X is for X-tra-Special Celebration Cake - ABCs of Homeschooling

Sophia is almost done making all the recipes in the "Alpha-Bakery" children's cookbook as part of her home economics class. Each week, she has made a recipe from the cookbook that corresponds with a letter of the alphabet.

She's worked her way from A is for Apple Crisp during the first week to W is for Wonderful Waffles last week.  This week she made "X-tra Special" Celebration Cake for the letter X.

The recipe does not include eggs. So, for people who have an allergy to eggs, this is a great recipe. It is delcious and simple to make.

"X-tra Special" Celebration Cake

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups cold water
1 (16 ounce) tub ready-to-spread frosting (any flavor)
Pastel mint wafers, flattened gumdrops, or flattened fruit gems
Shoestring licorice

Directions

Heat oven to 350. Grease two 9 x 1 1/2" round cake pans, dust with flour or cocoa.

Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in large bowl.

Mix oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir oil mixture and water into flour mixture reall hard until well blended, about 1 minute. Immediately pour batter into pans, dividing evenly.

Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes; let cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans; let cake cool completely.

Fill and frost cake as directed on frosting tub. Arrange wafer "balloons" on top of cake; use licorice to make balloon strings.

Note: We didn't have mint wafers, gumdrops, or licorice on hand so we just used chocolate frosting.  

Shaking Off the Bonds of Stuff - Update

Over on Love My Little Flower, the author has a Shaking Off the Bonds of Stuff schedule for the 40 days of Lent. The plan was originally written by Dale O'Leary, a freelance journalist and radio talk show host.

Here's how we've done for the past week:

Day 17 (Monday, March 12): Toss cosmetics that have expired.

I didn't have anything to toss because I did this at the end of December when I purchased a few new items to replace what I had in the drawer for a long time and/or had run out of and needed.

Day 18 (Tuesday, March 13): Throw away any books that you wouldn't want your family to read.

Rather than throwing away perfectly good books that someone else may enjoy reading, I donate books to non-profit organizations that can use them.

I went through the bookshelf in the living room where there are so many books that they don't even fit on the shelf - they are in piles in front of the bookshelf. I found 46 books there to donate.

Then, I went to a shared bookshelf upstairs and found 17 books there that could be donated. I asked the girls to take a look at their bookshelves one more time (since they already went through them in January) and see if there are any more books that they didn't want. They found 11 books.

Day 19 (Wednesday, March 14): Give broken rosaries to a ministry that fixes them.

I didn't have any broken ones. However, as I've been going through my Dad's office where he kept his personal and deacon-related items, I came across 8 rosaries. They all are ones that were sent to him in direct-mailers/fundraising requests. So, none had sentimental value.

Because the rosaries aren't broken, I gathered them together and will donate them to St. Therese Care Center (the nursing home where my Dad stayed during the last 3 months of his life). St. Therese is a Catholic nursing home, and there's a pastoral ministry team there. Perhaps they can use the roasaries along with some prayer books and "how to pray the rosary" guides that my Dad had in his office.

I'm going to visit my mom on Sunday at St. Therese (she's there for 5-6 weeks due to a cracked ankle), and will bring the rosaries to them at that time.

(As a side note: the Shaking Off the Bonds of Stuff guide listed two people who repair and send rosaries to missions.  I'm not sure if they are still accepting them or if their addresses are still valid, but they are: Mr. and Mrs. Louis Alfrey, 23 Oak Avenue, Camp Hill, PA  17011.  The other is Stephen Schmidt, 908 North College Avenue, Indianapolis, IN  46202.)

Day 20 (Thursday, March 15): Bury broken blessed items and burn faded religious pictures. Each religious item displayed should be in good condition and beautiful.

I didn't have anything like this, so there was nothing to do today with Shaking Off the Bonds of Stuff.

Day 21 (Friday, March 16): Evaluate your collections. Give away those that no longer interest you.

When I think of "collection" I think of a mass quantity of some object or theme (e.g., coins, stamps, dog items).

I do have a couple booklets of coins that I collected when I was younger, but I want to keep those. I also have a small book with Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) that I collected a couple of years ago. At that time, I was making ATCs and swapping them with people all over the United States and world. The ATCs that are in the book are creative miniature works of art. It's an inspiring, tactile book to look at periodically.

What I do have that simply takes up space is quite a few CDs. I went through this collection and donated 9 to the second-hand store.

I also have quite a few stamps that I purchased for homeschooling and crafting purposes. Since the girls are learning about the United States, I want to go through some of the domestic stamps and find some that represent each state. They can add these to their geography notebooks as we study each state in the United States.

So, at this point, I am holding onto this collection. Once I go through the stamps then I can either sell them (as I've done through my shop on Etsy) or donate them.

Day 22 (Saturday, March 17): Go through old craft supplies and give away those that you don't have a reasonable expectation of using again.

I did not have a chance to do this project. The thought of going through my supply closet (which is used for both homeschooling, personal, and Harvest Moon by Hand) is overwhelming at this time. This is a multi-day project but one that I want to do.

What's happening this week?  These activities:

Day 23 (Monday, March 19): Throw away all notices and announcements for past events and events you have no intention of attending.

Day 24 (Tuesday, March 20): Take all the address labels and notes, enter the information into an address book and throw away the originals.

Day 25 (Wednesday, March 21): Throw away all broken appliances. Give away or sell those that work but you no longer use.

Day 26 (Thursday, March 22): Toss curtians you have replaced because they were ugly, faded, or worn.

Day 27 (Friday, March 23): Get rid of or repair broken furniture.

Day 28 (Saturday, March 24): Go through all the magazines in your house. Sort them into piles:

- Keep for reference (only if you actually reference them)
- Toss after six months
- Toss each month
- Toss immediately

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Whipped Wheel or Raised Spider's Web Wheel Stitch - Week 11

This week for Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST), the featured stitch is the whipped wheel. Whipped wheel is also known as raised spider's web wheel, ribbed wheel, and back stitched spider's web.

According to Sharon B's Directory for Hand Embroidery and Needlework, "A whipped wheel creates a ribbed, circular shape. This stitch can be worked on an even or uneven number of spokes.

"Work a single fly stitch then two straight stitches of the same length each side of the fly stitch tail so that you end up with a circle which has five 'spokes'. These form the foundation stitches."

Photo Source

I tried to do a non-spider's wheel stitch. Thought that a variety of pastel lines of floss that were wrapped with a couple shades of lavender floss might be interesting to try.

What I envisioned and the result were two very different things. The tension was off completely and it greatly affected the appearance (in a negative way). It also was a bit time consuming to wrap all the lines multiple times. I won't be doing that again.

As with past weeks, I included the stitches in my embroidery journal. This week I put my personal reflection, list of things for which I'm grateful, and the name of the stitch along with images of an eagle,  cardinal, and ducks (all of which I saw this week).

These items along with the pastel image of the lily pad are from my dad (from cards he received and his stamp collection). I'm still going through and sorting his things. It's a long process, but one that I rather take my time with than rush through.

I did enjoy the whipped wheel or raised spider's web stitch in its traditional form. It has an interesting texture once it is completed.

Since the whipped wheel does - in a way - look like a spider web, I wanted to get a bit more information about spider webs.  On Sunstone, it said that "...spider webs are made of silk which the spiders produce through spinnerets. The silk is made of proteins, and is both stronger and more flexible than steel of the same weight."

Spider web I saw on a morning walk

in Grand Marais, Minnesota.

It went on to say that "....though the term 'spider web' generally implies that the web is in use, while 'cobweb' suggests that it’s been abandoned, the two in fact mean the same thing. The term cobweb comes from the Old English word 'coppe,' meaning spider."

Found some interesting facts from The Amazing Spider Web:

What do some spiders do with the webs in order to re-boost their energy levels?

Eat them. As the substance on the web strands looses its stickiness after a short time, and therefore its ability to capture and hold prey, webs have to be constantly re-made by the spider. Because the strands are made of protein, they are therefore recycled by the little creatures.

How do web spinning spiders initially span large gaps that seem impossible to cross (e.g., between two tall trees)?

Many webs are between objects, such as across water, or between large tall spaces, that spiders cannot cross by walking. To overcome this, spiders send a fine thread into a slight breeze which is blowing in the right direction until it catches on the far side.

Then they slowly and carefully walk across this single thread, spinning a second thread as they go - and build on from there.

While at a cotton field in Alabama, I turned by head to

notice this spider at eye level on what had to be

a spider web that was at least 4-feet in diameter.

It is an Argiope aurantia.

Here's more information about this type of spider:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argiope_aurantia.

What do spiders use as a measurement in making the patterns of a web?

The length of their bodies. After initially completing the external boundaries, the spider spins five circular threads in the centre, then a spiral of non-sticky threads working from the inside out.

On completing this stage, the spider replaces the initial spirals with more closely spaced sticky ones. The space between each spiral is in proportion to the length between the spider's back legs to its spinners.

Spider web I noticed on the underside of a caboose

in Lindstrom, Minnesota.

Finally it removes the non-sticky strands altogether - and settles down to wait.

In traditional medicine from the days of yore, and even today in some areas, to what use are spider webs put?

Placed on wounds to stop bleeding. Within spider webs there is a substance which can help in the healing process of injuries on human beings. Spider webs are also rich in vitamin K which acts as a clotting agent, thereby helping to stop bleeding.

Spider webs have been used in which artistic pursuit?

Cobweb Painting. Cobweb painting made its appearance in the 1500s in the Austrian Alps.

The webs were layered and wound over fabric and reinforced by brushing with diluted milk. Then watercolors were applied over the top to create the painting, some of which still exist today in private collections.

Even engravings were once made around the shape of cobwebs applied to a suitable surface.

P52 Photo Challenge - The "Eyes" of March - Week 11

This week's theme for the P52 photo challenge is The “Eyes” of March. I looked up "Eyes of March" on the internet for some ideas and came across the "Ides of March."

According to Wikipedia, "The word Ides comes from the Latin word 'Idus' and means 'half division' especially in relation to a month. It is a word that was used widely in the Roman calendar indicating the approximate day that was the middle of the month. The term ides was used for the 15th day of the months of March, May, July, and October; and the 13th day of the other months.

^"The Ides of March was a festive day dedicated to the god Mars; and a military parade was usually held.

"In modern times, the term Ides of March is best known as the date on which Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. Caesar was stabbed (23 times) to death in the Roman Senate by a group of conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. The group included 60 other co-conspirators according to Plutarch.

"According to Plutarch, a seer had foreseen that Caesar would be harmed not later than the Ides of March and on his way to the Theatre of Pompey (where he would be assassinated), Caesar met that seer and joked, 'The ides of March have come,' meaning to say that the prophecy had not been fulfilled, to which the seer replied 'Ay, Caesar; but not gone.'

"This meeting is famously dramatized in William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar, when Caesar is warned by the soothsayer to 'beware the Ides of March.'"

So, after reading about the Ides of March, I realized that going with theme "The Eyes of March" would be a much easier and more pleasant image to photograph.

Waiting until the last minute, my choices were limited to the dogs and cats. Montague, the golden retriever, seemed to be the most willing subject. Montague was adopted in 2003 shortly after Olivia was adopted.

Sydne (a golden retriever that was part of the family since 1990) needed to be put to sleep right before Olivia was adopted. Sydne's health was failing, and her quality of life diminishing each day. It was the most humane - albeit difficult - decision I had to make up to that point.

After returning from China with Olivia, we went to a pet adoption day at a local mall. Right as we walked in, there was a golden retriever - just like Sydne. We sat down and started petting this excitable, happy dog. The volunteer said, "If you are interested in Montague, don't leave. Someone else will come and adopt him. He's a pure golden retriever [not a mixed breed]."

Montague was taken in by this rescue group after being found by animal control. He stayed at animal control and no one came to claim him. He would have been killed had the rescue group not taken him. When he was found, he was very thin (around 60 pounds) and it was clear that he had been a runaway for some time. They estimated him to be about 1 1/2 to 2 years old.

Montague now is now about 11 years old...a senior. Yet, because of Gretel (another dog we adopted in 2008), he is active, plays daily in the backyard, and is a wonderful companion. He is gentle with the cats; and let them curl up next to him and rest.

He is an excellent watch-dog; and lets anyone who drives up in the driveway or walks by the house on the street that he is the protector of the house and everyone who lives in it.

He truly is part of the family...and our lives are richer because he is with us.

3 in 30 - March Goals - Week #2 Update

I am continuing with the 3 in 30 challenge, and have made the following progress during the past week:

1. Do "Shaking Off the Bonds of Stuff...for Lent." This past week of activities included some things that were useful to do and others didn't apply. Some were much more labor-intensive than others.

For example, on Monday the goal was to toss expired cosmetics. I didn't have anything to toss because I did this at the end of December when I purchased a few new items to replace what I had in the drawer for a long time and/or had run out of and needed.

On Tuesday, the task was to throw away any books that we no longer wanted. As a side note, one of the things that bothers me about this list of activities is the advice to "throw away" things. I find that incredibly wasteful, especially when things are in good condition and can be used by another person. So, in lieu of throwing books away I opted to donate them to several non-profit organizations.

I went through the bookshelf in the living room where there are so many books that they don't even fit on the shelf - they are in piles in front of the bookshelf. I found 46 books there to donate.

Then, I went to a shared bookshelf upstairs and found 17 books there that could be donated. I asked the girls to take a look at their bookshelves one more time (since they already went through them in January) and see if there are any more books that they didn't want. They found 11 books.

On Wednesday, the goal was to give broken rosaries to a ministry that fixes them. I didn't have any broken ones. However, as I've been going through my Dad's office where he kept his personal and deacon-related items, I came across 8 rosaries. They all are ones that were sent to him in direct-mailers/fundraising requests. So none had sentimental value.

Because the rosaries aren't broken, I gathered them together and will donate them to St. Therese Care Center (the nursing home where my Dad stayed during the last 3 months of his life). St. Therese is a Catholic nursing home, and there's a pastoral ministry team there. Perhaps they can use the roasaries along with some prayer books and "how to pray the rosary" guides that my Dad had in his office.

I'm going to visit my mom on Sunday at St. Therese (she's there for 5-6 weeks due to a cracked ankle), and will bring the rosaries to them at that time.

On Thursday, the task was to bury broken blessed items and burn faded religious pictures. I didn't have anything like that, so there was nothing to do.

Today, the goal is to evaluate my collections and give away those that no longer interest me. When I think of "collection" I think of a mass quantity of some object or theme (e.g., coins, stamps, dog items).

I do have a couple booklets of coins that I collected when I was younger, but I want to keep those. I also have a small book with Artist Trading Cards (ATCs) that I collected a couple of years ago. At that time, I was making ATCs and swapping them with people all over the United States and world. The ATCs that are in the book are creative miniature works of art. It's an inspiring, tactile book to look at periodically.

What I do have that simply takes up space is quite a few CDs. I'll be going through my CDs and determining which ones I no longer listen to and can be donated.

I also have quite a few stamps that I purchased for homeschooling and crafting purposes. Since the girls are learning about the United States, I want to go through some of the domestic stamps and find some that represent each state. They can add these to their geography notebooks as we study each state in the United States.

So, at this point, I am holding onto this collection. Once I go through the stamps then I can either sell them (as I've done through my shop on Etsy) or donate them.

2. Finish taxes; and determine a budget for homeschooling curricula and supplies for April. 

I'm still waiting for the taxes to be completed by the CPA, so I'm not sure yet what is available for the homeschool conference next month. Hopefully, the taxes will be done soon so I have an idea what kind of budget I'll have for purchasing curricula and supplies for the upcoming year.

Even though I don't have a budget yet, I thought it would be good to establish a rough outline and goals for the upcoming year, and determine what is needed to reach those goals. As I did for this school year, I plan to continue to use as many materials as I can that I already have on hand and limit what I need to purchase.

I spent some time going through a couple websites that have curriculum that I plan to use during the upcoming year - Sonlight and Simply Charlotte Mason. Wrote down the resources that I'll need and topics that the girls will learn about in each of the subjects that they'll be studying. Then looked at the current plan I have now and wrote down what I want to continue with next year.

What's difficult for me is that there are so many interesting resources available to homeschoolers. There simply aren't enough hours in a day to be able to incorporate everything I'd like to do and have my daughters experience. So, it comes down to what is practical and realistic to accomplish...and will keep them engaged and excited about learning.

3. Trim trees before spring. I did not have a chance to work on this project this week. However, this weekend the temperatures are going to be in the 70s and 80s - unseasonable hot for this time of year (this is more typical of June and July weather - not March weather in Minnesota). So, I definitely need to get this project done before the trees start growing leaves.

Additional Goal Met:

1. Re-paint Olivia's room. Olivia wanted to paint her room blue (one of her favorite colors). Before she was adopted, I had painted the room green since I thought it could be a forest or jungle theme room. Although Olivia loves animals, the theme never materialized...so it was just a bedroom with green walls.

 The before (north/northeast view) is above; and the after shot is below.

Eight years later, I thought it would be good to honor her request in changing her room color to better fit her personality and preference. I know when I was growing up how nice it was to have a room color that I wanted...not one that my parents had picked for me.

Before picture on the top; and after picture below.

I was given this opportunity when I was 8 years old and we moved from inner-city Minneapolis to Plymouth (a suburb of Minneapolis and almost "the country" at the time). My parents asked what color I wanted. for the walls and carpet. My choice: purple. Sure enough, they followed through and I grew up with purple walls and purple shag carpet. It was exactly what I wanted.

Before on the top and after on the bottom.

Olivia is equally as happy with her new room color. It's such a simple thing - a gallon of paint. But, what an impact it has on her happiness; and feeling good about her room that is a place of comfort and security for her.

Trumpeter Swans and a Nature Walk

Olivia and I went on a nature walk on Sunday morning to see a flock of trumpeter swans that were resting in a neighbor's soybean field. It was still early in the morning - before 8:00 a.m.

Once we were closer, the swans were a bit more alert, but didn't seem concerned by us watching them.

As we were watching them, we heard a trumpeting sound in the distance. The swans on the ground began trumpeting loudly. In a matter of minutes, a swan appeared overhead.

The swans kept trumpeting, encouraging it to join the flock. The swan circled overhead, and then landed. You can see it land in the picture above (on the right hand side).

As we looked at the swans, we noticed that one was a shade of gray. It's a juvenile trumpeter swan. It's the same size as an adult, but the plumage is gray. It also has a pinkish gray bill versus a black bill (it will change from gray to black as it becomes an adult).

Eventually, it was time for the trumpeter swans to leave. They all stood up (they can reach 60 inches tall) and spread their wings (they can get up to 6 1/2 feet wide). They flew south a bit as they took off, and then turned to the northwest and flew away.

Truly, it was one of the more memorable mornings. This was the second time in my life that I have seen trumpeter swans. However, this was the first time that I was able to see them so closely and for a prolonged period of time.

Olivia and I enjoyed being out in the quiet, open field. We walked over to where the trumpeter swans were after they flew off and found some feathers. Not large ones - just the small, downy feathers.

As we walked back home, we spotted many deer tracks.

We also saw some dog or coyote tracks. Not sure which one.

Eventually, we made it to the back part of the farm. The picture above is a view looking north. The red barn with white roof in the distance is the barn in the backyard. It seemed like a long walk back to Olivia.

Once we got through this pond/swampy area, it was an easier walk. We enjoyed seeing where deer had visited the farm - where they sleep or rest in the pressed-down grassy areas.

It was a wonderful way to start the morning...and one we will certainly remember for years to come.

W is for Wonderful Waffles - ABCs of Homeschooling

This week's recipe from the Alpha-Bakery cookbook for children is Wonderful Waffles. It's hard to believe that after this week, there are only 3 more weeks until we have made all of the 26 recipes that correspond to a different letter of the alphabet.

The waffles were a mixed experience. Sophia didn't completely stir the first batch, so there were lumps of dry ingredients in the batter. I didn't notice it until she placed the batter in the waffle iron. Then they became much more apparent. The first batch didn't rise as much as normal waffles do.

So, I re-stirred the remaining batter and tried to break up some of the lumps. For some reason, it was very difficult. This may be due to the way the recipe has the ingredients added (the wet ones to the dry versus the other way around).

The second batch of waffles rose more, though were not as big as the first batch (more batter was used for the first batch). Regardless, the waffles tasted great and we would make them again. Next time, we will mix the liquid ingredients first and then add the dry ones to see if that makes a difference.

Two waffles from the second batch.

Wonderful Waffles

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk (we used dairy-free rice milk)

1/2 cup melted butter (we used dairy-free butter)

1 egg, separated

Directions:

Heat waffle iron. Mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in medium bowl. Stir in milk, butter and egg yolk until blended.

Beat egg white in a small bowl on high speed until stiff peak forms. Fold in flour mixture into egg white.

Pour about 2/3 cup of batter onto center of waffle iron. Bake until steaming stops. Carefully remove waffle from waffle iron. Makes 3 (8 inch) waffles.

Shaking Off the Bonds of Stuff - Update

Over on Love My Little Flower, the author has a Shaking Off the Bonds of Stuff schedule for the 40 days of Lent. The plan was originally written by Dale O'Leary, a freelance journalist and radio talk show host.

Here's how we've done for the past week:

Day 11 (Monday, March 5): Collect all stained and ripped clothing hanging in your closets. Either mend it or throw it out immediately.

I found one shirt that had ripped sleeves/cuffs near the wrists. It was beyond mending since the cuff on one side was missing. Despite the fact that the shirt is very comfortable, I tossed it out.

There are two sweatshirts that either have holes in the elbow, are ripped at the cuffs, and/or have stains on them. I use these two sweatshirts when I am either cooking a lot or doing something messy (e.g., painting, cleaning the barn) and don't want to ruin good clothes.

I also have several pairs of pajama pants that are in the same condition. These are also used when I'm doing work that use materials or supplies that can stain, rip, or ruin clothing.

In fact, on Sunday (March 11th) Olivia and I painted part of her bedroom. Wearing one of the aforementioned sweatshirts and pajama pants, I did get paint on both. What was nice was I didn't have to stop everything to try to remove the paint from my clothing. It didn't matter because they were already damaged.

I see no point in throwing away "work clothes" because they have stains on them or aren't in perfect condition. To me that's being wasteful.

Day 12 (Tuesday, March 6): Dispose of all the recipes you cut out and haven't used.

Last April, I did 30 Days to a Simpler Life, and organized all the recipes I wanted to try into a three-ring binder. Having them organized by item (e.g., bread, salads, appetizers, desserts) helped me easily find recipes I wanted to try.

Rarely do we go out to eat, so trying new recipes and preparing a variety of food is an on-going goal of mine. I think it's important also for Sophia and Olivia to be exposed to different types of food so that they are more willing to try food when they aren't at home.

This year, we have been trying quite a few new recipes as part of homeschooling since both Sophia and Olivia enjoy cooking and baking. Sophia is almost done with her Alpha-Bakery cookbook in which she's made one new recipe per week since September (each week the recipe starts with a different letter).

Once she finishes Alpha-Bakery, she will go through the binder that has recipes we haven't tried and pick ones she wants to learn how to make.

Olivia is working on a Five in a Row Cookbook and has several recipes she makes each week. This book will be used for another year, and then she'll be ready to try other recipes.

Since we homeschool, I look at the recipes at a resource that has taken years to create. It would seem foolish (at least to me) to toss a resource that will be used not only this year but in years to come.

Binder with recipes that we'd like to make.

What I did instead was put all the recipes that we've tried recently in the recipe boxes that hold only good recipes that we would enjoy making again. I also put recipes we want to try in the three-ring binder pictured above.

I also did a meal plan for the remainder of March. Looking at what I have on hand in the freezer and cupboards, I matched the ingredients with recipes from the binder. In this way, I'm continuing to use up what is at home without over-purchasing food or ingredients. I'm excited to try a lot of new recipes this month!

Day 13 (Wednesday, March 7): Go through your clothes. Give away everything that doesn't fit or doesn't flatter.

Last year, I did Project Simplify and thoroughly cleaned my closet. In the process, I donated four bags of clothes. I haven't added too much to the closet since then - just a couple of sweaters and a dress.
What I did notice is that there are items that I haven't worn in over six months. So, I removed those items and donated them to the second-hand store. There were enough items to fill a paper grocery bag.

Sophia and Olivia already did this last month. However, with the change of seasons and the necessary clothes to wear in warmer weather, they'll need to go through their spring/summer clothes next month. At that point, we'll donate items that don't fit and create a list of clothing that they'll need.

Day 14 (Thursday, March 8): Throw away all broken toys and games with missing parts.

The girls went through their rooms during the past month and took out anything that was broken or they didn't want. They put what they no longer wanted in the hallway for me to go through.

So, with today's task in mind, I divided all the items they no longer wanted (e.g., unsellable/toss, recycle, donate). I did keep some of the doll clothes they no longer played with in case younger children visit and/or they want it someday for their own children. Any doll clothes that were sewn by my mother were kept as well as nicer-quality clothing and/or handmade clothes.

One area that the girls need help with is their closet which had just become a "dumping ground" since December. This is a major project and we were not able to do it this week.  My goal is to do this within the next week.

Day 15 (Friday, March 9): Go through old paint and throw out what is unusable. (Ed note: Bring to recycling place that takes paint and other hazardous household materials.)

With the weather being warmer during the upcoming week, it will be a good time to go outside and look in the hobby shed and barn where there is paint. 

Also, there is paint and other  items that cannot be thrown in the garbage that are in the basement. These need to be removed from the shelf since those were from the previous owner (over 16 years ago).

The hazardous waste facility is about 36 miles (one way) from home and open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Looks like I'll wait until one of those days to collect and bring everything in.

Day 16 (Saturday, March 10): Throw away medicine that has expired.

I did this last Spring and was surprised at how many bottles of medicine had expired or prescriptions were no longer needed. Since that time, I have been able to keep the medicine cabinet (in the linen closet) organized.

However, I haven't recently taken a look at expiration dates on the bottles, so I did that again. I found 14 bottles or packages that had expired (most expired within the past 1-3 months). These were tossed. Honestly, I'm actually surprised that there were so many expired items. At least now I know what is available and that it will effective.

What's coming up for the next week?  These activities:

Day 17 (Monday, March 12): Toss cosmetics that have expired.

Day 18 (Tuesday, March 13): Throw away any books that you wouldn't want your family to read. (Ed note: Donate the books to organizations that would benefit from them.)

Day 19 (Wednesday, March 14): Give broken rosaries to a ministry that fixes them.

There were two people who repairs and sends them to missions.  One is Mr. and Mrs. Louis Alfrey, 23 Oak Avenue, Camp Hill, PA  17011.  The other is Stephen Schmidt, 908 North College Avenue, Indianapolis, IN  46202.

Day 20 (Thursday, March 15): Bury broken blessed items and burn faded religious pictures. Each religious item displayed should be in good condition and beautiful.

Day 21 (Friday, March 16): Evaluate your collections. Give away those that no longer interest you.

Day 22 (Saturday, March 17): Go through old craft supplies and give away those that you don't have a reasonable expectation of using again.

Composer Study - George Gershwin

George Gershwin (September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist. His compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known.

Photo Source

Among his best known works are the orchestral compositions Rhapsody in Blue (1924) and An American in Paris (1928), as well as the opera Porgy and Bess (1935).

Sophia and Olivia listened to six pieces by Gershwin. The songs and the girls' comments are noted below.

"I Got Rhythm" - variations for piano and orchestra (1934)

- Both the girls liked the first variation.
- Sophia said, "I liked the first part because it was more cheerful than the others."
- Olivia said, "I liked the beginning the best."

"The Yankee Doodle Blues" (1922)

- Sophia said, "I can't believe people actually listened to music like this."
- Olivia didn't have a comment for this piece.

"Somebody Love Me" (1924)

- Sophia said, "It sounds like old-fashioned music like in the White Christmas at The Carousel Club."
- Olivia said, "It sounds like the 1960s. I liked 'I Got Rhythm' better."

"That Certain Feeling" (1925)

- Sophia said, "There's too much trombone."
- Olivia said, "It's too noisy."

"Sweet and Low Down" (1925)

- Sophia said, "It's okay. It sounds old-fashioned."
- Olivia said,"It's not that great. I like people singing. That's what I prefer."

"Rhapsody in Blue" (1924)

- Sophia said, "It's on Tom and Jerry."
- Olivia said, "If they get hit on the head, they always recover."

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Running Stitch - Week 10

This week for Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST), the featured stitch is the running stitch. According to Wikipedia, the "running stitch or straight stitch is the basic stitch in hand-sewing and embroidery, on which all other forms of sewing are based.

"The stitch is worked by passing the needle in and out of the fabric. Running stitches may be of varying length, but typically more thread is visible on the top of the sewing than on the underside.^"

What could be a rather dull stitch can actually be presented in many different ways by simply varying the stitch length and using a variety of colors of embroidery floss.

Throughout the world there are many forms of the running stitch.  For example, kogin is a traditional embroidery from the northern part of japan.

Originally kogin was used as a form of darning or reinforcing work clothes. The patterns became more beautiful and were known for their intricate designs. Kogin is most commonly done with white thread on an indigo blue background.

From Min Gei Kan: Japanese Kogin

Meiji Period, 19th Century

On Needleprint it said that "...Kogin [is] a form of sashiko. It was developed in the Aomori Prefecture which is in the Tohoku region. In the early 1700s, farmers were prohibited from using cotton for work clothes; only linen was allowed.

"In order to keep warm (this area is buried in deep snow in winter), the women darned threads between the gaps of rough linen cloth to make it stronger and warmer. Later, the darning took on decorative patterns and the women would present their best Kogin works as festive wear. The Kogin patterns symbolized nature such as the dragonfly, nuts, butterflies, etc."

One of the samples I did this week. Under the purple embroidery floss are

green lines to mark where to stitch.

Sashiko patterns are typically traced onto the right side of the ground fabric and then stitched with 5-8 small, even stitches per inch along the pattern lines.

One of the sashiko patterns I embroidered in 2010.

This one was made into a pillow.

Traditional sashiko patterns are done with white thread on indigo ground fabric but modern sashiko is now done with multi-colored thread on various types of ground, including silk.

After I finished doing all the stitching on the sashiko fabric,

I washed each piece of fabric to remove the gold marks.

I dried it on the clothesline and then ironed the fabric.

What remains are the white stitches on indigo fabric.

Kogin embroidery is done on evenweave fabric and is stitched as an over/under darning pattern. In order to create the pattern, the horizontal stitches vary in length.

It doesn't show up well in the photo,

but there are two lighter shades of blue (Light - L; and Medium - M) and

a darker shade of blue (D).

So, the pattern is: L, M, D, M, L, M, D, M, L.

Traditional kogin embroidery was also done with white thread on indigo ground but modern kogin embroidery can be done with any thread you choose on any ground you choose.

This pattern is from a kogin pattern book.

The difference is that I used three strands of embroidery floss

on 11-count Aida cloth. The original pattern used

a tighter-weave of blue fabric with

thicker white thread/floss which (I thought) looked a lot better.

Another part of the world also has a type of embroidery that uses the running stitch. On Wikipedia, it says that "Kantha is a type of embroidery popular in Bangladesh and in West Bengal, India. The use of kantha is popular in kantha sarais traditionally worn by women in Bengal, but any garment or cloth with kantha embroidery, predominantly having a border of decorative running stitch motifs, may be called a kantha garment."

Photo Source

Kantha stitching is also used to make simple quilts, commonly known as nakshi kantha. Women in Bengal typically use old saris and cloth and layer them with kantha stitch to make a light blanket, throw, or bedspread, especially for children.

Photo Source

Kantha is similar to the decorative running stitch of Japanese sashiko quilting. Kantha originated from the way in which Bengali housewives mended old clothes by taking out a strand of thread from the colorful border of their saris and making simple designs with them.

For this week's TAST, I did the running stitch on Aida cloth as well as pre-printed cloth that had green lines. These lines did not wash out of the fabric like the lines on traditional sashiko fabric. I wrote a short journal entry, did a list of things for which I am grateful, and included the stitch name.

My embroidery journal entry and samples for the week.

I also added a couple of images from greeting cards that were in my dad's office since I'm still going through his files and two offices at home (one for his persona/business use and one for being a Deacon).

It's been a long process so far - with lots of work ahead - but it has been a helpful thing to do in the grieving process. The quote is one that I found in his items and truly reflects the way that he lived his life - to the fullest and positively affecting literally thousands of people.

I shall pass through this world but once,

Any good, therefore, that I can do or

Any kindness that I can show

To any human being

Let me do it now.

Let me not defer it or neglect it,

For I shall not pass this way again.

~~ Steven Grellet ~~

3 in 30 - March Update - Week #1

I am happy with the progress I made with the 3 in 30 challenge so far during March. The biggest weight off my shoulders is getting the taxes done (see goal #2 below for more information).

The most rewarding and enjoyable is getting rid of items around the house that no longer serve a purpose (see goal #1 below for more information and links to the tasks done each day).

At the end of the first week of March, this is my progress so far:

1. Do "Shaking Off the Bonds of Stuff...for Lent." I've been enjoying doing this daily challenge during Lent because it is different than anything I've done during this time period.

Here's how we did during the first few days of the challenge, and then during the second week.

2. Finish taxes; and determine a budget for homeschooling curricula and supplies for April.  On March 4th, I finished totaling each of the categories needed for taxes (e.g., interest paid on the house, each subsection of medical expenses, homeschooling/education, home business). I completed the booklet that the CPA sends to clients (the yellow and green sheets in the photo below); and then brought all the paperwork and booklet to her.

Once the taxes are returned, I need to see what will be available for the homeschool conference in April where I purchase the majority of curricula and supplies for the upcoming school year.

Concurrent with budgeting for homeschooling curricula and supplies is establishing a rough outline and goals for the upcoming year, and determining what is needed to reach those goals.

As I did this year, I would like to continue using as many materials as I can that I already have on hand and limit what I need to purchase. I have not made progress on planning for next year yet. Perhaps next week I'll begin on this task.

3. Trim trees before spring. The apple trees need to be pruned before they start to bud, and this is a good time to do that. I also would like to clean up some of the lower branches of trees that I have to duck under while mowing the backyard.

In the pasture, there's a section of trees that would benefit from some trimming so that the horses, girls, and I can go through that area without pushing branches out of the way when we go on nature walks.

I haven't had a chance to do any tree trimming during the past week. It's going to get warmer this upcoming week so it will be a good week to do this project.

P52 Photo Challenge - Be Still - Week 10

For the tenth week of the P52 photography challenge, the theme is "Be Still." Honestly, I wasn't quite sure what to do for the image. Nothing was coming to mind.

Then I spent the afternoon on March 8th going through files from my Dad's office. I've taken on this task since he died on January 5th because I've found it to be quite healing and helpful as I go through the grieving process.

So, each time I go over to my Mom's home, I go through more files and different parts of his office as a way to slowly go through what he kept throughout his life and determine if it's something that should be kept, recycled, or sent to someone who may enjoy and/or appreciate it.

The last time I went there, I brought home several bags filled with files, pictures, and other items from his office. These were aspects of his life and what he valued; so I wanted to spend a more time looking at and reading what he kept. I didn't want to rush through this process since it is only going to be done one time.

Essentially, I have been gaining deeper insight into my Dad's life, his spiritual beliefs, and his work as a Deacon since his death. This afternoon was time well spent in reflection. In quietness. In stillness.

It was a time to appreciate the many gifts my Dad had, the impact he made on literally thousands of lives throughout his lifetime, and deepen my respect for someone who truly lived what he believed.

Around 5:00 p.m., I took a break from going through the files, and walked down the road with Sophia and Olivia. There was a bitterly-cold wind that seemed to be coming from all directions. It was far from a still afternoon.

As I waited while the girls let out a neighbor's dog, I looked out their patio door towards the west (the back part of the nature trail and wildlife area at Harvest Moon). The sky was open in one area; and the sun's rays were radiating down and outward. It was, to me, an image of stillness. Peacefulness. Quiet.

In an article titled "Quietude" the author said, "In the presence of ex­quisite art, the stillness of a forest, the quietude of the vast desert, the solemnity of the mountains, the tranquility of gently falling snow, the ocean when waves are resting, composure in the face of unspeakable tragedy, or the ineffable wonder of human love; in the presence of all these and more, silence resounds.

"As the psalmist declares about the heavens, 'There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world.' (Psalms 19:3-4 NRSV)."

So, in an absence of speech there is silence. Stillness. Yet, this same silence is quite powerful and affects a multitude of people in ways that cannot be comprehended.

As I looked at the landscape from the patio door, I noticed that many of the trees are bare at this time of the year. In an article titled "Earth and Ourselves: The Stillness of the Winter Tree," the author said, "The tree without leaves is not a creature lacking fulfillment, rather it has a revealing quality like that of  silence after the spoken word or a stillness that precedes the dawn.

"The tree in summer can never be still. Even on a windless day there is innumerable life that rustles and chirps and creeps and clings among its leaves and branches, up its trunk, and beneath its bark."

There seemed not to be another living thing in all the world.

There was something of bliss in this stillness, and something ominous too.

It was the kind of stillness that beckons us to turn inward,

toward the beginnings of our existence.

~~Paul Gruchow~~

In Essence of Recovery, it is said that "...We cannot create profound stillness. We can allow it. We can move into it. We can receive it. Many of us have been frightened by such a stillness .... Some [people] are endlessly busy just keeping the stillness at a comfortable distance. Many [people] have unwittingly thrown themselves into a workaholic life because they were frightened by their emerging spirits.

"We can change this pattern by allowing ourselves a little quiet at a time. At first, it may be just a few minutes alone. We may be more able to meet the stillness outdoors, or we can learn to be still in the presence of someone else. The stillness is a moment of meditation."

I'm happy to have taken the time to day to not only be still...but to find an image that captures how I was feeling today.

Hands-on Ways to Learn about Rocks

As part of Sophia's and Olivia's multi-disciplinary geography curriculum, the girls are learning about the state rocks for each state in the United States.

One of the questions that the girls need to answer is "What type of rock is __________?" They've been hearing the terms "metamorphic rock" and "sedimentary rock," and I wanted them to do an activity that would give them a visual  idea what these terms mean.

Using Janice VanCleave's Earth Science For Every Kid, we did two activities. The first one was called "Crunch" and the purpose is to demonstrate the formation of metamorphic rocks.

I gave Sophia and Olivia each ten toothpicks and an encyclopedia. They were instructed to snap the toothpicks in half, but leave them connected.

They piled the toothpicks on the table and then placed the encyclopedia on top of the toothpick pile.

They pressed down and removed the book. 

What did this show? According to Earth Science for Every Kid, "The toothpicks flatten into layers under the pressure of the book. In nature, the weight of rocks at the surface pushes down on rock and dirt beneath, forcing them to flatten into layers. Rocks formed by great pressure are called metamorphic rock."

The second activity we did was called "Sedimentary Sandwich."  This activity demonstrated a sedimentary rock formation. (It also provided part of the girls' lunch.)

They each received one slice of bread that was cut in half. They were instructed to use the knife to spread a layer of peanut butter on the slice of bread.

Then they added a layer of jelly on top of the peanut butter layer.

Then they placed the second slice of bread on top of the jelly layer and ate the sandwich.

Showing four different layers (bread, peanut butter, jam, and bread).

While they were eating their sandwiches, we talked about how, according to Earth Science for Every Kid, "...sedimentary rocks are formed from loose particles that have been carried from one place to another and redeposited. These rocks usually are deposited in a series of layers similar to the layers in the sandwich."

The book continued, "Each layer can be distinguished by differences in color, texture, and composition. The oldest layer and lowest bed is deposited first and the youngest layer is at the top. The layers over a period of time become compacted and cemented together to form solid rock structures."