Garden Sept 22, 2018

Garden Sept 22, 2018 

The temperatures have really chilled off this week, not to mention the nearly constant rain.  We've harvested grapes, green beans, tomatoes, tomatillo's, and potatoes this week.

Dh made a vinegar/basil jar

One tomato paste jar busted in the canner, but the rest look good.  I stewed for 2 days to get the paste just right.

It took a LOT of work, but Dh made 2 1/2 pints of grape jelly from our wonderful grapes.  Words don't express just how amazing the jam turned out.  

We have two pints in our pantry, but the little jar didn't last the week!  Dh made some awesome GF biscuits and that was that!

The fanciest thing I've done this year---the Onion Bough.  I've spent hours on these onions this year; just for Dh, since I currently can't eat any onions, it was a true love effort.

Lots of green beans this year, as I planned!  I was hoping for a lot more though and thought I'd have many jars of canned green beans by now, but we are eating them daily and not getting any canned...yet.  We might not get any jars this year, but I am glad to see Dh and I eat a lot of green from our garden. 

Dd dug up a few potatoes to go along with her corn.

I am still getting Swiss Chard for my smoothies.

What kale and chard I don't eat I chop up small and feed it to the chickens---they LOVE it!

Dh made a wonderful salsa with some of the Tomatillo's this week.  They sure do take over the garden!!! Yikes!

Some of the Yukon Gold potatoes 

The asparagus has spread out again this year.  I hope we get as much to eat next spring as we did this year. 

The herbs are doing well.  Dh picked a lot of Basil to can this week.  I plan on doing another batch of Basil Butter very soon...before it is too late.  The nights are getting down in the 40's so I do need to hurry.

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Sept. 16-22, 2018 Zeus Ailing (rooster), Garden, Driver's License

Sept. 16-22, 2018 

Zeus Ailing (rooster), Garden, Driver's License, Anniversary

Happy 20 Year Wedding Anniversary this Week!  Dh brought me these mums, like we had at our wedding.

Hello Friends!

A whole week without a headache or a migraine!  Dd started a cold on Monday and with the temperature flip-flop, I wasn't surprised.  We went from nearly 90 degrees during the day to down in the lower 40's at night.  We have been sleeping with our house windows open most of the summer so it was wicked cold at night and extra blankets were brought out.

I hoped with Dd not doing marching band this summer we would get more things done and swim in our pool more often.  It really doesn't feel like we accomplished more; perhaps less than previous summers. Dh has been working extra, for him, which last week was 75 hours of work for the week, and perhaps that has something to do with our lack of progress.  The huge repair bills for the truck and van getting repaired probably influenced our lack of buying for home improvements too---we had thought about replacing old doors, putting in flooring, painting the house and fence, building a dog run...But, none of those goals have been met and since it is almost October we won't be starting any new outdoor jobs at this point.  We are still trying to clean out our pool, get the dead algae out, so we can close it down.  I'm not sure I fully support the massive push to get a perfect pool for the winter as last year when we opened it in the spring it was already a blur of green.  Alas, the too much to do laments.

Mom:

She wanted to return home on Sunday, so after church (and eating lunch) Dh and I took her home.  Actually, Dh slept (snored) in the back seat while I drove!  We normally nap after church and take the "Day of Rest" as a literal recommendation!!!  We arrived back home at 11 pm and she was back in her apartment.  

Grace Co-Op:

It is nice to see Dd back to studying hard and really sinking her teeth into her academics.  So far all her classes and teachers are going well.  She was super excited to get 100% on her written essay this week.

Driving Test:

Monday was the long-awaited Driving Test for Dd.  I think she has been working for this for 1 1/2 years now.  She did her first driver's education classes May 2017, then the follow-up classes about six months after that.  She probably achieved quadruple the driving hours required; or more.  The test went really well, especially the parking tasks which she nailed.  After the test we came home for lunch and then headed back out to the nearest government office to get her license..."government office" I say because every state calls them something different--Michigan calls them SOS, Secretary of State; Indiana: DMV, Department of Motor Vehicles, BMV: Bureau of Motor Vehicles...each state has a little bit of a different name for that office and it gets confusing when you've lived in so many different states!  Long story short---our daughter got her license and now wants to drive herself everywhere.

Volunteering at the Library:

Speaking of driving herself---Dd drove herself for the first time to the library.  I remember starting to take her to Story Time when she was 11 months old; almost a year old, to the library.  That is the one place I have always taken Dd, week after week throughout our time together (that and the grocery store!!!).  So, I thought it would be perfect if her first solo driving trip would be to a library!  Then later in the week she drove herself to church.  She volunteers for the Story Time event on Thursdays with the little ones and really enjoys working with kids and plans on working that into her future career.  

Zeus:

Things have taken a dive for the worse with Zeus.  He is spending a lot of time in a pile, laying on the ground lifeless.  He is still having seizures and struggling to get back into standing position.  I have separated him from the flock and am hand feeding him.  It seems like he is getting a little better each day, but it is hard to tell.  I just don't want to cause him any pain or cut his life short, but I continue to access his 'quality of life.'  I've already told him how much I love him and that he needs to get better, but he just looks at me like this illness wasn't his idea!  He seems to be enjoying the scrambled eggs I've been cooking him each day.

Orthodontist:

This week Dd returned to the orthodontist after getting her wisdom teeth removed and healed to get the 3D imaging done of her teeth/mouth.  In two weeks we will have a teenager with braces on her teeth.  She is really excited to get her teeth fixed.

Eye doctor:

Dd also went to the eye doctor this week to get her eyes examined and accessed.  She has slight astigmatism and hasn't been wearing her glasses because they give her a headache.  The doctor told her it takes some time for her brain to get acclimated to wearing glasses and then her headaches would stop.  He encouraged her to not go long periods of time without wearing her glasses as that undoes the acclimation process.  We buy her glasses every 2 years but she can see without them so she usually goes without wearing them, but always wants a new pair...There have to be other parents with kids that want glasses, but don't want to wear them unless convenient!

Doctor's Appointments:

I've been trying to fit in all our doctor's the past few weeks; hoping we won't have to go very often in the winter snow.  

Three Snakes

Snakes In The Outbuilding:

Imagine my surprise this week to see a snake as I was preparing to open the basement door in our outbuilding.  I saw a snake!  Then a few hours later I saw it by the front door of the outbuilding, so I left the door open so it could leave.  Hours later, when I returned to check on it, I saw there wasn't one snake, but THREE!  They kept scurrying back into the darkness so I couldn't tell if they had left or not...I'm thinking they left after I left the door open and music blaring inside, but I can't be positive.  What an oddity.

Canning and Harvesting:

Grapes: Our first successful year of grapes!  A fellow homeschooling family in our circle also grow grapes and shared the secret of their success----pruning!  What a difference that made to our grapes!!!  Dh made 2 1/2 pints of grape jam this weekend that is the most amazing tasting jam I've ever tasted!  Wow, what a flavor punch of awesome!

The three different potato beds are all dying out; which means I can officially dig them up.  

Green Beans:

Although our replacement part for our canner came in I haven't canned any green beans yet.  Dh and I have been doing such a good job eating all the beans I've been picking I decided I would keep that up as long as he was willing.  Dh isn't always so keen to eat lots of greens and I don't want to miss this opportunity.  I'm very thankful our green beans continue to produce although I know with these forty-something temperatures at night they can't keep up much longer.

Tomatoes:

I blanched and filled the crock-pot to the lid with great red tomatoes and then cooked them down for around 24 hours into a wonderful paste.  After all the cooking down we only had about 1/8 of a pot of tomato; which made four pints.  We filled the jars too full or perhaps a jar had a flaw, but during the canning process one jar exploded...what a mess.  But, we did get three pints of tomato for all our hard work.

A trip to Wyoming:

Our church is offering to take our teenage girls, three can go, to visit Frontier Bible College; which is in Wyoming; a sixteen hour drive each way.  We said Dd could go if she got all her homework for the following week, as well as the current week, done before she goes.  This week she spent extra time each day working to try to get ahead a little at a time.  She has a lot to do!

Academics for the Week:

Bible:

Church, Sunday School, and YOUTH PROGRAM 

Volunteering:
*Library: Story Hour on Thursdays with kiddies (1:30 hours)
*Olympians, Wednesday nights church youth program (1:30 hours)

Grace Subjects:

Algebra I: Saxon

Spanish I

Graphic Design

Introductory Logic

Geography: BJU

I'm not sure how I'm going to post her lesson information---

The green beans took down the corn stalks, but the beans are finally arriving.

Academic plans:
Continuing with our classics together.  I'm hoping to get more science and writing in when things settle down.

Our Audio:

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury: Completed

We finished our audio this week, but not sure how much I'd recommend it when there are so many great books.  You just never know which ones are going to connect and Dd didn't grow much from this book.  Our next audio will be Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Next Week:
https://www.frontierbible.org/
Dd to tour a college; the Frontier School of the Bible in LaGrange, Wyoming.  It is a 16-hour drive each way.  She is very, very excited!  She will be going with two other teen girls,  two adult women (that are awesome), from our church.  
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Sept. 9-15, 2018 Mom Visit, Hunter's Training, Grace Co-Op begins

Sept. 9-15, 2018 

Mom Visit, Hunter's Training, Grace Co-Op begins

Hello Friends!

I drove to pick up my mom for a 4 1/2 day visit this week.  We hadn't seen her in years.

Van:

Can you believe the van is leaking again?  Dh said not to drive it and he will eventually find time to look under the hood to diagnose what is leaking so he can decide how to proceed.  It just seems beyond my comprehension we would STILL be fighting this.  Maybe our mechanic isn't so good?  He certainly is expensive.

Dh and excited Dd loading up to go to her first Friday of co-op

Grace Co-Op Classes: 1x week (Friday)

Friday began Dd's Grace classes--she is taking:

Geography, Introduction to Graphic Design, Introductory Logic, Algebra I, and Spanish I.  Dd wants to go on a church trip to visit Frontier Bible College in far-away Wyoming.  My only pre-requisite is that she gets all of her homework for the returning week accomplished BEFORE she goes.  This week Dd has been doing homework for this week's assignments and next weeks too.

Henry: Rescue English Shepherd

Henry had to go back to the vet to get his second Influenza shot this week; apparently, the dogs in this area are having an outbreak of flu and it is spreading like fire.  He weighed 44 pounds the last time we took him in and this time he weighed 56 pounds! They said he could still use a few more pounds gained so I'll keep doing my best to spoil him a little.  He still looks too skinny to me too!  He is still acting like a puppy and has to be on leash outdoors and watched carefully whilst inside.  He is a good dog and sticks to his specified toys, but they are falling to pieces and we need to think about buying more fairly soon; he literally tears them to shreds.

Hunter's Training Course:

Dd is keen to hunt with Dh and needed to take an official state-run course to get her license to hunt in Michigan.  Thursday and Friday night and Saturday she attended the course and made a 100% on the written test.  She really enjoyed the class and spent a good deal of time telling us ALL about it.

Volunteering:

Dd emailed the library to see about continuing on with volunteering during the school year and they accepted her to help out with the Family Story Time, with little ones on Thursday mornings.

Dickens, stirring up trouble like he always does best!

Chickens:

Zeus is still having seizures, Ms. Lemon is still brooding, besides that, all the girls are doing well.  I'm still going crazy - daily trying to get in a few buckets (5-gallon buckets) full of greens (various weeds) to them as we get closer to fall and not having access to such a healthy diet for them.  I really try hard to build up their health before the long months of winter.

Migraines:

Sunday I had a big migraine, but that was the only migraine of the week!!!!!  All in all, this was a good health week.

Garden:

The garden is doing fantastic.  Having my mom here put all my gardening chores behind more than a week.  I should have been freezing and canning all week.  I'm behind and stressing a bit about that; I wish I was more calm about it, but there really isn't a big window to get things done with gardening.

Frontier College in Wyoming:

Our new pastor and wife are graduates from Frontier and have offered to take some of the teen girls there for a visit to see college life at a bible college.  Two months ago, one of our twenty-somethings just started attending this college.  In the end, Dd and two other teen girls can make the l-o-n-g trip; which will be two long days of driving each way.  I think visiting a college and getting a chance to see what her next step is will be very beneficial to her concentrating on her academic progress.

Mom outside her apartment

Academics for the Week:

Bible:

Church, Sunday School, and YOUTH PROGRAM (on Sunday night) have restarted again for the school year.  Dd really gets along so well with the other girls in our church.  

This week I've been reading, from the bible, various writings of Paul---Corinthians and Ephesians. 

Art:

Drawing:

2 hours Sunday and a few hours here and there through the week--maybe 4 hours this week.  She has been making illustrated watercolor bookmark pieces.

Fun Reader:

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: In Process

Dd has accepted the responsibility of letting Henry sleep with her overnight for about a month now.  We started off having him sleep in a big metal dog crate but he would bang around all night and keep waking us up; I was getting exhausted without a good rest.  The bad part is that having Henry in bed with her has lead to Dd just turning off her light and going to sleep at night instead of reading for hours.  I'm not sure that is a 'bad thing!'

Audio:

Fahrenheit 451: Ray Bradbury: In Process

This has been a bit of an odd book for us.  One thing, there are quite a lot of using the Lord's name in vain, which is always a bit jarring for me.  Also, it just doesn't ring as true to me as most classics do.  I can't quite put my finger on it, but this book feels a little 'shallow' to me.  I liked the concept of how horrible the world would be if books were no longer allowed, they had me at that storyline, but it just didn't meet my expectations.

Dickens and Honeysuckle being cute

Grace Subjects:

Algebra I: Saxon

Spanish I

Graphic Design

Introductory Logic

Geography: BJU

Next Week:

Driver's Test is scheduled!  She has been doing such a good job driving us all around and working on her parking.

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Fall Grace Co-op Classes-Fridays 9-3:40 pm

Fall Grace Co-op Classes

Fridays 9-3:40 pm

This year, for the first time, Dd is doing some of her core classes with a local homeschool co-op.  I wish I could say it was just to expand her horizons and grow, but honestly I've been having a lot of trouble getting her to complete the assignments I've given her the past year.  She did two art classes and Geometry (Saxon) with this co-op last year and responded really well to outside orders.  After a summer of very limited educational progress at home, both Dd and I were open to trying this co-op.  I hope she will progress academically and I will try to adapt.  She will still do bible, science, literature, writing, art, p.e.....at home.  Her co-op classes are:
Geography, Algebra I, Graphic Design, Introductory Logic, and Spanish I.

Geography

Book:  BJU Cultural Geography 4th Edition

             BJU Cultural Geography Activity Book

Get ready to pack your bags and sail across the globe as we explore the earth, its resources, and the geographic and cultural features of the people in the various regions and countries of the world. We will learn how physical geography affects the political and economic features of countries and the way of life of their people. As stewards of the resources God has provided, students will develop a new appreciation for the wonders of God's creation and the responsibilities of the mandate that God has given them to exercise dominion over it. This course will be a blended learning experience with much of the course hosted on GRACE Homeschool's Moodle site. All resources and assignments will be managed through Moodle.

Algebra I

Book:  Saxon Algebra I Student Text (3rd Edition)

            Saxon Algebra I Solutions Manual (3rd Edition)

Prerequisite:  Pre-Algebra or its equivalent.

***This is a 2 hour class

Supplies Needed: Heavy-duty 1½" thick 3-ring binder, lots of filler paper and graph paper, mechanical pencils, good eraser. A scientific calculator will be needed for the second semester.

Algebra I builds on the concepts introduced in Pre-Algebra and includes lessons to solve systems of equations in two variables, solving complex rational and radical expressions, functions, graphing linear equations, factoring algebraic expressions, and introduction to 3-dimensional geometric figures. 

A scientific calculator will be needed for the next semester.

Requirement to Enroll in GRACE Math Classes

Intro to Graphic Design

Book: The Non-Designer's Design Book by Robin Williams 4th Edition (available on Amazon and Ebay)

Prerequisite: None

Graphic designers create visual concepts with images and text, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and engage. They take creative ideas from a concept and develop designs in a way that can be produced in print, published online, made into products, and more—using color theory, layout, and typography. We will discover graphic design from a Christian perspective, exploring ethics in design, and how we can compete in today’s culture, while keeping our vision clear and our message heard.

This course is designed to introduce the fundamental skills and knowledge of good graphic design to high school students, along with presenting all the possibilities and opportunities for using graphic design skills in today’s competitive career world. Aspiring designers will learn to train their “designer’s eye” without compromising their faith and morals. Students will learn through lecture and presentations, and research and discovery of examples in the real world. Using graphic design software, they will begin to create their own designs, individually and in groups. Offered during the first semester only and can serve as a Fine Arts Credit and/or an Elective Credit

Key Highlights:

Introductory Logic

Book:  Introductory Logic (5th Edition) by Douglas Wilson & James Nance, Canon Press

    Intermediate Logic (3rd Edition) by James Nance, Canon Press

This course will be mentally challenging! The student will learn to analyze a variety of types of statements, arguments, and syllogisms for validity/truth on the basis of many examples and rules of logic. The rewards should be a sharpened mind, the ability to avoid logical fallacies in one’s own thinking, writing and speaking, and the ability to discern inconsistencies in the writings and speeches of the media and elsewhere. These books may be obtained through the HSB Bookstore.

Spanish I

Book:  BJU Press Spanish I, Student Text, 3rd Edition

This course emphasizes grammar and conversational skills, provides training in speaking, understanding, reading, and writing basic Spanish. Lessons feature weekly Bible verses, a focus on Christ’s life, and a strong missionary emphasis. Oral and written exchanges of learned material will help the student to socialize and to provide and obtain information. Animated grammar explanations will help the students achieve accuracy in the communication. Also, in every chapter, the student will be introduced to Latin American culture and have the opportunity to learn about the practices and perspectives of those cultures. Cultural readings are part of the second semester.

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Sept. 2-8, 2018 Dh Sick, Return Violin, Purple Hair, Migraines, Dietitian, Cranes

Sept. 2-8, 2018 

Dh Sick, Return Violin, Purple Hair, Migraines, Dietitian, Cranes

Hello Friends!

Zeus-still having seizures

Dh stayed home sick on Sunday, which began a whole week of him being laid off for various reasons.  I guess it is good to have a week of being cared for and treated special and he seemed to appreciate the care provided.  He ended up getting sick again on Wed. and had to go to Immediate Care.  He worked from home Thursday and Friday.

Wisdom Teeth:

Dd's mouth is slowly recovering and she only has one open cavity from getting her wisdom teeth removed last week.  She continued to eat liquid foods--lots of soups and applesauce!  She was steadily improving and then on Saturday, she felt up to mowing our yard.  She didn't get far before she got stung by a ground hornet; which REALLY hurt!  Our pool had been so infested with hornets we gave up swimming weeks ago; our problem was that we could never find the hornet's nest--until now!  I sure did spray that nest as soon as the sun went down...finally, after being tormented by them all summer.

Canning Fail:
We worked so hard, picking green beans all week, snapping and storing in anticipation to can on Monday.  Once we got the beans in the jars and loaded in the canning pan we saw the gauge was broken.  



We looked online, trying to find a new gauge at a local store to no avail.  We had to dump out all the beans and agree to blanch and freeze them instead.  We had to order a new gauge and hope it arrives before too long.

Music: Returned Violin

Last year we really kicked Dd's music lessons up a notch because we joined a "Homeschool Partnership," which means that we could spend a few hours every week online submitting information about the classes she was taking so that we could submit our receipts for those classes to be reimbursed by a nearby school; another words, free music classes.  I spent about 2 hours each week typing in the information to keep us meeting their requirements and it was not easy, to say the least!



 But, what a huge blessing for a homeschool family---music lessons for a musical daughter!  We hadn't been able to afford that before and we were so appreciative.  This year the program has flip-flopped 3-4 times - first they wouldn't pay for 1:1 lessons, then they would, then the music store we use wouldn't work with the partnership, then I tried to change how we would pay to make it work and yet, no, the partnership will only work if they pay them directly (no reimbursement). 

Agnes in the cooler

So, no music lessons for Dd this year and I doubt that will change next year.  Hopefully, Dd will practice on her own?!?  Dd needs braces for her teeth and that will be an extra expense each month as our dental insurance doesn't cover orthodontics--the oral surgery or any of the expenses for braces...ouch.  



Dd will still be playing with our church's Strings Group; either on the Ukulele or guitar.  Maybe I can talk her into playing the piano there?  I don't know if people realize it costs $25.00 for 30 minutes of violin lessons!  As homeschoolers in the United States, we pay into the government every day and voluntarily decide not to enroll our children in government education and government music lessons; which has a lot of upsides and a few downsides---like our budget being tiny!!  Dd has decided she will focus on her academics more this year instead.

Purple Hair:

Ah, the parents of teenagers can probably relate to my parenting dilemma this week---purple hair.  Dd has wanted to do all sorts of *fun* things to her hair since we've moved to Michigan which probably has nothing to do with Michigan and more to do with her age---16.  The past three years Dd was enrolled in a homeschool band that had strict rules about the student's appearance and especially didn't allow wild hair on girls so it was a simple 'no' to all her pleas for experimentation.  



This year she isn't in the band and wanted to finally do something fun and decided to try PURPLE HAIR!  I struggled with that---I'm the kind of person that doesn't go out to look for attention, quite the contrary, and it was difficult for me to agree to do something so 'attention-grabbing' as she was wanting to do.  But, as a forty-something mom, I do wish I would have tried some fun and outrageous things with my hair when I was young.  This week after church, on Sunday, Hailee came home with us and the girls spent the afternoon together---having fun and dying her hair.  Fortunately, it will wash out in a couple of weeks.

Cranes:

We went from really hot and humid to cold and 'fall-like' weather in the course of two days!  Along with the chilly, breezy weather came lots of falling leaves and lots of cranes flying overhead to their winter destinations.  I love hearing the cranes!!!!

Out my Window:

Friday morning I looked out my window and was surprised to see a big doe (deer).  



Then I noticed a few Blue jay birds were throwing a fit and looked up and saw a hawk sitting on a branch above the deer---just sitting there, ignoring the fuss from the Bluejays.  I got down my binoculars and was enjoying all this nature when a Hummingbird came to look in the kitchen window!  Oh my---out of that window, in the span of minutes I have so much nature blessed to me...thankful!

New Trail:

I've added another big section of walking trail for Henry and me to walk on.  I literally take our beaten-up, old push mower, push aside all the trees and branches and mow a path through the woods!  I just wonder what our neighbors think?  There is a good chance they can't see me so they might not know, but I just wonder if they catch glimpses of me mowing out in the woods or carrying around my big five-gallon bucket and filling it will weeds and greens for the chickens to eat...they must wonder about my sanity!  The new trail is great!!  I think a family of deer have been living in our section, each time we go down there we stir-up a few deer and we can see them jumping off back farther into the woods out of our view.  I feel bad forcing them to move for our walks, but don't know what else I can do?  They could just hunker down and ignore us, but I guess they don't like that option.

Migraines and Headaches:

Still another week of pain.  I went and had an MRI done to have that looked at.  Since going off the Amitriptyline I've been struggling, especially when I am sleeping at night.  I hate being in pain the whole time I am sleeping; I wake up tired. 

 

Olympians:

Our church's youth program on Wednesday nights has started back up.  Dd is still volunteering to co-run the Games portion of it and perhaps will also work in one of the classrooms as one of our leaders had to back out this year due to cancer in the family.  We had nine teens/adults for the three children!  Next week we should have two more kids that were on vacation this week, but still, we have a lot of helpers for the few children that make it out, unfortunately.



Pool:
I've been vacuuming the pool and trying to get it looking good so we can close it down, but it isn't working with me at all....hours of work I know won't amount to anything.

Academics:

Bible: 
Church & Sunday School
I've been reading the book of Matthew to Dd this week.



Driving:
Dd worked with Dh in church parking lot to master the two parking drills that she will be tested on-parallel parking and backing into a spot.  She has been doing 90 percent of the driving these past few weeks to prepare for her upcoming test.



Music:
Dd practiced guitar on Monday



Math:
Algebra test for Grace Academy

Henny Penny

Buckbeak

Audio:
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury: In Process
I'm continuing to order classic audio's from our library.  This one has been the least impressive so far.  I really love the concept behind the book, but something just isn't clicking great with us. 


Movie:
Animal Farm
We finished this book a few weeks back and finally got around to watching the movie--an odd animated version by John Halas.



Science: Apologia Biology: 3 days this week
a few pages farther along this week.

Next Week: BIG WEEK!
Starting: Grace Co-Op Classes: Fridays from 9-3:40pm
Hunters Training classes--Thurs, Fri, and Saturday
Pick-up my mom (now in Ohio) for a little visit, I think she has seen Dd four times in her lifetime.
.......