March 2010 Archives

Much thanks to all of you CafePress Shoppers!

After several years, my itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny sales commissions accrued and I used the money this week to purchase three books for the children - two American histories and one music history. The music history book is the second volume of a two-book set. We picked up Volume I at a thrift store a few years ago and now we can finally read about composers M through Z!

I appreciate your help in our homeschooling adventure and I hope you find other interesting CafePress items for purchase in the future.

Thanks again and blessings to you all.  

When I was 12, my mother and I took a brief adventure in homeschooling. Though short, our time homeschooling commenced with a visit to the local library where my mother earnestly requested I read two books. One book was Corrie Ten Boom's The Hiding Place; the second book was Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I think I might have broken my mother's poor heart when I declared my dislike of Jane Eyre and, alas, I have yet to favor any of the Bronte sisters with my time since then.

However, since many Janeites are not as persnickety as I, I thought I might alert you all to a Bronte-Along in progress on the internet. It looks to be great fun. If only...

• a clear glass compote
• a straw bunny
• silk daffodils
• green tissue paper cut into strips

There are no special instructions and you can vary the items you use according to what you have on hand, which makes this a free Easter centerpiece.

"Prayer's a very tricky business....Well, for inexperienced pray-ers it sometimes is. You see, they're apt to think of God as a slot-machine. If nothing comes out they say 'I knew dashed well it was empty'--when the whole secret of prayer is knowing the machine's full."

~ The Vicar to Cassandra in I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, author of 101 Dalmatians.

P.S. Liked the book, but stopped watching the movie after only a few minutes. It's terrible.

Matthew 21

The Triumphal Entry

My recent entryway project inspired a 5-minute makeover over on my desktop, which faces the Jane Austen mirror.

I dusted.

I moved things around.

I also changed the cardstock behind my token collection from white to light blue.

This is one of my favorite collections around the house. Each transit token and the Hobo nickel were purchased about 15 years ago at a flea market. The Ts are for Tampa, Florida. The R and S are for Rochester, New York.

Transit tokens and Hobo nickels, categorized as Exonumia, are an interesting and unique art form. I wonder why more people are not collecting them. I've always collected coins, mostly foreign, and my little collection seen here is just another facet of my interest in the beauty of circular bits of metal. 

I think my bluebird looks quite fetching next to the token collection.

Prior to the unfortunate theft and vandalization of our property, I decided to give the entryway mirror a little makeover.

This mirror was gained at a yard sale - way back in 2006. Can you believe it was free? The seller had broken one of the side mirrors. Each side panel is about 8 1/2 x 11, so the whole thing is rather large. It hung in my son's room for a long time, but he never really used it. Turns out boys aren't as into mirrors as girls are. Go figure.

So, I kind of stole it from him.

But, look, the size and shape is perfect for that entryway wall.

Convinced? Okay, back to the mirror makeover.

I decided to print out a picture of Jane Austen for the left panel. My shamelessly purloined version of Dear Jane is, I believe, the 1879 engraving which was based on Cassandra's drawing.

For the right panel, I chose one of Miss Austen's witty quotations, printing it out with a downloaded Jane Austen font.

"Pictures of Perfection make me Sick and Wicked."

When we return to our normal balmy weather, I think I might use this instead:

"What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps me in a continual state of inelegance."

The portrait and quotation are printed on turquoise paper and I have placed three turquoise glass votives from Big Lots betwixt the two panels.

So, what do you think? Would Dear Jane approve?

***More lovely transformations are linked at Between Naps on the Porch for each Metamorphosis Monday.***

Our backyard is ajacent to a trailer park. No offence against people who live in trailers, but that park is a continual source of problems. Usually, it's petty robbers. The largest problem was the teenage serial rapist. Thankfully, he's in jail now. But, we're back to robbers now. One neighbor was cleaned out. Another neighbor had a broken fence to repair, but nothing stolen.

Then, there's our house.

Two bikes were stolen.

But, I'm not that upset. One bike was much too small for my rapidly growing son. The other bike had such a brake problem that multiple people were not able to repair it. Both bikes were headed elsewhere. They just made it to "elsewhere" a bit sooner than planned.

I am a bit peeved that a fence slat is broken and my husband will have to repair it.

That someone entered my domain, however, makes me downright livid.

This is my home and my yard. How dare some pipsqueak bike thief enter my realm! I'm considering my options: gun, viscious dog, barbed wire, electrical fence, attack skunk. What do you recommend?

Perhaps, I can learn falconry like the boy in "My Side of the Mountain" and train one of the lovely hawks that like to watch the Dawn rise while perched on my back fence.

I'd like to alert you to a new sidebar feature.

If you look at the far right sidebar,

below my photo,

below the Twitter button,

I have added a Google Friend Connect widget.

Google Friend Connect allows readers of a site to form a community. It also allows Google Friend Connect members to become friends with each other, if they so wish. Doesn't that sound...friendly?

If you enjoy this site and feel so inclined, won't you please be my neighbor Google Friend.

I think Mister Rogers would definitely approve.

I hope the poet of succinct apologies will forgive: 

This is just to say -

Love means never sharing Strep -

Cough, Groan, Sneeze, Sniff, Moan

I think I might have actually improved upon the original, what with my homage to "Love Story" and inclusion of alliteration and onomatopoeia and all that. Please pay no attention to William Carlos Williams rolling in his grave.

I suspect this is just the sort of missive a pencil-pusher at the CDC sends to his loved ones. The royalties from Hallmark should come pouring in soon.

'Til then, I'm pushing pills and passing out tissues - as we all have Strep Throat.

When I was looking for a nice St. Patrick coloring page last week, I happened upon Catholic Icing and knew I had discovered a gem. Kid craft sites are a dime a dozen but few focus on the Liturgical Year and the many facets of our faith. While the site is Catholic, most posts are pertinent for all Christians.

To learn more about Catholic Icing, check out the About page or read about Lacy, the woman behind the blog.

I think you'll like:

the Last Supper craft,

the Lent Lapbook ideas,

the Pro-Life posts

I hate to keep special items buried in boxes in the attic. Precious mementos should be enjoyed, not forced into servitude as long-forgotten clutter.

This philosophy is how I ended up hanging my silver baby spoon on the kitchen wall.

This is truly the most-viewed corner in the house and now I can see my baby spoon everyday without it taking up valuable storage space.

Oh, look, another Mail Call post. I must be working on that correspondence flaw of mine. Brandy, of Minivan Life, kindly noticed my lamp and vintage plate recently.

So pretty! I LOVE turquoise. Love the blue plate and that lamp... is it vintage?

Dear Brandy,

Thank you for the compliment and that you took the time to comment gives me twice the joy.

I picked the plate up from a local consignment shop. It was still in the lovely blue original box. The enclosed Avon note card reads, "1974 Avon Commemorative Plate for achievement in campaigns 1,2, and 3." This plate begged to be bought and I obliged since it was only $6. I like that the plate has blues and greens and is crowned with daisies. Best of all, it shows a mother with two children and the older child is a girl. This fits my situation perfectly. We really did sit amongst wildflowers while my daughter was little and I held her baby brother. Give me a coincidence like that and even I can overlook the hair and dress of the Seventies.

The lamp was absolutely free and spared from my neighbor's garbage. She brought it over one night, knowing that I might like that it was blue. The base is encircled by Roman numerals, as though it were a sundial. I removed the fairy swinging betwixt the lamp arms; not even I can allow for such an amount of whimsy. 

I removed the Christmas tree bows since this photo, as it is no longer winter. (I know many still have snow, but I'm naming it and claiming it.) Sorry, no bowless photo at this time.

Blessings,

Mrs. Happy Housewife

I know several gluten-free people and thought it was quite prodigious when I happened upon a lovely gluten-free blog, Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, this past week. Really, how many gluten-freen people do you know that are also married to their own chef? None, right? I suppose that is what makes this site so different.

The Gluten-Free Girl, Shauna James Ahern, tells about herself in quite a long narrative from 1966 'til now, so I'll let her tell you about herself. Basically she is gluten-free, married to a a chef, and eating wonderful food.

I think you'll enjoy:

the long list of gluten-free links,

the recipe list,

the book, Gluten-Free Girl: How I Found the Food That Loves Me Back...And How You Can Too

You can also communicate with the Girl and Her Chef:

Follow Shauna & Danny on Twitter
Become a fan on Facebook
Email us at mailglutenfreegirl@gmail.com

Fess Parker, who played Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, and the father in "Old Yeller" has passed away. We knew him best as Davy Crockett in the vintage Disney series, which is reputed to be the first miniseries in the history of television.

In honor of Mr. Parker, here's "The Ballad of Davy Crockett"

My children receive proper medical care when sick.

Think this incident is rare? At every school in my school district, my inhaler was considered contraband. Naturally, I always chose a possible detention or expulsion rather than forego carrying my inhaler secretly in my purse. Breathing is one of my priorities in life.

If you, like dear @JacobiteRose on Twitter, are looking for a St. Patrick coloring page, here are a few links which might help:

One

Two

Three (PDF) - This is the one I like best.

Four (PDF)

For your St. Patrick's Day dinner, here are my favorite recipes for this day:

Colcannon

2 tsp. vegetable oil
3 tsp. butter, divided
1 leek, halved and cut in 1/2 inch strips
1 onion, halved and cut in 1/2 inch strips
8 red potatoes, baked
15oz. beef broth
salt and pepper
1 green cabbage, quartered, cored, and cut in 3/4 inch strips

1.  Heat oil & 1 tsp. butter on medium.
2.  Saute leek 7 onion until they start to brown.
3.  Add half the cabbage, stirring and turning until coated with oil and wilted.
4.  Continue adding cabbage and stirring one hand full at a time until wilted.
5.  Pour in half of broth and bring to a boil. Simmer until cabbage absorbs broth. Add remaining broth. Cook until cabbage is soft.
6.  Slice baked potatoes and add to cabbage.
7.  Add shredded or sliced corned beef.
8.  Salt and pepper. Add remaining butter.

Irish Soda Bread (from Martha Stewart)

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup whole-wheat graham flour
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 2/3 cups buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Whisk together the flours, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl. With a pastry blender or your fingertips, blend in butter until it resembles small peas. Add buttermilk all at once; stir with a fork until mixture holds together.
2. In the bowl, pat the dough into a domeshaped loaf about 7 inches in diameter. Lift out dough; transfer to lined sheet.
3. Lightly dust top of loaf with flour. Cut a 3/4-inch-deep cross in top, reaching almost all the way to edges. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until deep golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

Have you received your 2010 Census Form? Be sure to fill it out and send it back. Census records have always been an important part of genealogy and I want my descendents to be able to look me up in 72 years.

At my house, we have 2 White Puerto Rican guys, 1 White Puerto Rican girl, and 1 plain ol' White girl. In truth, we're a bunch of ethnic mutts here at my house - something we're proud of but something the census, unfortunately, does not capture.

So, here's my Census 2010 addendum:

1 male Spanish/French/Basque/African or Puerto Rican Indian

and

1 female Irish/Scottish/English/German?/American Indian

married with a boy and a girl

The census asks what color our skin is but I think the bigger question is whether America is a melting pot or salad bowl. I was taught by a teacher in high school that we are a salad bowl, but I am sure now that America is a melting pot. Why else would my little Puerto Ricans eat Colcannon on St. Patrick's Day?

I had a bit of a bad time last week. Suffice it to say, I now believe that "moron" must be "doctor" spelled backwards. To take my mind off my troubles and better spend my time while on hold with doctors, I got the living room ready for St. Patrick's Day without buying a thing.

Green enough? I think so. If you click on the photo, you can read notes about what you see there on my sideboard and shelves. Yes, I'm calling the dresser in my living room a sideboard. It makes me feel better.

Here's a peek at the tea tray. Click through for notes on the objects.

Best of all are the vintage St. Patrick's Day cards:

I say best of all because they're not really vintage. I printed them off the internet and pasted them onto dark green cardstock. That makes them nearly free. I like that price.

This "Erin Go Bragh" (Ireland Forever) flag was also nearly free. I had my daughter shorten and paint a wooden skewer. Then, I printed out the flag twice. I pasted each picture onto dark green cardstock and attached the two sides to the skewer and each other with poster tack. God bless the person who invented poster tack.

I may not feel better about my doctors, but at least I now enjoy my living room more.

I discovered The Pleated Poppy blog this weekend. It's oh-so-cute and full of crafty inspiration. The blog's subtitle is "Beautiful Imperfections of the Everyday". Lovely.

Let's have the woman behind the blog tell you about herself:

hi ! i'm lindsey cheney. i am married to an incredibly supportive husband and am mom to 3 littles, 6 and under. my days are full of sewing, home schooling, crafting, snuggling, avoiding the laundry, sneaking bites of chocolate, and wondering "is it naptime yet?".

Lindsey sews a lot (she has her own shop, too) and she throws many parties. She's also kind enough to give glimpses into her lovely home and often features guest bloggers.

I think you might enjoy:

The Family Rules Tutorial

The Pleated Poppy Shop

The Playroom Reveal

Much like Emma Woodhouse in Jane Austen's "Emma", I love to make plans. I don't always follow them, but I sure do enjoy making them. Schedules and routines are some of my favorite plans to make and what better way is there of finding new schedule ideas than peeking into the schedules of four moms with a total of thirty-five kids.

The moms linked below have kindly offered a view into their lives and detailed their daily schedules:

The Common Room

Life in a Shoe

Raising Olives

Smockity Frocks

I suddenly feel a planning yen coming on.

Last Friday, I ended up at the local Target with my daughter and my Father-in-Law. Not a normal shopping experience for me, but FIL needed to buy a baby shower gift and daughter and I were along to help. Daughter and I basically picked the whole purchase out, but we didn't mind. We even had a bit of fun.

Anyway, as FIL was getting his bearings, I flitted like a nesting bird with ADD over to the Dollar section. Is there shiny? What is that pretty thing over there?

I spotted something, loved it, put it in my basket, and then took it out again. With the temorary mental powers of Einstein, I realized that this item must come home with me - for the betterment of mankind.

So, what was it?

This.

Isn't it lovely? Yes, I bought four TV trays and I am just a wee bit in love with them. I might even be planning an elopement soon.

Sturdy with a nice lip around the edge and only $2.50 each.

We watch a lot of TV together in the Family Room while we eat (oh, shame upon me) and these are very helpful.

They remind of school trays, but so much better. If my school trays had looked like these, I might not have minded the mystery meat so much.

When the preview for "The Lightning Thief" appeared, I thought it might be a pleasant family movie. Thus, when I happened upon a copy of the book recently at the used bookstore, I snatched it up for a little pre-movie reading.

The book is not "Pride and Prejudice" and no large words were harmed during Rick Riordan's wordsmithing, but "The Lightning Thief" is an exciting tale for those who like Greek Mythology. I read the whole book in one afternoon...and one evening...because I refused to put it down without knowing the ending.

The movie, however, shares little in common with its book. The title and character names, that's about it. The movie should really be called "A Movie Very, Very Loosely Based on 'The Lightning Thief'".

Now, this is not to say that the movie is bad. One family member has not read the book and he enjoyed the movie. The movie even takes a trip to The Parthenon in Nashville, Tennessee - a location special to our family. Brownie points for that. I do wish, though, that the suggestive material had been left out. One main character seemed to be continuously on the prowl.

In essence, the book is a Grade B and the movie is a Grade B, but the two aren't really connected at all. 

If you take one Martha Stewart poster (about 13-years-old) and you remove the cheap plastic poster frame and you take a free picture & frame from the Eighties and you remove the tacky pastel print, you may get a sunflower poster in a wooden frame with an interesting mat.

This is hanging in my hallway, by the school closet and visible from the living room. Sorry for the awkward angle and using the flash.

What do you think?

I think I like it but the mat is throwing me. But see how perfectly it fits the poster? Also, see my ugggggggly door bell box? That needs to be painted or disguised.

Back to the picture. Yay or nay?

Save up to $15 on books at Dover Publications through March 26th.  

One coupon per customer. Click here for more details.

We are having exams this week and I wanted to share part of D's exam from yesterday. I thought other homeschooling mothers might enjoy it. We read "Idylls of the King" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson for poetry this term. It's Authurian stories told in verse. Very fun stuff, but I kept my dictionary close as I read. The two poems about Geraint were my favorite. Anyway, D's exam question was to write a spontaneous poem based on a tale from the book. Here is the result:

And Arthur lay upon the field

Sore wounded, no more his sword could wield.

Modred too lay on the field, slain,

A fruitless bid the throne to gain.

The Knights that filled the table round

Are passed now unto the ground

Save one, Sir Bedivere, who carries his lord anon

To the borders of Avalon.

The dying King gives one last command

To throw Excalibur in the lake, to the white hand

And Bedivere stood long and hid the sword

Saying, such a blade should not be given to the lake as ward.

He returns to his King and tells

The sword now at the bottom dwells.

Arthur knew of the betrayal and told the Knight

To go back once more and do it right.

A second time Bedivere's greed

Betakes him and his king's wise word he did not heed.

He hides the sword once more

And lies to the king dying on the floor

And Arthur reproached him rightly

For behavior less than Knightly.

Bedivere throws the sword unto the lake

And a white hand the sword did take.

And Arthur was borne to Avalon

As the New Year dawned.

As of July 1, 2010, all Puerto Rican birth certificates will be invalid. This is because of a law enacted by the government of Puerto Rico last December.

It seems it was a common practice for Puerto Rican schools to retain a child's birth certificate while the child was in attendance at the school. Some criminal groups saw those unguarded collections of birth certificates as a way to easily provide illegal Hispanics with American birth certificates, as all Puerto Ricans are born Americans. After many schools were robbed, the government of Puerto Rico decided invalidating all birth certificates and issuing new ones was the only way to prevent fraud.

The new birth certificates will not be available until July 1, 2010 and will cost $5. The fee will be waived for those over the age of 60 or for veterans.

Those living outside Puerto Rico (as does my husband) will need to write the Puerto Rico Office of Vital Statistics on or after July 1, 2010 to request a new, state-of-the-art birth certificate. 

More details are available in this PDF from the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration.

I found this color career test at How About Orange (how's that for a color choice?) and tried it this morning.

Best Occupational Category

You're an ORGANIZER

Keywords

Self-Control, Practical, Self-Contained, Orderly, Systematic, Precise, and Accurate

These conservative appearing, plotting-types enjoy organizing, data systems, accounting, detail, and accuracy. They often enjoy mathematics and data management activities such as accounting and investment management. Persistence and patience allows them to do detailed paperwork, operate office machines, write business reports, and make charts and graphs.

ORGANIZER CAREERS
Suggested careers are Administrator, Secretary, Printer, Paralegal, Building Inspector, Bank Cashier, Private Secretary, Statistician, Operations Manager, Financial Analyst, Bookkeeper, Medical Records Technician, Developer of Business or Computer Systems, Clerical Worker, Proofreader, Accountant, Administrative Assistant, Banker, Certified Public Accountant, Credit Manager, Store Salesperson, Actuary, Dental Assistant, Business Education Teacher, Food Service Manager, IRS Agent, Budget Analyst, and Underwriter.

ORGANIZER WORKPLACES
Your very careful, conscientious, conservative nature gives others the confidence to trust you with handling money and material possessions. Structured organizations that have well-ordered chains of command work best for you.

Suggested Organizer workplaces are large corporations, business offices, financial lending institutions, banks, insurance companies, accounting firms, and quality control and inspection departments.

 

True, or not? Well, despite my ADD (or, maybe because of it), I have always been rather fond of order. I loved filling out forms as a child, the first big purchase my husband and I made was a filing cabinet, and my favorite part of homeschooling is the lesson planning.

I'd love to know how you all fare on the test. Please let me know if the test is accurate.

Because it is the 200th birthday of Frederic Chopin, a free album of his music is available for download from Amazon.

Free - I like the sound of that. And isn't that cast of Chopin's hand really creepy? But not near as creepy as what happened to Chopin's heart. Click on his name to find out what it was.

Don't forget that today begins Extreme Shakespeare.

I also wanted to mention this post regarding Vincent van Gogh and his love of the Bard. Thanks to the internet we can read Van Gogh's letters and we find that he was very pleased to own his own book of Shakespeare and reread it often.

Not too long before his death, Van Gogh writes that he read this passage from Henry VIII (Act III, scene ii):

'And when I am forgotten, as I shall be,
And sleep in dull cold marble, where no mention
Of me more must be heard of, say I taught thee;

Appropriate for Shakespeare...and Van Gogh, don't you think?