By Lynn, on November 20th, 2008%
We have continued to enjoy fall nature projects here. They are things that are easy to do and don’t take long. We’ll have to move on to winter projects soon because the colorful fall leaves that were everywhere just a few days ago are now gone. We have had a couple of bitter cold nights here and the leaves have turned dark and mostly fallen now.
I did find a few bright red and yellow leaves for our wax paper stained glass project today. This idea is another one from Nature Crafts for Kids .
When I look up, I see what I think is my favorite tree: a crepe myrtle I planted a few years back. Crepe myrtles grow fairly quickly, have wonderful bark, and the leaves and seeds are so pretty in the fall.
We took two pieces of wax paper, about 12 x 12 each. First I layered a piece of newspaper over the ironing board. Next I layered one piece of the wax paper. Princess of the Universe then placed the leaves in the pattern she wanted on the wax paper, leaving enough space in between and around the edges for the wax paper layers to bond. We layered the second sheet of wax paper on top. With my iron on low, we gently ironed over the wax paper to fuse the two sheets. Of course you must closely supervise this or do the ironing yourself since there’s a risk of burns. Also, I suppose you’d want to wipe your iron off after it’s cooled down.
We ended up with a stained glass “pane” to hang in our living room window. It’s pretty when the sun shines through. This marks the last fall leaf project we’ll be doing this year. Nature Crafts for Kids has a nice section on why trees lose their leaves. We read it together and then Princess of the Universe wrote in her nature journal about it.
Then It’s On To Math…
Our large white board has been one of the most handy things I have purchased for math. It stands behind the armoir you see in the corner above. When someone does not understand something, it’s so convenient to have our large white board to work on to show examples of whatever is causing grief. Also, Princess of the Universe just thinks it’s fun. If she has a worksheet with not enough space to do long problems, I let her do the problems on the white board and then just write the answer on the worksheet.
Is there anything that makes math easier for you?
Lynn
By Lynn, on November 14th, 2008%
Lately I’ve read some interesting threads on line about mommies having “me time” — whether or not they really need it. I think that is such an individual thing. I don’t have to be eyeball deep in “me time,” but I can honestly say that it does amazing things for my perspective to have just a couple of hours every so often by myself, away from my usual day-to-day activities.
Last night I had a little reprieve from all that goes on at home all the time. I guess it’s a bit paradoxical that what I did while I was out was directly related to everything that goes on here all the time, but nonetheless I got out for awhile.
I had ordered a couple of books from the bookstore and received a call that they were in. One of them was Little Oh . We are studying The Raft
right now and I just love the illustrations by Jim Lamarche. I wanted Princess of the Universe to have a few books containing his illustrations, not to mention that the story of Little Oh is a great one. We also have the book Albert , which is illustrated by Jim Lamarche. These books are all out for display right now for our FIAR study of The Raft.
While I was upstairs, I snapped this picture of one of the dressers in our doll house. Tee hee. Miss Priss LOVES animals, which is why our study of The Raft will probably carry on for longer than planned. I wonder if this is an indication of what her real home will look like when she grows up.
Actually, I did not focus solely on things for school while I was out, but I stopped by Whole Foods and picked up some thing that I really love. The Greens and Whey is something I drink every morning with milk. Yum.
The Bragg’s seasoning are really good, if you’ve not tried them before. This is the first time I’ve purchased the plain liquid Aminos because I tend to stay away from anything that says “soy,” but my husband’s heart health information says that soy can help him, so I think he might enjoy using this. The ginger and sesame dressing, though? We all love it. Love it!
So that was my “me time” for a couple of hours last night. I think it feels good to fix up a bit and just enjoy getting out, going in a couple of stores, perhaps buying something special (like my new wall calendar for 2009), and just being me.
What do you do for ME time?
Lynn
PS – I was excited to find that my total cholesterol has dropped 30 points over the last six years! Woo hoo. I plan to post soon about why I think this is so. I’m sure diet plays a huge role.
By Lynn, on November 7th, 2008%
Every time I look at this pitcher, it has me by the heart.
From the late 1800s, with its crazing and cracks, how can it still be in one piece? I wonder who used it and for what purpose exactly. The stamp on the bottom includes part of the British Royal Coat of Arms, the lion and the unicorn, and yet this does not mean it was made in England. Around the time it was made there were American potters using the mark to make their wares look more British. There were also newly American potters, just over from England, using the trademark they brought with them, so to speak.
Was her pitcher from England? Was it American? Was she slender and frail? Perhaps stern? Or was she plump with a rosy face and a cheerful laugh?
Silly me. The time I spend wondering about things like this. It’s a miracle I ever get anything done.
Speaking of keepers of long ago, I lucked out and found a keeper of a book during my last thrift store outing.
It’s called Seven Brave Women , and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it with Princess of the Universe. History is often told from the perspective of the many wars that mark our timelines, but this book tells history through the eyes of seven brave women who lived through wars but did not fight in them.
Me and my sappy self, yes I got all teary-eyed reading about women of long ago and how they worked and raised (and fiercely loved) their babies and lived through times I cannot imagine. It’s a simple concept — the author sharing personal stories of seven brave women in her family tree, but what an amazing book it turns out to be.
I love the illustrations, too. They are full of color and life. It’s definitely got a permanent place in my home library.
As a side note, it would be a great book to go along with They Were Strong and Good , in case you are doing a unit study of genealogy or if you use the wonderful literature-based curriculum called Five In A Row.
Lynn
By Lynn, on November 4th, 2008%
Books that are great as go-alongs for The Pumpkin Runner .
Australia (Enchantment of the World. Second Series) This is a great book with very beautiful, interesting pictures and current information about Australia — nature, history, government, economy, etc.
Hooray for Sheep Farming! (Hooray for Farming!) A very, very informative, easy-to-understand book.
I recommend them both!
Lynn
By Lynn, on August 7th, 2008%
Thrify Goodness
Going yard sale hoppin’ with my best girlfriend. Shopping big flea markets out west with my dad. Thrifty adventures. My life story. A big part of it, anyway.
I love this Ann Taylor sweater. It is so soft and lady-like. Still had the tags on it.
The frame will be painted white. This is for my Princess who is at that 10-year-old girl stage of loving ALL animals. We must adopt the injured, buy animal pictures, spend at least an hour a day on Webkinz. We must ohhhhh and ahhhh over every doe-eyed creature and also those not fortunate enough to be doe-eyed. Well, you get the picture.
The children have been wanting to try this game, but it keeps not getting bought. I don’t know why. I look at it on the shelf, pick it up, read the back of the box but put it back.
It seems so simple.
But simple is best.
But do we really need a new game?
I talk to myself. The next thing you know I’m on the cereal aisle of the Super Wal-Mart and it’s one more shopping trip where we didn’t purchase Worst Case Scenario. However, for 3 dollars, with all pieces intact, I’ll give it a go.
And these books ended up being great stories! Love ‘em!
Princess and I still regularly read bedtime stories and both of these were really cute reads. They were fun, nicely illustrated, and both sparked the imagination.
Long Nellie was a very cute story about a misunderstood woman on the edge of town who lives out of dumpsters and has a pretty eclectic if not totally run-down little home. (It’s scary how much I can relate.) She turns out to be okay and makes a friend at the end.
The Dream House reminded me personally a little bit of Roxaboxen — just a little, only it was an adult doing the building and it occured by the beach.
Year of the Doll House
On a doll house note, it thrills my heart to go upstairs and see this.
We’ve moved the houses around some recently after the addition of a shabby shelf that I’m still mulling over. What to do with it, really. The boxes in it could actually make doll house rooms. Princess can reach a lot of the doll house from the floor, but she was doing an extreme dollhouse makeover, so she pulled up the step stool for ease in doing the upper rooms.
Something New
One last thing I got was a new, cheery pink apron. I couldn’t resist.
Happy Thursday,
Lynn
By Lynn, on June 10th, 2008%
For my sweet, concerned friends, an update on the blisters and burns I got from my largest rue plant. This has definitely been eye-opening for me! When I first noticed the “burns,” my last thought would have been a plant. It was my husband who noted that they looked like chemical burns and asked what kind of plants I’d been around. When we put our heads together, we realized I had been around the rue he had just cut.
The burns are healing, but you can definitely tell that they look more like burns than, say, a poison ivy rash or bites of some kind. They are beginning to itch, and they do hurt when I get out in the heat. I won’t try and take pictures of both entire arms, but it’s just sweeps of burns up and down both arms from brushes against the foliage, which was weeping, I’m sure. I just didn’t notice it at the time, in the sweltering heat.
Someone asked about rue, and here it is, above. Its foliage is a bluish-green. It’s very pretty. This time of year it has yellow flowers. My rue is often covered in parsleyworms which turn into the black swallowtail butterflies.
Above is a picture of Princess of the Universe holding a piece of rue with a parsleyworm on it. Neither of us has ever seemed sensitive to rue, but I did read that there’s a difference in sensitivy to the outer plant parts (on minimal contact) and the phytophotosensitivity that occurs when the sap gets on the skin and is exposed to the sun. I have always put warnings on my website about using care when handling rue. Who knew I’d be the one to get the burns! 
Anyhoo… Today in the garden, this lovely leaf-footed bug, some kind of Acanthocephala, I think. Anyone know for sure?
Here he is head on.
I wanted to thank him (her) for sitting so still to be photographed. Very kind.
There is a yucca plant in bloom on the border of our property. It was planted by the previous resident here. I would not have planted yucca myself, but it’s nice to have, I suppose. I like yucca, but they somehow look out of place in this landscape. Do you think so?
On a more domestic note, I worked on my cleaning schedule, finally, and have worked it out I think. My cleaning schedule page will be updated, having been arranged around my new work schedule.
And actually, my cleaning schedule is going to be cut to a minimum. I think the simple rule, “a place for everything and everything in its place” is beautiful. I also think utility is beautiful. I don’t mind useful piles and necessary clutter. When one is done for the moment, however, a neat stack of books is so much more beautiful than a trail of books strew across the room until one decides to get to them again.
On my way to a business meeting in Raleigh today, I stopped at World Market. (Thank you so much Demeca for telling me about this store.) I found this pretty fan that is now sitting in a high-up nook in my bathroom. It will be used, but is pretty here while waiting to be used. Perhaps it will inspire some hairstyles.
I also picked up a book for my son Joseph. Well, he can have it when I’m done poring over it.
Bamboo Style: Exteriors, Interiors, Details (Icons) is a beautiful book full of pictures. It is broken into three sections: exteriors, interiors, and details. Then at the end of each section there are thumbnail images with information about each photo in the section. Since Joseph has become interested in Japan, he has gotten me interested in Japan. I have always had an interest in oriental design and art, probably because of my dad’s travels while in the Air Force and the beautiful things he’d bring home, but my son has renewed my interest. I’m glad for that.
I’m looking at the beautiful pictures — these two are from the “details” section – -to get ideas for the Japanese garden Joseph and I will make.
Lynn
By Lynn, on May 12th, 2008%
I want to tell you more about one of the books we found at the thrift store on Saturday. Christina Katerina and the Box.
This is a really, really cute book! I read it to Princess of the Universe on Saturday night. It’s not the kind of book that I would try and build a unit study around. Well, maybe for a younger student, and including topics like having manners with friends, recycling, creativity, etc.
It’s just a sweet book about children playing — really playing using their imaginations and a cardboard box. It reminds me of the way my sister and I played when we were little. Also, if you grew up playing with any annoying neighborhood boys, you might have a rush of memories when you read about the antics of Fats Watson.
My daughter enjoyed the book. I enjoyed it! I think it’s worth having on the bookshelf!
Christina Katerina and the Box
As an aside, my on-site job training is nearly done. Yaay! I’ll be home soon, full time. I’m really enjoying my new job!
Happy Monday,
Lynn
By Lynn, on May 7th, 2008%
It is! And it came to me in the mail yesterday from my sweet friend, Alana.
It’s true I was a bit tired when I came home yesterday, but this book very much lifted my spirits when I saw it in the mailbox and then even more when I looked at it last evening and just marveled at all the things I can make with Princess of the Universe!
This book has very clear instructions and has many things in it that have already set my mind to work. It’s called The Most Wonderful Dollhouse Book and it’s by Millie Hines (by Butterick, copyright 1979). It’s a treasure!
Alana, thank you!! I have to run off this morning for more training, but I will soon be home! Home again. And you’ll be seeing more of our dollhouse adventures.
Big Cyber Hugs,
Lynn
By Lynn, on May 4th, 2008%
For those of you who love Jan Karon books , there’s a sweet little article about Jan Karon and her first and current writing offices in the May/June issue of Victoria .
I love Jan Karon’s writing and I’ve always been a fan of Victoria magazine (though I was disappointed when the magazine began to change in character in the early 2000s). I’m so happy Victoria is back to her old ways! Oh I’m just glad she’s back.
Jan Karon has a beautiful website, by the way: Mitford Books.
Wishing you a Beautiful Sunday,
Lynn
By Lynn, on February 7th, 2008%
Last week I bought a book that I’ve been wanting for a couple of months now:
Awakening Beauty, the Dr. Hauschka Way
This book is full of information about caring for your skin and what defines true beauty. Dr. Hauschka skin products are of excellent quality, by the way. They are expensive, but they are well researched and plant based and worth the money you pay for them. I know the effects of the products and I am familiar with the science behind their production, and I longed to have this book on my bookshelf at home.
So getting back to my subject line: “Do Nothing and Gain the Entire World.”
The book offers a suggestion: set aside 20 minutes per week to meditate. Get in a quiet place inside your home or in your garden and sit quietly for 20 minutes just being aware of your feelings. You must not do anything else during this time. No sleeping, no TV, no writing, no reading. Just sit and think. As the book says, just “feel your feelings.” I did this yesterday.
Do you have any idea how hard this was for me? It’s difficult for me to sit down for even one minute before I feel like I need to jump up and get something done. As you know, it’s been a personal challenge for me to play dolls with my daughter on a daily basis and be willing to sit down with her and just be a little girl for a short while each day.
I sat myself down on my loveseat facing a large window. The room was dimly lit. There was a candle burning on the coffee table. There’s a hedgerow between our home and the neighbor’s. I looked at the cedars, the oaks and other various plants that have sprung up there. (I’m looking forward to this hedgerow getting thicker over time.) The cedars were swaying in the wind. I looked at the clock. Five minutes ’til ten.
I began. My state of mind was certainly overwhelmed when I began this 20-minute task. Feelings of exhaustion, resentment, anger, joy, contentment, accomplishment, love, and more swirled through my mind. How can a mind hold all of this at one time? I wondered where each thought came from and what to do with it. I had tears in my eyes. (If you read here regularly you’ll know that I struggle at times with contentment, working and homeschooling, and my husband’s health issues. I’ve lost my dad and both grandmothers in the last two years.)
I looked at the clock. Only one or two minutes had passed. Hmmmm. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I began to calm down and think about how much comes at me every single day and how impulsively I act on feelings of desperation at times. I focused on my breathing. I started to feel sleepy.
I looked at the clock again. About one more minute had passed. The ticking of the wall clock became very apparent. I looked at the swaying of the cedar trees. Clear goals were surfacing. I began to see some trivial things that had been eating up my time. I was sleepier, but I wanted to finish this.
One minute by one minute, the twenty minutes passed. Oh my, how I needed what had just happened. It was the most relaxed I have felt in months and months. Maybe in years. Twenty minutes is a long time when you are doing absolutely nothing except being.
Once done and up and moving around, the calmness did not leave. I took a nap — 1-1/2 hours! I woke up hungry and craving a salad, which I ate! With organic cottage cheese and honey-mustard dressing.
This calmness lasted all day. In fact, I had another 30-minute nap — of sound sleep — later in the day, and I slept like a rock last night.
I am going to do this 20-minute meditation again today, and then for as many days as I feel I need it to restore my natural body rhythms and my sense of peace. (This is a different peace than spiritual peace, though I think they can affect each other.)
If you are into aging gracefully and beautifully, and healthy eating, etc., then I highly recommend the book. If you are overwhelmed, I highly recommend a 20-minute quiet meditation. You may be surprised at the thoughts that surface.
Lynn
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About Lynn
I am the mother of four delightful children: a 23-year-old son, a 20-year-old son, a 17-year-old son, and a bright and bubbly 13-year-old daughter. I share an apartment home with my 17-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter. My little home on the internet is called Rose Cottage because of my love for gardening, roses, and all things romantic and Victorian. Welcome.
I'm a North Carolina girl and I love sharing North Carolina links and information. I do medical transcription from home. My hobbies include making sweet little dolls from clay who are named and have their own stories to tell. I also make old-fashioned brooches. These are for sale in my Etsy shop.
For 13 years continuously, I homeschooled some or all of our four children, but the time came that our homeschool had to be closed. It was the end of a beautiful chapter in my life. I will always be a strong supporter of homeschooling and I will continue to review books and maintain my homeschool website, The Healthy Homeschool. The Players
Lil Ol' Me
Son Daniel, 23
Son, Big Joe, 20
Son, John, 17
Daughter, Michaela, 13
Annie Fatso Beagle
My Symphony
To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never. In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony.
William Henry Channing
1810-1884
What You Do Sow a thought, reap an action.
Sow an action, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny.
Contact Me 
I would  for you to leave a comment, but you can also e-mail me at lynn AT thehealthyhomeschool.com
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