November 2008 Archives

I hope ya'll had a cozy and pleasant Thanksgiving. We did and I also learned a few things.

• If a delicate wine glass falls, don't try to catch it. You will only succeed in cutting three fingers when the glass breaks anyway.
• Always keep a first aid kit in your car.

My host had not one band-aid, but I was thankful that we keep two first aid kits in our car. I think bleeding over the feast would be deemed socially unacceptable.

Our kits came free from my husband's work, but I periodically restock them. A pencil box or small bag can be used for your own kit. IVillage has a long list of car first aid supplies; however, you can get by with a tube of Neosporin antibiotic ointment and a variety of band-aids. I do. Be sure to check expiration dates frequently, though, or you will be shocked in the midst of an emergency to find extremely out-of-date items.

Oh, another thing I learned on Thanksgiving is that the War Against Politeness is getting tough. My children are constantly chastised by family, friends, and strangers for saying "Yes, Sir" or "No, Sir". In fact, the only adults who have recently approved of my children's verbal manners are ex-military men. The world is upside-down indeed when adults chide children for being too polite. Thankfully, this additude was counter-balanced by a few older gentlemen who told me how well-behaved my children were. Unfortunately, I do not think they understood my wry humor when I replied straight-faced, "So, we don't have to flog them tonight?"

Maybe I also need a band-aid for my mouth?

No pencil stabbings from nine-year-old classmates.

By the way, is accidentally stabbing yourself with a pencil some sort of normal childhood event? Both H and I did it, but I wonder if we were just klutzy.

Thanksgiving is almost upon us. Have you planned your menu yet? In case you are still looking for some delicious dish ideas, I offer once again my family's favorite Thanksgiving foods:

Thanksgiving Menu

I, however, take no responsibility if you are as gluttonous as Norman Rockwell's Pilgrim above.

In Junior High School, my History teacher offered extra credit to any student who would read and write an essay on a profile in John F. Kennedy's Profiles in Courage. I was the only one to take him up on the offer. Oh, what a great book it was and its author quite deserving of his Pulitzer Prize!

As a student of public schools, I learned my lessons well: JFK was wonderful writer and each Senator in the book was a Saint.

Last week, I read, in passing, a jaw-dropping notion. JFK didn't write Profiles in Courage. Another chink in the armour of Camelot. Turns out, Ted Sorenson, JFK's amazing speechwriter, actually wrote the majority of the book and this was alleged as early as 1957.

This idea led me to to reassess also the courage of the book's Senators.

• John Quincy Adams a Senator (1803-1808) (later congressman) from Massachusetts, for breaking away from the Federalist Party.
• Daniel Webster also from Massachusetts, for speaking in favor of the Compromise of 1850.
• Thomas Hart Benton from Missouri, for staying in the Democratic Party despite his opposition to the extension of slavery in the territories.
• Sam Houston from Texas, for speaking against the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854. Sam Houston was also profiled for opposing Texas' secession from the Union. For refusing to support the secession of Texas, Houston was deposed from the office of Governor.
• Edmund G. Ross from Kansas, for voting for acquittal in the Andrew Johnson impeachment trial. As a result of Ross's vote, along with those of six other Republicans, Johnson's presidency was saved, and the stature of the office was preserved.
• Lucius Lamar from Mississippi, for eulogizing Charles Sumner on the Senate Floor and other efforts to mend ties between the North and South during Reconstruction, and for his principled opposition to the Bland-Allison Act to permit free coinage of silver.
• George Norris from Nebraska, for opposing Joseph Gurney Cannon's autocratic power as Speaker of the House, for speaking out against arming U.S. merchant ships during the United States' neutral period in WWI, and for supporting the Presidential Campaign of Democrat Al Smith.
• Robert A. Taft from Ohio, for criticizing the Nuremberg Trials for trying Nazi war criminals under what Taft considered ex post facto laws.

Now I'm not too sure how courageous these Senators were. It seems the older I get, the less I know because I discover I was taught only one side of the story - the Democrat side. This is all very disconcerting.

Here's another tidbit of revelation: Drew Pearson, the newspaper columnist who alleged in 1957 that JFK didn't really author his book, had a chief aide, David Karr, who was investigated by the FBI and Joe McCarthy for Communist ties. Of course we all know Joe McCarthy was a paranoid loon who saw Reds around every corner, right? In 1992, however, KGB documents revealed that Karr was a KGB source and had supplied information on the technical capabilities of the United States and other Capitalist nations.

All this makes me doubt the veracity of much of my education. How about you?

The Roman poet Juvenal asked, "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" Who watches the watchers? Every time I read a news story on the United Nations, I think of this quotation. This morning, I find that the U.N. spent $23 million on this:

A ceiling painted to look like a colorful cave.

And...some of the money came from the Foreign Aid Budget. Supposedly, most of the cost was paid by Spain. I guess they haven't heard about the declining world economy. However, what bothers me most is how expensive this "art" was. Sorry, I don't get it. It would be really cool in a children's museum - but still not $23 million cool.

If you are not familiar with the 90s teen soap, 90210, this will make no sense. I'm not that lucky and therefore laughed like crazy.

Warning: a girl takes her shirt off in the new Star Trek trailer. This is a remix of that trailer and the mixer obviously enjoyed that scene. A lot.

Yesterday, I mentioned my recent Bronchitis diagnosis. I'll live. My doctor has got me all drugged up. But how did I get so sick? The AC did it. Yeah, my air conditioner had a hit list - with me named at the top.

Last week, the air conditioner drainage pipe clogged up and I found a wonderful post online with instructions for removing the clog. Just suck it out with a shop-vac. So easy. Thanks again, Frugal Dad. Turned out, though, that our clog was a massive, gelatinous mold. Sorry no photos. I'm really doing you a service here. One family member gagged when viewing said mold. No, it wasn't me.

Ever Google "air conditioner mold"? You get hits on Legionellosis. That's Legionnaire's Disease. Pretty scary stuff when you're already coughing up a lung. Naturally, you can understand why I would believe my illness was caused by that mold. Yes, I'm aware that I'm a cyberchondriac. However, you can't fault my logic: I became very ill and harmful mold was living in my house. Cut and dry case is my world.

Therefore, my Public Service Announcement is keep those AC drainage pipes clear. And beware the gelatinous mold.

Because I went to the Doctor and he said I have Bronchitis (more on that in another post), I have declared this an Unschooling Week. For Unschooling, I require activities to be of educational merit. You want to watch TV all day? Okay, as long as you watch educational programs. Sorry, "Top Sniper" doesn't count. You want to sing folk songs while you research Roman insulae and then build one? That's good. You want to go outside and practice basketball? That's fine. Playing Army vs. Insurgents, however, does not count.

We also have unschooling sometimes during a normal school week. If a child has completed all of his or her due activities, he or she may work on "educational stuff" of his or her own choosing. The children learn a tremendous amount just by working on their own. Or they come to me with questions or ideas and we work on something together.

I'd love to go whole hog on Unschooling, but that would not be possible for my children. There are many things they would never do if I did not force them and then they would miss a lot. There have been hundreds of times I have made them study a topic which they eventually enjoyed or at least no longer viewed with disdain. It is unfortunate, but true, that my daughter would never write one iota or study Spanish. She'd probably skip Math, Spelling, and Language Arts, too. In fact, I think her days would be filled with nothing, save History and Art. 

Now, my son is different. There isn't really a subject he doesn't at least like and most he enjoys greatly. However, if left to his own devises, his education would be built solely around Legos.

And that's why we don't Unschool all of the time.

These are Christmas trees D and I made on Friday. Yes, I know. It's crazy to craft Christmas when we haven't yet partaken of turkey on the national holiday of gluttony. I'm like the tacky stores with X-mas decor out before Halloween has passed. But you see, the pipe cleaners were out just as I happened upon the instructions for these trees. It was kismet.

The green one is for D's dollhouse. (See her tiny pumpkin there?) The white one is for me. I still have to find a better way to hold them up. And I need to try to straighten them more. D said that that made them more realistic. She's referring to our faux Christmas tree. No matter how hard I try, it is always a bit crooked each year.  

I like these trees. They remind me of Charlie Brown.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

S did his first Daily Grammar.

S did a lesson from Intermediate Language Lessons.

S drew a map of Northern Ireland for Geography.

D completed a page of handwriting.

D wrote a letter and mailed it.

S installed Encarta on the family room computer.

S researched Christopher Columbus and made a time line of his life.

D made several things from her Model Magic in various clay colors. These little pots and such were for her Roman clothespin dolls. She also used the hot glue gun for the first time to make her Roman baker a shop. D took pictures of her Roman shopping at the new bakery.

D and I researched various Roman dwellings.

We watched an A&E Biography on Christopher Columbus. Yay, Netflix Instant Watch.

We watched part of a Viking documentary on Netflix.

D did her first Daily Grammar.

I hope ya'll are reading Amy Scott's How We Did It series. The nitty gritty of how the Scotts made their way to a 54 acre farm is intriguing.

Today, she remarked that they began married life with $318 a week. I just figured it out and we began our married life with $220 a week. That's a bit of a consolation when I wonder where my farm is. I keep asking for some chickens, but the suburbs are not the place to hear crowing at 4am. Besides, I'm not too sure I could manage the killing. Or the plucking. Or eating for dinner a chicken I'd known. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'd fail at farmwifery.

I think I'll just continue to live my farm life vicariously through Amy's Farm Updates.

A while ago, a dear lady I know in the Cybersphere went to Guatemala and was so kind to send me back some souvenirs. Because I am as slow as molasses, I am just now posting about this.

I asked for a postcard, since that is what I collect, but she sent me six. That was so nice! I love to take a look at other places.

If you want to see the postcards larger, click here.

La Antiqua, literally "old," is the old town of Guatemala City. Antigua Guatemala is a World Heritage Site and is known for its Spanish Baroque architecture. Just check out that church fascade in the lower, right postcard.

Much to my surprise, some other things came along with the postcards.

I received a zippered pouch, two tiny dolls, and Guatemalan coffee. That coffee bag is empty because we drank the coffee. It was more like Cuban, less like American. I was sad when it was finished.

Thanks, Friend, I really appreciate you thinking of me. You are very sweet and I was thrilled to get your package.

In my mind, there are certain things needed to have a proper Thanksgiving. One item required is canned Cranberry Sauce. I know homemade is supposed to be wonderful, but I don't care for Cranberry Sauce unless it pops from a can with a swoosh. Also, canned sauce loses all value when mashed up. It must be carefully sliced.

If you feel the same as I, you can imagine my joy and shrill shrieks of delight when I happened upon this:

No, your eyes do not deceive you, that is crocheted Cranberry Sauce. This was crafted (and photographed) by Alicia Kachmar. Isn't she creative?

Ah, but Alicia has been outdone by a blog reader, Robin, who added slices of Cranberry Sauce. Okay, that's it, I have to make this.

Time to look for Cranberry yarn in the stash.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

S completed three pages in his math workbook.

D looked at the pictures she took last night with her new-old camera. It's new to her, but it's so old it uses a floppy disc. Photography is Practical Life.

D started writing a narration on Bees, of her own accord.

We had a Morning Meeting.

We had Latin Lesson IV - numbers and the conjugation of the irregular verb to be (sum, es, est, sumus, estis, sunt).

We read Titus Flamininus lesson 10.

S wrote a narration on the Olmecs and the Chavin.

D wrote a narration on the Aryans of India.

We examined International Time Zones. (D has many international friends.)

S read and wrote a narration on "They all want to play Hamlet" by Carl Sandburg.

S listened to Latina Christiana CD - lesson IV.

S wrote a narration on the Chalcidians. This was extra work.

I looked for Jean Fabre's book on bees, as that is the Nature Study topic we are learning this week.

We looked up the Indian Caste System and the territory of the Ottoman Empire.

S read the bee section of The Handbook of Nature Study.

D copied from Washington's Rules of Civility for handwriting.

D worked more on her Triptych.

D and I read Gilgamesh Tablet III and she wrote notes for it.

Finally, a few days ago, D finished painting her clay pumpkin. Gracemom, she was inspired to finish after she heard your children also made pumpkins. She and I would love to see their handiwork.

This is such a tiny pumpkin. Really, it could be for a Barbie or GI Joe. D painted it black first. Then, she used pumpkin orange and some dark green for the stem.

I like it very much. It will not rot and can outlast those real things sitting on my porch table. I must find a safe place for it, though; I think it's breakable and we're a clutzy, wild bunch here.

With paper poppies and Flander's Field, we whom you have protected, salute you. 

God bless you.

...unless you are Armenian and Greek Orthodox monks at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Then, ahem, all hell breaks loose.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, built where Saint Helena reportedly recovered the True Cross, is under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox, and Syrian Orthodox churches.

Sounds like a powder keg, does it not? As they say in the infomercials, "Wait, there's more!"

None of the communities controls the main entrance. In 1192, Saladin assigned responsibility for it to two neighboring Muslim families. The Joudeh were entrusted with the key, and the Nusseibeh, who had been the custodians of the church since the days of Caliph Omar in 637, retained the position of keeping the door. This arrangement has persisted into modern times. Twice each day, a Joudeh family member brings the key to the door, which is locked and unlocked by a Nusseibeh.

Yes, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher should indeed be a place of Peace and Brotherhood. Alas, it is not.

I think this is part of the Protestant aversion to relics. Wars, large and small, are fought for their possession. I do not need to control or see the Cross, whether it is True or not. My Savior died for me and that is a truth no one can take from me.

I just came across two Scrabble gifts within 24 hours.

First, I discovered a custom, fabric and clay Scrabble.

Second, I spied a Scrabble bulletin board made from a thrift store find. This was an apropos gift for a friend who had earned an English degree.

Homemade games are some of the most fun. Years ago, I made the children a Monopoly game, unique to our family, to help them enjoy their chores. It was a simple thing - drawn with markers on a file folder - but we liked it so much that I have it saved. Don't forget that many common games, including Monopoly and Scrabble, were once homemade.

We often have flocks of White Ibises in my neighborhood.

Sometimes they are startled by a passing car.

Then, they fly on to another yard.

Friday, November 7, 2008

S and D tidied their work folders.

We dicussed what they needed to do today.

I made a puzzle game for Spanish "question" words.

D worked on her clay pumpkin.

S wrote a narration on the Viking exploration of America.

D read about the Greenlanders' Saga and read the Saga of Erik the Red.

S drew a map of Scotland for Geography.

D finished painting her clay pumpkin.

S had a Spelling test and scored 100%.

I read aloud chapter 2 of The Daughter of Time .

D had a Spelling test and scored 100%.

S and I worked on his sprouting seed experiment, which failed. We are repeating the experiment, but changing some variables.

D drew a map of Scotland.

S an I looked up the meaning of the prefix para-.

The children did chores to earn enough points to stay up late or play electronic games.

We had sandwiches and leftovers for dinner.

S had basketball practice.

I quilted while we all watched Stargate.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

We did lesson 3.5 in Latina Christiana - conjugating verbs and derivatives.

We practiced "question" words in Spanish and practiced the vocabulary in lesson 3 of "Spanish in 10 Minutes a Day".

S listened to lesson 3 on the Latina Christiana CD.

S wrote a narration on the Old Babylonian Kingdom.

D wrote a narration on the Tang & Shang Dynasties.

We looked at a baby in the womb at 20 weeks.

S read a Carl Sandburg poem and wrote a narration.

D and I began editing the rough draft of her research paper.

S did a Spelling activity for his Spelling words this week.

D completed a Latin worksheet for Latina Christiana lessons 1 & 2.

D worked on a Spelling activity.

S read a chapter in "Treasure Island".

D read 5 chapters in "The Best of James of Herriot".

Garlic Lime Chicken, Home fries, and Green beans for dinner.

I took this on Tuesday. It's just a sudden, random photo. In it, though, you can see where we do about 80% of our homeschooling. This is D working on election worksheets. To her right, there is our school supply cabinet, full of pencils, glue, markers, and such. On top of the "green cabinet" as we call it is a wine rack with decorative bottles made of cobalt blue glass.

I painted the dining room on Monday, using the same paint as I did in the kitchen: Granny Smith Apple Green. In the late afternoon or at night or overcast days as it was on Tuesday, it appears closer to olive. At least I think that looks like olive, I'm a bit color blind so I'm not quite sure what color you will say this is.

I'm still deciding what to put on this large wall. Formally, I had a sunflower afghan there. I've had that afghan in my dining room since D was a little, bitty baby. It was on sale and was one of the first things I bought for our initial home. Now, I'm thinking I'll try something different - perhaps the two metal plate racks I have.

You might notice that D has white wires coming from her ears. It's an MP3 player and she's listening to her current obsession: "Iron Man".

The Walmart bag is holding the remnants of her Halloween candy. We don't celebrate Halloween, but we sure do believe in wearing costumes and eating lots of candy.

I'm an all or nothing sort of girl. Since I became an informed citizen, I have found it easy to become completely enmeshed in politics. My passionate nature makes it difficult for me to relax when I read the political news each day and I feel I have drowned this blog and my family in my passion. So, in order to preserve my sanity and to keep from annoying my husband, I am taking a political fast until the Inauguration, which always happens right before my birthday. (What a Happy Birthday to me!) I will continue to read political news (come on, I can't go back to being uninformed citizen), but instead of posting about or discussing politics, I will be saying each time a prayer for our government:

God of power and might, wisdom and justice,
I commend America to your merciful care,
That we may dwell secure in your peace.
Grant to all in authority,
The wisdom and strength to know and do your will.
May they always seek the ways of righteousness.

I'm hoping this fast will be the ultimate palate cleanser. Until January 20, as the saying goes, "How about those Mets?"

D wants me to post this photo taken by the neighbor girl.

This is D, playing in her military shirt, up in an oak tree. She loves to climb trees.

Yes, that is a bug zapper (not mine) in the bottom-right. It's Florida; we have many mosquitoes.

I didn't know he had cancer. As a teen, I read Andromeda Strain. It was the only one of his books I've read, but I enjoyed it. It fit nicely with my love of science fiction.

My condolences to the Crichton family.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

S worked on some election worksheets left from yesterday.

D listened to McCain and Obama's speeches from last night.

Both colored maps according to the Electoral College results last night.

"Remember, remember the fifth of November..."

D read about Guy Fawkes' Night online and S read from Childcraft: Holidays and Birthdays.

D told me about a verse said after McCain's speech last night:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

D read about her namesake's Saint Day. 

We watched video of CNN's holographic reporting last night. Awesome!

The children finished their narrations on insect camouflage.

The children worked on their Bible studies.

I read aloud Chapter 1 of The Daughter of Time .

D fell asleep because we stayed up so late.

S researched the Old Babylonian Kingdom.

D had no chores because it was her Saint Day.

S helped me with chores his sister usually does.

D watched a movie.

S played a computer game.

We had Curry Chicken and Rice Soup.

D went to her basketball practice.

I talked with the neighbors around their chimenea.

My daughter said "It's like we're in a dream."

She's right.

I pray for our nation and the eight years to come. (Unless he really messes up or Republicans get their acts together in the next election, you know Obama will get two terms.)

What gives me the greatest hope for our future?

As she headed to bed last night, my daughter declared, "Even with Obama as President, this is still the greatest nation in the world!"

She's right and let us never forget that.

Come what may, our hope is in our country's foundation of Faith and Freedom and despite all America will suffer in the coming eight years, our hope lies also in the future generation: that they may love the Lord with all their hearts and souls and strengths and minds and that they may love their neighbors as themselves. And that they may cherish and defend their nation with every breath they take and every fiber in their beings.

Our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal...we here highly resolve...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

We all went to vote at 6:30.

After waiting an hour, H and I got to vote. We had fill-in-the-bubble ballots and were very careful to fill the bubbles properly.

H went to work and the children and I went home.

We learned about the Electoral College, the Oath of Office, "Hail to the Chief," and the children completed several fun election worksheets.

We watched about a dozen White Ibises feeding in the front yard.

We did chores.

Asian Honey Chicken and veggies over brown rice.

Watched the returns. It looked bad for McCain, so we all watched a movie, Kate & Leopold, instead.

Our new president, come January, is Barack Obama.

God help us.

Monday, November 3, 2008

I sorted the laundry and the children used the stainstick. Then, we got the laundry started.

Morning Meeting. We discussed the plans for the day and holidays this week.

The children researched The Damnation of Faust by Berlioz, one of the composers we are studying this term.

The children worked on insect camouflage narrations. They made 3D butterflies on which to write their narrations.

I painted our dining room - Granny Smith Apple Green.

S wrote a narration on a Jan van Eyck painting.

S practiced some basketball.

Homemade Ham and Split Pea Soup and fresh baked bread for dinner.

The children rediscovered their MP3 players and are using them.

H and I watched "Terminator" - the TV show.

• I overheard two little trickertreaters and one of the girls said Sarah Palin burns books.
• Most of the trickertreaters were following the old custom of carrying pillow cases. Duh, they fit more candy.
• We had fewer hookers and pimps this year. That's nice.
• S won his basketball game and D lost hers.
• We tried to vote early but the line was longer than Communist Russians waiting for toilet paper. About 20% of registered voters in my county had voted by this morning. H and I decided we'll wait to vote on Tuseday.
• I just realized that it's "trick or treaters".

And I mean the book, not the year.