January 2009 Archives

This is a track cast we made last week. It's not the best casting job and I think you can tell it's our first. The children D spotted a track in the backyard and I decided it would be great to cast it. We used a round, cardboard food container (cornmeal) and Plaster of Paris. We removed the bottom of the cornmeal container, making it a tube, and pushed it into the dirt around the track. Then, we poured the mixed Plaster of Paris into the tube. Next, we waited for the plaster to solidify. Very easy. Unfortunately, pebbles around the track and too much water in our Plaster of Paris messed our cast up a bit, but the cast was good enough to see the toes and foot pad and identify the animal. (Click on the photo to see notes marking the toes and foot pad.)

Our track was from a cat. Here's a good site to help you distinguish canine and feline tracks. At the same site, you can learn to identify other mammal tracks.

Animal track casting is fun and was a nice nature study activity. After the casting, we added mammal track sketches to our nature journals.

Here is a pdf on casting tracks. Here is an animal tracks matching game. Here is an animal track guide.

There is a peace that comes from believing the body is just a shell - from knowing that skin and bones are merely packaging containing a soul which, like our Father, is the color of water.

And there is a peace that comes from knowing you've passed this belief onto your children - hearing your child proclaim as unmomentous the election of a man whose father was a dark-skinned African.

There is a peace that comes from believing that America is the Land of Opportunity, where any dream is possible.

And there is a peace that comes from knowing you've passed this belief onto your children - seeing your child accept as commonplace the inauguration of a man who once would have been restricted or even persecuted because of the melanin in his skin.

Perhaps now Americans will see that Martin Luther King's dream has come to fruition - that we live in a nation where we are not judged by the color of our skin but by the content of our character.

I didn't vote for Obama. I think that comes as no shock to those who know me. Despite my vote, however, Obama will be our President for the next four years. I may not like the man, but I do respect the office he will hold. To borrow from one of my favorite, recent movies:

US President: Even if something like that really did exist, why do you think I would actually just give it to you?
Ben Gates: Because it will probably lead us to the discovery of the greatest Native-American treasure of all time; a huge piece of culture lost. You can give that history back to its descendants. And because you're the President of the United States, sir. Whether by innate character or the oath you took to defend the Constitution or the weight of history that falls upon you, I believe you to be an honorable man, sir.
US President: Gates, people don't believe that stuff anymore.
Ben Gates: They want to believe it.

It is my deepest desire that President Barack Obama, whether by innate character or the oath he will take to defend the Constitution or the weight of History that falls upon him, will prove himself to be an Honorable man.

God bless America and God bless the President of the United States.

We went to Philippe Park on Saturday afternoon. It's a lovely park - 122 acres situated on the water. The nicest spot in the park is a ceremonial Tocobago Indian mound. Most every child who comes to the park rolls down the mound; I did, too, when I was a girl.

On Saturday, H and the kids tossed a football around atop the mound. Long before us, the Tocobago who lived around the mound were visited by Narvaez, De Soto, and Menendez. It's a bit of an historical place, yet families come there and have parties and play ball.

Long after the Tocobago left the mound area, Odet Philippe (who may or may not have invented his past) arrived and built a home near the mound.

In 1848, Odet Philippe and his family were saved from a hurricane and rising waters by standing atop the mound. It's believed that one-third of the mound was washed away during that storm.

While running on the mound Saturday, D spotted a lovely woodpecker.

I was sure it was a Pileated Woodpecker, a bird which I have never seen. Later, at home, my field guide confirmed my belief. It was a male.

Then, we walked along the shore, past Odet Philippe's grave marker, winding our way back to our car. H heard the hoot first. Then, D heard it. Everyone walked on, but I wouldn't budge 'til I too heard the owl. I never heard the hoot; instead, I saw the owl!

A Great Horned Owl was high in a tree, bathed in the rays of the setting sun.

I've never seen any owl in the wild before. A park ranger later informed us that there is a whole family of owls living at the park, though she has never seen them herself.

I was, of course, giddy as we exited the park. Not only did I see two birds I have never seen before, but I also got pictures and was able to use my Christmas present from H: photographic binoculars.

It was a very pleasant afternoon.

This came in my mailbox today. Thought I'd share it with ya'll as it is quite interesting.

From the History Channel's education newsletter:

HISTORY™, together with the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, will feature a National Teach-In on the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln on Thursday, February 12th, 2009 at 1:30pm EST. The teach-in will take place at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Educators and students nationwide can tune-in and view this LIVE webcast online at http://www.history.com/lincoln/ . Teachers, students, and families will find enrichment resources and study guides at this site, which may be used at any time and/or can help prepare for the event. You can now register for this event online at
http://www.history.com/lincoln/. The first 500 registrants will receive a National History Day sourcebook on Lincoln and a Lincoln coin box.

This special live event will feature three Lincoln scholars: Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Team of Rivals author Doris Kearns Goodwin, Harold Holzer, who is Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Co-Chairman, a noted Lincoln scholar, and author of the newly published Lincoln President-Elect, and historian Matthew Pinsker, who holds the Pohanka Chair in American Civil War History at Dickinson College and is author of the acclaimed book Lincoln's Sanctuary. These historians will share their expertise and answer students' questions from all over the country. The content is recommended for middle through high school, with a particular emphasis on 8th grade, and easily fits within all fifty states' standards of learning. Do your students have questions about Abe? Send them to us at Lincoln@aetn.com and tune-in to see if one of  them is picked to be answered during the
live webcast! Historians will also answer many of these questions after the live event via email, and answers will be posted at http://www.history.com/lincoln/

Questions? Email us at lincoln@aetn.com.

History is proud to offer this National Teach-In on Lincoln as part of its Give a Lincoln for Lincoln ™ campaign.

Lincoln saved our nation. Let's help save his legacy. Visit http://www.history.com/lincoln/ and find out how you can help.

About the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission:
Congress established the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission to plan the nation's celebration of the 16th president's 200th birthday in 2009. The Commission works to engage the broadest range of individuals and groups in the commemoration. Through education programs, public forums, and the arts, the Commission provides an opportunity to re-examine Lincoln's legacy in our 21st century democracy. For more information, please visit http://www.abrahamlincoln200.org

We'll be participating in this wonderful event to celebrate Abraham Lincoln.

Get your binoculars, cameras, and field guides ready. The 2009 Great Backyard Bird Count is only a month away. The four day, yearly event is a joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society to gather bird data across the country.  The count is one of our favorite activities in our homeschool. Please see the Great Backyard Bird Count website for more information on this free and fun event.

Out with the old and in with the new. I should be looking forward, but I find myself pondering on this past year.

Want to take a look with me?

In January, I turned 32.

In February, we watched a lunar eclipse...

...and participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count.

In March, we went to the Zephyrhills Celtic Festival.

In April, I began a handsewn quilt...

...and made some freezer paper art.

In May, we took the kids to Medieval Times...

...and I made the kids some Transformers shirts.

In June, we played around on Father's Day.

In July, we babysat a puppy, but couldn't keep him.

In August, we took the kids out to a ballgame...

...and my husband gave me a library.

In September, I looked back at our 2005 Puerto Rican vacation.

In October, the kids played basketball.

In November, I thanked God for my blessings.

In December, we remembered Christ's birth...

...and fed the birds.

Whew! What a busy year! Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I can look forward to 2009.

Tonight, my daughter and I watched "Tammy and the Bachelor". It was funny to once again watch Leslie (Airplane! and Naked Gun) Nielsen playing the young hunk. This was the first time though that I noticed Nielsen's mother was played by the Queen of Scream, Fay Wray. Thanks to Youtube, I was able to introduce D to some famous scenes from 1933's "King Kong".

Here are the two scenes which made Fay Wray and her amazing lungs famous:

Sadly, my daughter wasn't too impressed. I, however, think Fay Wray's screams are pretty amazing.

Hyperbole? I think not. I only received two presents for Christmas and this is the saga of Macy's poor quality merchandise and poorer still customer service.

My dear husband who loves me wanted me to have new cookware for Christmas. He found a coupon for and good deal at Macy's (though we prefer JCPenney's) and purchased Macy's own line of cookware: Tools of the Trade Cookright.

The day after Christmas, we had the ceremonial disposal of the old cookware and I opened the new box. Inside I found a skillet (or frying pan for those North of the Mason Dixon line) which was stained orange. Oh dear! Never fear, my husband called the store, took the skillet away, and came home with a shiny new skillet.

So, I cooked, but to my dismay, my cookware changed colors.

Yes, I kept the stove on Low to Medium. Yes, I always keep food or liquid in the cookware while it's cooking.

I used three skillets and one pot and three out of four changed colors inside.

On New Year's Eve, we took the box back to the store, but while I boxed the cookware up, I noticed a thing that didn't belong: a Martha Stewart strainer!

Things were not as they should be at the store either. Instead of listening to our problem, George repeatedly told us to purchase a much more expensive cookware set. I think my husband would have done so, but I said it was not fair to have to spend more money just because the product doesn't work. We left with a new set of Cookright and a bad taste in our mouth.

At home, my husband emailed the company as they request on their receipts. We have had no response.

I hoped the new set would be better.

Alas, it was not.

This is after turkey bacon and scrambled eggs.

Again, my husband and I went to Macy's. This time we asked for a manager.The manager drummed his fingers on the counter while I told him of our past experiences. He then offered us one other brand as a replacement. However, the new set was not at all equal to what we were returning: fewer pieces, metal instead of glass lids, shorter diameter on each piece.

My husband and I are not difficult customers; we just wanted some cookware so we accepted the replacements. We were made to feel like we had no other options.

Of the whole experience, it was the customer service, not the cookware, which was so unbearable. I can't imagine why anyone would shop at a department store with worse customer service than Walmart. We certainly won't be going back.

In a poor economy, good deals and friendly service can increase a company's sales. It's a shame Macy's doesn't seem to understand that.