SL Core H Week 27 "A" Sept. 17-23, 2017 Fall Square Dance

SL Core H Week 27 "A" 

Sept. 17-23, 2017

Fall Square Dance

Did I share that I think both our Peking Ducks must be males?  I can stop looking for those big, delicious duck eggs now!  Merry and Pippin, like in LOTR, are both boys!

Hello Friends!

The girls at the Square Dance on Saturday.

Honeysuckle asleep...in that position!  Funny!

We had another busy schedule again this week as we try to do garden, canning, chickens, kittens, and lessons throughout the week.  The saving grace in this situation is that the garden and canning will come to an end fairly soon, that is once these high 90 degree days come to an end.  Our area is in a state of drought currently; which is so odd for this area!  We usually have too much water.  I've been having to water my gardens a lot lately, and see no end in sight.

I canned green beans on Monday

I hope the weather stays nice long enough to grow more veg!

What the Dickens!?!  Here's Dickens and Honeysuckle waking up.

It's great getting to eat our own potatoes!

Chickens/Ducks:

Zeus is back to his old tricks again....he is trying to attack me again...oh dear.  I hope he can get beyond this or he might not survive the winter.  Pauline, a Buff Orpington hen, is dropping all her feathers!  She looks so funny--and sad!  I guess this is what real molting must look like.  Her new feathers are coming right in and she shouldn't look bad for too long.  I'm still foraging around for their daily greens.  Luckily, there are plenty of wild grape vines all over for me to pull down and put in their runs.

Our beans are still growing and producing - I can't believe we never grew beans before; they are so easy and fun.

We got the cover on the pool, but are still working on getting the algae down under it.  Chuch from church is ordering us some algaecide to put in.  We'll put a pump in the water to stir the chemicals in.

Pool:

We finally got the big winter cover on the pool, though the water is very green.  

Virginia Creeper and Poison Ivy are all turning red; it is beginning to really look like fall here.  Our front driveway is covered in leaves.

Garden:

I canned green beans, one cumin potato, and tomato paste/sauce this week.  I picked out the last zucchini and then gave all the greens to the chickens.  It is funny to see the bare spot.

I'm still getting my breakfast 'green smoothy' from my chard, radish, and two varieties of kale out of my garden.  I use to spend over five dollars buying bags of greens each week.  It is nice to make my smoothies from the greens I pick out of the garden, plus they are picked and eaten within the same hour so it couldn't be fresher!  

 I worked really hard on some more tomato paste.  I cooked it down for about 24 hours and reduced it more than 50% before I canned it.  I only got 4-pint jars in the end, but the paste should be excellent for some future meal.

Our lessons this week:

The new lettuce I planted has mysteriously vanished; perhaps snails?  Whatever it is has left this section of new kale alone.  The other area I planted with kale is also doing well.  But, it is too bad about the lettuce---I was looking forward to that!

Bible:

We are still reading through the New Testament by using our "Integrated Bible" that lists the NT in chronological order.

Healing at the Pool & The Authority of the Son:  John 5: 1-47

Testimonies About Jesus & Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath: Matt 12: 1-14

Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath& Jesus Heals on the Sabbath: Mark 2:23-3:6

I've focused this week on collecting seeds from the three types of tomatoes we are growing to use next year.  I even picked out the seeds from one of the green peppers.  We've not tried this before and hope it will work.  I've spread out the seeds on a paper towel covered cookie sheet and then placed outside in the sun.  I rinsed off the seeds really well before, using various strainers.

On Saturday, Dd volunteered to work the kitchen for the funeral for a church member.  She did a good job helping out.  She and I worked together to make a big bowl of potato salad to bring.  I also made some rice crispy treats for the dessert table, they are gluten free and our church often forgets to have anything GF, so I try to bring something.

Then Sat night she went to the Square Dance at the HSB with her friends.  They had a great time and remembered a lot of the steps from their previous dances.  I had fun chatting with some of the other mom's in the gym.

Daring to Live Life On The Edge by Loren Cunningham

Ch. 6

I chopped up bunches of Basil and worked them into some soft butter, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder, then used a spoon to get similar sizes onto a cookie sheet before placing the tray in our freezer.  After they froze I put them into Ziplock bags and returned to the freezer.  

Dd's Bible:

Romans 3, 7, 8

Church, Sunday School, Olympians (Games volunteer 1:30 hours), Strings Group, and Youth Program on Sunday night.  Our Olympians has been showing a very interesting DVD series called "The Nature of God" 

 If Peter Schriemer has his way about it, however, that will soon change. As creator, host and author of Zonderkidz’s new The Nature of God DVD, book and curriculum series, the award-winning filmmaker and energetic hands-on naturalist hopes to inspire children of all ages to be amazed at God’s creation and to explore the world around them. Most recently seen on the small screen as host of the Smithsonian Channel’s Critter Quest! television series, Peter created The Nature of God specifically for young learners and readers to show them how the Creator’s very nature is reflected in what he has made.

The Brussel sprouts are growing

History:

BiblioPlan: Early Modern History

Ch. 11: Bacon's Rebellion; King Phillip's War: Completed

Ch.12: Freedom of Religion for the Middle Colonies, The Glorious Revolution: In Process

Read Aloud:

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo: In Process

Our last week having zuchini--I pulled them out this week and fed them to the chickens.  They did so well this year!  Dh made zucchini fritters two weekends in a row and boy, were they delicious!!!!

Foreign Language:

DuoLingo: German - 15 min

Math:
Saxon Geometry at Grace HS Academy 

Lessons 5,6,7,8 plus class 
To my utter dismay when Dd came out of her math class this week she was beyond frustrated and said her teacher didn't explain things very well.  She didn't think she would be able to do her work for next weeks lessons....she is planning on asking Dh for help.

Latin:

Word Roots pg's 93 & 94

I couldn't find the kittens anywhere!

Grammar:

Easy Grammar, Plus pg 335

Eventually, I thought to look inside the old chicken crate...

Reader 1:

The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy: In Process

And look what I saw inside!!!!

Reader 2:

Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi: In Process

Science: 

Apologia Physical Science: Notebook pages 

Honeysuckle on the highest part of their scratching post.  It is really hard to get a good picture of her!

Music Classes:

Piano: 30 min with Wendy

Piano Theory each week

Guitar 1:30 hours with Strings Group

Viola: 30 min with Christie

Alto Sax with Inter. Band 1:30 hours

Violin with Inter. Orchestra 1:30 hours

Music Practice:

Alto: 2:30 hours

Violin: 2:30 hours

Viola: 30 min

Piano: 30 min

Sewing:

Dd has been working on cutting out the shapes for a new pattern for a skirt she wants to make.  She's cut out a few pieces already, but still has a lot to do!

The potato plants are all dying---that means it is time to dig up those potatoes - to eat and can!

Art Classes:

Painting Studio and Botany art class on Friday--went well!

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SL Core H Week 26 "C" (52nd Week on this Core) Sept.10-16, 2017 Grace HS Academy and Viola Lessons Begin

SL Core H Week 26 "C" (52nd Week on this Core) 

Sept. 10-16, 2017

Grace HS Academy and Viola Lessons Begin

Zeus and his girlfriend!  She is so cute, she lightly pecks at his beak during the day---that must be how chickens say, "I love you!"

Hello, Friends!

Aphrodite on the left and Venus on the right--such pretty ladies!

A week of new beginnings or start-backs: Viola lesson, Grace Classes, Olympians at church, and Youth Program.  Viola lessons started on Monday with Christie, who taught her violin lessons last year.   Christie will still help with any violin questions Dd may have this year.  Grace Homeschool Academy classes also started this week.  We signed her up for a Studio Painting, Botany Drawing, and Saxon Geometry.  In case you missed it, I've decided to try Grace for our math this year since our at-home programs weren't strong enough to help Dd get full comprehension.  So far, so good.  

We had a lot of catching up to do as we got home from our trip to Indiana, to visit the newly released Giz from the hospital.  By Thursday she was back in the ER, and hospital.

I had two doctor appointments myself, on Tuesday and Thursday, so Dd had to do some "independent" work on her own; which doesn't always go too well!  She did a little better this week at getting her assignments done than last week, but she still didn't get everything that I assigned done. Blah.  I do think I assigned a very doable load, but she has been so distracted with her drawing and personal books that she is struggling between doing what she wants and what her list is asking her to do.  I guess we all struggle with that and have to figure out that battle individually.

West Michigan Homeschool Fine Arts: Week Two

Intermediate Orchestra and Intermediate Band went well.  The band will be working on some music, for the Christmas program, from The Polar Express!  Her orchestra class is doing some LOTR, Hobbit music that she is SUPER excited about!!!!  Her piano lesson went well too.

Girl's Club on Fri. Night:

After Grace classes, Dd and three of her friends bought matching shirts at a local shop.  Then they went to Girl's Club for a 'games night.'

Pool:

We are trying to close our pool down, but our schedule is making it impossible for Dh and to be home at the same time without something getting in the way.  Monday we started draining the pool.   Tuesday, but only got it half of the drains cleared before it got too dark to go on.  Wednesday was our first Olympians at church, our church's version of Awana, where Dd is co-running the Games portion of the evening again this year.  I'm there to help too but just as the backup adult.  Thursday, at church, was our weekly Strings Group in the evening.  Dd went back to playing her ukulele this week.  Friday night I had to pick Dd up from her Girl's Club---so we could only fit in two nights of working on the pool!

I've kept the two Isa Brown's painted with orange nail polish so I can tell which are Isa's and which are Tetra Brown's.

Canning:
This week I split up the work to can spaghetti sauce into two days to make the lessen the workload.  Friday I picked, washed, de-seeded, and cooked down the tomatoes.  Saturday, I canned the tomatoes and picked three big bowls of green beans to can next week.  I'm glad I've finally got the process all down so I can do it myself and not have to wait for Dh! 



Seeds:
Dh bought some heirloom tomato varieties this year and has asked me to separate those seeds so we can try to start next years tomatoes inside, in the early spring, and save some money.  We've done that with flowers, but not with veg before.  I'm glad to be trying this thrifty idea!

See how wonderfully Zeus' tail feathers have come back!  It is hard to think how pitiful and wounded he was just this spring.

Feathers:
I've been collecting feathers from the Peking (white) ducks and the chickens.  I'm going to wash/sterilize them and see about refilling an old down comforter we have.  Not sure if this will work or not, but why not try?!!

Bible:
We are continuing to read the NT with our Integrated Bible--chronologically:
Jesus Heals Many, Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man: Matt: 8: 2-4; 9: 1-2, 
Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy: Mark 1: 38-2:4
Jesus Heals Many with Leprosy: Luke 4:44-5:12-19
Jesus Calls Levi and Eats with Sinners Luke 5: 20-30; Matt 9:12-17; Mark 2:17-22; Luke 5:31-39
Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man/ The Calling of Matthew: Matt. 9:3-11
The Calling of Matthew: Mark 2:5-16

Dd's Bible:
Acts-chapters: 11, 16, 17, 26, 27 and 28

SL's Bible Reader:
Daring to Live Life On the Edge by Loren Cunningham
Ch. 4 & 5

Church Activities:
Church, Sunday School, Youth Program, Olympians Program, and Strings Group



Math:
First math class this week at Grace:
Saxon Geometry, Lessons 1-4



History:
BiblioPlan Early Modern Companion:
Ch. 10, More English Colonies, The Restoration of the Monarchy: Completed
Ch. 11, Bacon's Rebellion; King Phillip's War: In Process



Reader: The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy: In Process 



Read Aloud: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo



Grammar:
Easy Grammar, Plus: pg's 339 & 349



Latin:
Word Roots: pg 92



Poetry:
Memorizing The Highwayman--doing good!
The Harp and Laurel Wreath--pg's 219-222, 
The Coventry on pg 223
The Vulture on pg's 223-224
The Height of Ridiculous on pg 225



Foreign Language:
DuoLingo German: 15 min this week



Science:
Apologia Physical Science: Module 12: Completed



Art Classes:
Painting Studio
Botany Drawing

Drawing at home: 5 hours: Aslan drawing and research for painting, Anne of Green Gables drawing
Making things: 2 hours

Music Classes:

Intermediate Orchestra: Violin: 1:30 hours

Intermediate Band: Alto Sax 1:30 hours

Piano lesson with Mrs. March: 30 minutes

Viola lesson with Christie: 30 minutes

Strings Group: 1:15 hours

Volunteering:

Games portion of Olympians: 1:30 hours

Our two Bantams together.  Poirot is the rooster on the left and Ms. Lemon on the right.  Ms. Lemon has become quite the bossy-boss!  She pecks those bigger chickens if they get in her way.  She has somehow worked her way up the pecking order.

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SL Core H Week 26 "B" Sept. 3-9, 2017 (First Week of Orchestra & Band)

SL Core H 

Week 26 "B"

Sept. 3-9, 2017

Back to school, Trip to Indiana, 2 Kittens

The first day of "school" (band) picture.

Hello Friends!

I guess every week is going to be a bit crazy and that is our new normal, but I want to say this was another odd week.  I planned out Dd's lessons on Monday morning, thinking we were going to be here in Michigan the whole week, but by Wednesday Dh had decided we better go visit his mother. This put a big wrench in all my well-laid plans!  We had a lot of chores that were going to be done on Saturday, so I had to fit those in during our week.  

We had an eight hour drive to see G&G, at least the drive down was beautiful!

Visit G&G and Two New Kitties:
On the bright side, by going down to Indiana we got to pick up the two black kittens that G&G were supposed to bring when they visited last weekend, but didn't come b/c Giz was in the hospital.  Our nephew picked up a stray cat...pregnant...5 kittens...and there you go!  We have been missing our Sophie SO much and these little kitties needed a home.  Ironically, one kitty looks just like Smedley, my last cat that died almost two years ago and the other kitty looks like Sophie!  They are both black, but one has a white belly, paws, and a white mustache.  Dh's other brother (J), took two kitties and Dh and I took 2 kitties, and a good friend took the other one as they had a new kitten that needed a buddy.  We are happy to care for these cute kitties, but they still don't replace Sophie, at all.  

The tree we married under--at the farm, almost this same time of year.  It is a Black Walnut, with a swing on it that Grampy made for Dd.  She had fun swinging on it again this year.

Labor Day--Pulled Out My Back:
Sunday was a normal day of church and Sunday School.  Monday was all planned - we were all doing our individual chores in the morning and I was working in my front garden, trying to move my peonies into the spot where I had removed a big, ugly bush when I felt something in my back go.  I was done.  I knew as soon as I did it that I was in trouble.  I made it to bed and stayed there for the rest of the day, and part of Tuesday too.  I rotated heat to ice every few hours.  I really thought I was going to be laid up for days, but I was able to walk short ways on Tuesday, thank the Lord!  Then I was able to walk fairly good in time for Dd's music classes on Wednesday!  Needless to say, we didn't get the pool closed on Monday like we had planned.  Dh and Dd did all my "have-to" chores--like taking care of the chickens and ducks.  

Solo Canning:

Somewhere in here, Grampy called to share that Giz wasn't doing well and he had taken her to the ER and they were going to drive her to another hospital via the ambulance. This was her third hospital stay in less than 2 weeks.  So, we decided, last minute, to drive the seven hours down to southern Indiana for a visit with her.  So I had to spend all of Thursday and Friday doing my normal Saturday chores since we wouldn't be there to do them.  Thursday I had to do the tomato canning since we wouldn't be home too.  I didn't think it would take so long to do the canning, but I had never canned by myself before and it took me from 9am to 5pm to can just 10-pint jars of my tomato paste/sauce.  I literally was on my feet in the kitchen the whole time!!  I wish I would have thought to put all those tomatoes in my crock pot to dehydrate on Wednesday night, that would have saved me so much time and effort.  I was glad I got all those tomatoes canned so they wouldn't rot on the vine while we were traveling.  We were also fortunate to have our friend fit in checking on our critters while we were gone.

Academics take a back seat:

So, our academics took a bit of a hit again!  Another reason we choose to go fairly year-round, we can fit in emergency visits when we have to.  Giz is doing better, by the way, and they are making plans to do surgery on her to fix the specific problem.

Sunday Lunch:
When we use to live in the same town as G&G, Giz used to host a Sunday Lunch, after church.  Usually Dh's two brothers, their wives and children, Aunt Charlotte, Mama V, and we would usually attend.  This Sunday for lunch, Uncle Bob (Giz's older brother) brought over a big batch of fish that he had caught and cleaned and we so enjoyed eating!!!  It was great having him at the table and getting to have a mini visit with him too.  On Saturday we (Dh, Dd, and I) got to spend about 2 hours visiting with Dh's brother, (G) wife, and son.  We usually only get to have a very short chat at the Christmas party each year, so this was really extra special and rare!

The brown moth's have hatched.

Driving:
Dd did a lot of the driving down and backup too.  I think she has already accomplished the goal of over thirty hours of driving before she takes the second installment of Driver's Education.  She was glad to get the night driving hours in as that is harder to get.

Sometimes I find the weirdest eggs---this masterpiece was quite an accomplishment for some hen.  It looked like it should be rubbery, but was extra, extra calcified.  I ate it myself!

Chickens and Ducks:
All alive and well!  Still foraging LOTS of greens for them each day.  Clementine and Poirot both continue to get out, which is very worrisome!!!  I put them back in each day and appreciate that they made it through another day.  Our duck and Bantam hen both are not laying.  Merry, the duck, hasn't laid one egg so far; which is odd.  Mrs. Lemon, the Bantam, laid eggs for about a month and then stopped---?

We finally saw Agnes with her toy Guinea pig, "Love."  It is always fun finding Love throughout the house, though we never see her carrying it!

Agnes:
NOT happy about the kittens in her territory, but we are keeping the kittens in our sunroom so she can watch them, but not get to them.  From the glass door, she can slowly warm-up to their cuteness...hopefully!

Our green bean wall is doing great!

Garden:
Still doing great, the biggest treat right now is all the green beans being big enough to eat!  With the colder temperatures, it is taking much longer for the tomatoes to get really dark red.  Everything is looking good and the insect attacks are way down--thankfully!


Academic Achievements for the week,
though many of the assignments I scheduled did not get done this week:



Bible:
No church this week, we were visiting with G&G.

We are using our new "Integrated Bible" to direct our reading of the NT chronologically:
Jesus Calls His First Disciples:
Matt 4: 18-22, Mark 1:16-20, Luke 5:1-11

Jesus Drives Out an Impure spirit:
Mark 1:21-28, Luke 4:31-37

Jesus Heals Many:
Matt 8:14-17, Mark 1:29-37, Luke 4:38-43



Math:
Khan Academy: 30 min x 4

Aunt April gave us a kitty tower along with the two kitties.  Dd put it together and they LOVE it!

Foreign Language:
DuoLingo German: 15 min x 4



Science: 
Apologia Physical Science: Module 10: Completed
Newton's Laws



Read Aloud:
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo: In Process

Latin/Word Roots:
Pg 88 & 89

Easy Grammar, Plus:
pg 343 & 347

Poetry:
Memorizing The Highwayman



Art: Drawing: 3 hours

History:
Abraham Lincoln's World by Foster: COMPLETED
We highly recommend reading the series by Foster, we read Augustus Caesar's World for Core G, and then George Washington's World and Abraham Lincoln's World for Core H---such a delight to read.  My daughter chose Foster instead of more Kingfisher.



Reader:
The Singing Tree by Kate Seredy
This was supposed to be a Read Aloud, but Dd wanted me to read Les Miserables to her instead and switch those.  This week Dd got carried away with her reading and let dust collect on this book.

Fun Reader:
My Life With the Walter Boys by Ali Novak: In Process

Twilight: Completed

A Hawk in our yard...luckily it didn't bother our chickens.

Music Classes:
Intermediate Orchestra: violin: 1:30 hours
Intermediate Band: Alto Sax: 1:30 hours
Piano Lesson with Wendy: 30 min

Dickens, named after Charles Dickens

Music Practice:
Hit or miss this week---Neither of us wrote down practice times...

Guitar 1:00 hour
Dd took her guitar to the Strings Group this week instead of the ukulele.


The Hunting Poncho I made for Dh: 

Front of the poncho.  I used a thick, part wool yarn and put 3-6 threads together to make it super thick (and heavy!).

The back of the poncho; Dh wanted the back shorter than the front for some reason.

I sewed in a muffler on the inside; made of Alpaca wool for extra, extra warmth.  It is on the inside of the poncho.

......