoder's Sour Cream French Onion Dip
- (one more) White Trash.
5 songs you know all the words to
- One Tin Soldier - I know this one, too, Billi-Jean!!
- You Are My Sunshine
- Boy Like Me, Man Like You, but Rich Mullins
- Star Spangled Banner
- WAYYYY too many pop songs, but not as many as I thought I knew, which I realized while doing karaoke.
5 things you would do if you had a million dollars
- pay off debt
- buy more land
- lots to charity/friends
- bunch in savings
- travel
5 things you like doing
- cooking
- reading
- visiting
- gardening
- blogging
- learning
- researching
5 bad habits
- Being nitpicky/over-critical.
- Not exercising
- Being impatient
- Biting nails
- Losing my temper over little things
5 things you would never wear again
- bikini. Wore one once, and it scared me to death. Now I would never wear one, but for completely different reasons.
- stirrup pants.
- legwarmers
- blue eyeshadow (never did, never will)
- "Jams." Remember those?
5 favorite toys
- computer/blogger/google
- breadmaker, kitchen aid mixer, cuisinart food processor
- camera/picasa
- printer/copier
- husband
Firsts and Lasts
Firsts Meme, idea courtesy of TulipGirl.
First Memory
I remember standing at a screen door crying for someone who was driving away in a car. I also remember seeing the circus peanuts up in a high cupboard, and then climbing up to get them. I don't remember the burns I sustained from the stove that was on beneath the cupboard with the circus peanuts, but I do remember the children's hospital walls, which were painted, ironically, with the Peanuts Gang characters. I also remember my dad holding me on the counter after he accidentally got my ankle caught in the spoke of his bicycle while riding me on the handlebars.
First Kiss
February 1982, my would-be hubby.
First Concert
Journey, with Bryan Adams and Sammy Hagar when I was in eighth grade. My parents took my friend and I, and they waited outside the arena until the show was over.
First Love
My parents.
First thing you think in the morning
"What time is it? And is anyone hurt?" Don't know where this comes from, but I always have a feeling of dread when I awake, like something tragic happened while I was asleep. ::shrug::
First book you remember loving
The Black Stallion and the sequels.
First pet
Can't recall for sure. We had two dogs when I was a child, but they weren't really my pets and they weren't really family dogs. I had a hamster, a hermit crab and a cat, and then later a dog.
First place you think of when you hear the word vacation
Macinac Island, Michigan, where I met Christopher Reeve.
First best friend
Dawn Sanderson, followed closely by Ronda King.
Last time you dressed up
It's been a while. Can't even remember.
Last thing you ate
A brownie with Breyers vanilla ice cream, Hershey syrup and roasted almonds.
Last CD bought
No idea. We subscribe to Rhapsody, so I rarely buy CDs.
Last time you cried
I don't remember.
Last time you told someone you loved them
Lots of times today. Kids, husband.
Last really fun thing you did
Canoeing a couple of weeks ago. Contra-dancing with hubby and kids. Karaoke with Houdin's friend-who-is-a-girl and her family last weekend.
Last thing you watched on TV
The Cosby Show on DVD tonight.
Last Halloween Costume
I was an Indian. Hubby was a pirate. Last year.
Last concert attended
Kids' choir concert, most likely. Before that, probably David Wilcox. Can't recall for sure.
First Memory
I remember standing at a screen door crying for someone who was driving away in a car. I also remember seeing the circus peanuts up in a high cupboard, and then climbing up to get them. I don't remember the burns I sustained from the stove that was on beneath the cupboard with the circus peanuts, but I do remember the children's hospital walls, which were painted, ironically, with the Peanuts Gang characters. I also remember my dad holding me on the counter after he accidentally got my ankle caught in the spoke of his bicycle while riding me on the handlebars.
First Kiss
February 1982, my would-be hubby.
First Concert
Journey, with Bryan Adams and Sammy Hagar when I was in eighth grade. My parents took my friend and I, and they waited outside the arena until the show was over.
First Love
My parents.
First thing you think in the morning
"What time is it? And is anyone hurt?" Don't know where this comes from, but I always have a feeling of dread when I awake, like something tragic happened while I was asleep. ::shrug::
First book you remember loving
The Black Stallion and the sequels.
First pet
Can't recall for sure. We had two dogs when I was a child, but they weren't really my pets and they weren't really family dogs. I had a hamster, a hermit crab and a cat, and then later a dog.
First place you think of when you hear the word vacation
Macinac Island, Michigan, where I met Christopher Reeve.
First best friend
Dawn Sanderson, followed closely by Ronda King.
Last time you dressed up
It's been a while. Can't even remember.
Last thing you ate
A brownie with Breyers vanilla ice cream, Hershey syrup and roasted almonds.
Last CD bought
No idea. We subscribe to Rhapsody, so I rarely buy CDs.
Last time you cried
I don't remember.
Last time you told someone you loved them
Lots of times today. Kids, husband.
Last really fun thing you did
Canoeing a couple of weeks ago. Contra-dancing with hubby and kids. Karaoke with Houdin's friend-who-is-a-girl and her family last weekend.
Last thing you watched on TV
The Cosby Show on DVD tonight.
Last Halloween CostumeI was an Indian. Hubby was a pirate. Last year.
Last concert attended
Kids' choir concert, most likely. Before that, probably David Wilcox. Can't recall for sure.
Friday, October 07, 2005
Memories of Post-Nasal Drip
I remember sixth grade. Lord almighty, that was a horrible year. It was that awkward transition between girlhood and womanhood, when girls become catty and boys are just starting to notice which girls are worth looking at.
But the worst part, I think, was that my mom was the playground aid, and she was in pretty tight with my sixth grade teacher who ignorantly believed that my mother was a saint, which also meant that she believed all of the horrible stories my mother told her about me. Even though half of them were probably true, it didn't make it any easier being her student. She was the teacher who constantly told me how lucky I was to have a mom like mine (though she wasn't there when my mom threatened suicide or when she beat me senseless), that my mom was an amazing woman (though she wasn't there when my mother overdosed and I had to spend the night in the emergency room scared to death that she would die and that it was my fault), and that, if I knew what was good for me, I'd thank God for my mom (because I'm sure she was there when my mom told everyone in the smoky teacher's lounge what a horrible spoiled brat I was, when what she really meant was that she hated my dad and felt stuck in a no-win situation. I was the scapegoat).
Mrs. Dietz was the teacher who yanked me into the hallway after Mark Williams broke my scissors. She told me that I needed to step back and look at my life, that my problems were my fault and that the more quickly I realized that, the more quickly things would become easier for me. And then she issued me the only swat I ever got in school, but not until she summoned Miss Jones, the sterotypically masculine gym teacher, to do the dirty work, and then she went down the hall and closed each of the other classroom doors.
SA-WACK!
It was absolutely humiliating.
I'm thinking about that swat and about Mrs. Dietz today because of this terrible cough I'm battling.
For some inexplicable reason (coulda been my mother's chain-smoking, but who knows?), I used to get a hacking cough every school year--the kind of cough caused by sinus drainage, the kind that always became far worse at night. This, I remember, was one time when my mother was very mothering; she would mix a batch of lemon juice and honey and have me drink it down. It always worked, and I believe in it to this day. That's one of the strange things about having a mom who was diagnosed with manic depression; the memories about her are both fond and fierce, and I remember the good and the bad with equal vividness.
But while Mrs. Dietz wasn't around to witness my mother's Mr. Hyde side, neither was my mother in my classroom to administer her magic potion when my tickle got the worst of me. She sent me to school, doubtless because she didn't want to call off work, and I sat in my classroom asking to get a drink every few minutes, embarrassed by this cough that had taken over my body. My mom, I'm sure, was outside aiding other kids on the playground.
I don't remember what I had done wrong in class that day, but I do remember that I got into trouble with Mrs. Dietz somehow. Looking back on it now, I really wonder what this woman had against me, what horrible stories my mother told her, and how many of them were even true. In most of my classes prior to and after my sixth grade year, I was most often the teacher's pet. I made good grades (until seventh grade, then it all seemed pointless. I got back on track during my Junior year), paid attention, and I really didn't cause trouble, other than by the occasional fit of chattiness (who, me?).
But in Mrs. Dietz's class, all I had to do was clear my throat, and she was on me like chalk on a chalkboard.
So, apparently I cleared my throat on the day this killer sinus-drainage cough attacked, and I was stuck in the corner desk, ordered to put my head down and was told that I was not allowed to leave my seat for any reason, and I was not to raise my head.
Humiliation.
I sat at the desk with my head down, knowing that all eyes were upon me--the eyes of my best friend Dawn, and of the cool girls, Michelle and Tina, and of Mark Williams, who I loved and hated at the same time. And I tried, desperately I tried, to control that tickling cough that had taken me hostage.
Of course it didn't work. The harder I tried to keep from coughing, to fight that tickle, the more violently the cough came once it finally triumphed. And the fact that I had to sit there with my head down was sheer torture. The position allowed my nasal drip to travel down my nose, exit my nostrils, and slide to the tip of my nose until-drip, drip, drip--it was gathering in a pool on my desktop. I was scared to death to ask for a tissue, and I was embarrassed to tears to wipe the snot away with my arm; even if I had, the sheer volume of snot would never have been controlled by a little backhand wipe. And so I sat there, terrified that Mrs. Dietz would send me back to my seat, the string of mucus conspicuously connecting the tip of my nose to that disgusting puddle on my desk, and wishing desperately that some mercy would befall me.
Like most of my childhood traumatic memories, this one doesn't provide an ending for me. I don't remember how I got out of that situation, so it was either so uneventful that it doesn't register or it was so painful that I've blocked it from memory.
I just remember that terrible tickle and that incessant drip...drip...drip.
My family is currently dealing with that tickle and drip. My husband, the only one in the household currently unafflicted, says that our house sounds like one long echoing cough all night long. I've doled out the lemon juice and honey, the herbal cough syrup, the homeopathics and the eucalyptus chest rub. I've even gotten so desperate as to break out the Nyquil...AND give more than the recommended dosage when the recommended dosage didn't cut it.
We missed a long-anticipated visit from my brother-in-law and his wife and new baby daughter because of this cough, and we forfeited both of our homeschool support group meetings, piano lessons (would have been Sweetheart's first lesson), music appreciation class and bucket-making class. We also skipped a trip to the local festival's wooly-worm race and the old time fiddlin' today. We may have to forgo tomorrow's long-anticipated barn dance and Sunday's Harvest Dance, the first our "big town" has ever had.
But at least my kids don't have to sit in a tyrant's classroom while their noses drip onto a germ-infested wooden desk in the corner of the room. That's one of the great things about being a stay-at-home mom--I get to stay at home, especially when I'm needed. Plus, we cut out schooling for the week--that's one of the great things about homeschooling--and my kids still did some of their lessons, even though I told them they didn't have to. We've been cuddling up on the couch, watching Cosby Show DVDs and living on fresh bread, Ramen noodles and Nyquil.
It stinks to be sick, but at least we're all in this together, in the relative comfort of our own home.
A word of advice: start the elderberry/echinacea NOW. This thing's nasty as all get-out.
I'm off to dole out the Nyquil. I might have to go to the fruit cellar and open a new case.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Current Reading List
A Circle of Quiet asked for current reading lists. I tried to post this before but was thwarted by the evil BloggerBot.
Here are the books on our current reading list; this is a list of all the books being read by everyone. I didn't note who was reading what because several are being read by many of us:
1-2-3 magic /
by Phelan, Thomas W., 1943-
The amazing Mr. Franklin, or, The boy who read everything /
by Ashby, Ruth
American tall tales.
by Stoutenburg, Adrien
Applying algebra /
by McCabe, John L. P.
At the back of the North Wind;
by MacDonald, George, 1824-1905
B. Franklin, printer /
by Adler, David A.
Bard of Avon : the story of William Shakespeare /
by Stanley, Diane.
Beethoven : 1770-1827 /
by Koolbergen, Jeroen
Benjamin Franklin : a photo-biography /
by Riley, John, 1955-
Benjamin Franklin : a photo-illustrated biography /
by Usel, T. M.
Benjamin Franklin : writer, inventor, statesman /
by Nettleton, Pamela Hill
Benjamin Franklin, founding father and inventor /
by Foster, Leila Merrell
A child's history of the world,
by Hillyer, V. M. (Virgil Mores), 1875-1931.
Ferdinand Magellan /
by Hurwicz, Claude
Fizz, bubble & flash! : element explorations and atom adventures for hands-on science fun! /
by Brandolini, Anita J., 1956-
Formation of character /
by Mason, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Maria), 1842-1923
Galileo : astronomer and physicist /
by Doak, Robin S. (Robin Santos), 1963-
Galileo : on the shoulders of giants /
by Moriarty, Michael, 1941-
Galileo for kids : his life and ideas /
by Panchyk, Richard
Galileo Galilei : father of modern science /
by Hilliam, Rachel.
Galileo Galilei and the science of motion /
by Boerst, William J.
Handbook of nature-study.
by Comstock, Anna Botsford, 1854-1930.
The heroes.
by Kingsley, Charles, 1819-1875
Home education /
by Mason, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Maria), 1842-1923
How to read a book,
by Adler, Mortimer Jerome, 1902-
The Italian Renaissance.
by Marshall Cavendish Corporation
Leonardo da Vinci /
by Witteman, Barbara
Leonardo, beautiful dreamer /
by Byrd, Robert
Ludwig van Beethoven : musical pioneer /
by Greene, Carol.
Men of iron /
by Pyle, Howard, 1853-1911
Minn of the Mississippi,
by Holling, Holling Clancy.
The ordinary parent's guide to teaching reading /
by Wise, Jessie
Ourselves /
by Mason, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Maria), 1842-1923
Parents and children /
by Mason, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Maria), 1842-1923
A philosophy of education /
by Mason, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Maria), 1842-1923
Phonics pathways : clear steps to easy reading and perfect spelling /
by Hiskes, Dolores G.
The Pilgrim's Progress /
by Bunyan, John, 1628-1688.
The princess and the goblin /
by MacDonald, George, 1824-1905
Sailing alone around the world
by Slocum, Joshua, b. 1844.
School education /
by Mason, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Maria), 1842-1923
Science lab in a supermarket /
by Friedhoffer, Robert
The story of inventions /
by McHugh, Michael J.
The story of mankind /
by Van Loon, Hendrik Willem, 1882-1944.
Swallows and Amazons;
by Ransome, Arthur, 1884-1967
Tales from Shakespeare /
by Lamb, Charles, 1775-1834
Time lines : world history year by year since 1492 /
The timetables of history/
by Grun, Bernard
The voyage of Magellan.
by Humble, Richard.
The water-babies /
by Kingsley, Charles, 1819-1875
The well-educated mind : a guide to the classical education you never had /
by Bauer, S. Wise
The well-trained mind : a guide to classical education at home /
by Wise, Jessie
Here are the books on our current reading list; this is a list of all the books being read by everyone. I didn't note who was reading what because several are being read by many of us:
1-2-3 magic /
by Phelan, Thomas W., 1943-
The amazing Mr. Franklin, or, The boy who read everything /
by Ashby, Ruth
American tall tales.
by Stoutenburg, Adrien
Applying algebra /
by McCabe, John L. P.
At the back of the North Wind;
by MacDonald, George, 1824-1905
B. Franklin, printer /
by Adler, David A.
Bard of Avon : the story of William Shakespeare /
by Stanley, Diane.
Beethoven : 1770-1827 /
by Koolbergen, Jeroen
Benjamin Franklin : a photo-biography /
by Riley, John, 1955-
Benjamin Franklin : a photo-illustrated biography /
by Usel, T. M.
Benjamin Franklin : writer, inventor, statesman /
by Nettleton, Pamela Hill
Benjamin Franklin, founding father and inventor /
by Foster, Leila Merrell
A child's history of the world,
by Hillyer, V. M. (Virgil Mores), 1875-1931.
Ferdinand Magellan /
by Hurwicz, Claude
Fizz, bubble & flash! : element explorations and atom adventures for hands-on science fun! /
by Brandolini, Anita J., 1956-
Formation of character /
by Mason, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Maria), 1842-1923
Galileo : astronomer and physicist /
by Doak, Robin S. (Robin Santos), 1963-
Galileo : on the shoulders of giants /
by Moriarty, Michael, 1941-
Galileo for kids : his life and ideas /
by Panchyk, Richard
Galileo Galilei : father of modern science /
by Hilliam, Rachel.
Galileo Galilei and the science of motion /
by Boerst, William J.
Handbook of nature-study.
by Comstock, Anna Botsford, 1854-1930.
The heroes.
by Kingsley, Charles, 1819-1875
Home education /
by Mason, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Maria), 1842-1923
How to read a book,
by Adler, Mortimer Jerome, 1902-
The Italian Renaissance.
by Marshall Cavendish Corporation
Leonardo da Vinci /
by Witteman, Barbara
Leonardo, beautiful dreamer /
by Byrd, Robert
Ludwig van Beethoven : musical pioneer /
by Greene, Carol.
Men of iron /
by Pyle, Howard, 1853-1911
Minn of the Mississippi,
by Holling, Holling Clancy.
The ordinary parent's guide to teaching reading /
by Wise, Jessie
Ourselves /
by Mason, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Maria), 1842-1923
Parents and children /
by Mason, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Maria), 1842-1923
A philosophy of education /
by Mason, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Maria), 1842-1923
Phonics pathways : clear steps to easy reading and perfect spelling /
by Hiskes, Dolores G.
The Pilgrim's Progress /
by Bunyan, John, 1628-1688.
The princess and the goblin /
by MacDonald, George, 1824-1905
Sailing alone around the world
by Slocum, Joshua, b. 1844.
School education /
by Mason, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Maria), 1842-1923
Science lab in a supermarket /
by Friedhoffer, Robert
The story of inventions /
by McHugh, Michael J.
The story of mankind /
by Van Loon, Hendrik Willem, 1882-1944.
Swallows and Amazons;
by Ransome, Arthur, 1884-1967
Tales from Shakespeare /
by Lamb, Charles, 1775-1834
Time lines : world history year by year since 1492 /
The timetables of history/
by Grun, Bernard
The voyage of Magellan.
by Humble, Richard.
The water-babies /
by Kingsley, Charles, 1819-1875
The well-educated mind : a guide to the classical education you never had /
by Bauer, S. Wise
The well-trained mind : a guide to classical education at home /
by Wise, Jessie
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Donating New and Used Curriculum to Katrina Homeschooling Families
From the Website:
"Hurricane Katrina And The Homeschool Community
In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, many of you are rushing to send help to our friends in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The recovery and cleanup will be a very long process and there are things that will be needed in the future, but not immediately. This is why I am writing to you today.
Project Noah is a homeschooling ministry that helps homeschooling families in crisis. We only provide curriculum and school supplies to the families that come to us with crisis needs – whether it is because their home has burned, or been flooded, or the primary wage earner has been without work for an extended period of time, or other similar crisis, we try to help. We have been serving the homeschooling community for almost 5 years now and will continue as long as there are families in need.
Although some of you that receive this letter do not homeschool, you can still help. There will be a great need for school supplies, even the workbooks that you see at Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart will help.
The majority of homeschooling families in these states operate through their local churches. The churches, as well as the families, have lost much, including school books and school supplies. Having worked in the arena of these types of crisis for a number of years, I can tell you that these things are not on their minds right now. BUT…when they begin to think about these things, Project Noah wants to be able to have those things ready for them. All the things that we use throughout the course of our homeschooling year, books, calculators, rulers, notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, teaching tapes, textbooks –these things will be needed, even lunchboxes, crayons, markers, and on and on and on.
If you would like to help us help these families in this unique nitch of need, we would be honored."
"Hurricane Katrina And The Homeschool Community
In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, many of you are rushing to send help to our friends in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The recovery and cleanup will be a very long process and there are things that will be needed in the future, but not immediately. This is why I am writing to you today.
Project Noah is a homeschooling ministry that helps homeschooling families in crisis. We only provide curriculum and school supplies to the families that come to us with crisis needs – whether it is because their home has burned, or been flooded, or the primary wage earner has been without work for an extended period of time, or other similar crisis, we try to help. We have been serving the homeschooling community for almost 5 years now and will continue as long as there are families in need.
Although some of you that receive this letter do not homeschool, you can still help. There will be a great need for school supplies, even the workbooks that you see at Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart will help.
The majority of homeschooling families in these states operate through their local churches. The churches, as well as the families, have lost much, including school books and school supplies. Having worked in the arena of these types of crisis for a number of years, I can tell you that these things are not on their minds right now. BUT…when they begin to think about these things, Project Noah wants to be able to have those things ready for them. All the things that we use throughout the course of our homeschooling year, books, calculators, rulers, notebooks, pens, pencils, erasers, teaching tapes, textbooks –these things will be needed, even lunchboxes, crayons, markers, and on and on and on.
If you would like to help us help these families in this unique nitch of need, we would be honored."
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