P52 Photo Challenge - True Love (at the Zoo) - Week 7

A trip to the zoo on Valentine's Day ended up being a wonderful place to capture true love, friendship, and companionship in photographs.

Some of the highlights were the Japanese macaques or snow monkeys. (The snow monkeys are found only in Japan, and are considered a threatened species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.)

There were three babies/young monkeys at the Minnesota Zoo. Two of the babies were still with their mothers who were quite protective of them. 

The brown (a.k.a. grizzly) bears in the Russia's Grizzly Coast exhibit were having fun rough-housing. Reminded me of Montague and Gretel (the dogs) who like to play rough at times. The bears even stood up at one point giving a rather dramatic show of who was the most powerful of the two.

The rhinoceros hornbills were jumping from branch to branch. At one point, one of the birds broke off a branch and handed it gently from its beak to the other bird's beak.

The family of Asian small-clawed otters were sleeping soundly. This was a rare moment of quiet. Normally, when we have visited them, they are active - running around, playing in the water, and stealing bits of hay from one another. Not today...they rested peacefully together with their heads resting on one another.

And...because I couldn't get enough of the snow monkeys...one more picture. This is the way the babies were carried. They would hop onto the mother's back and she would walk and run around with them holding onto her fur. 

S is for Strawberry Shortcakes - ABCs of Homeschooling

This week for Sophia's home economics lesson, she made Strawberry Shortcakes using the recipe from the children's cookbook Alpha-Bakery.

This was a very easy recipe to make, and everyone enjoyed the dessert. This is definitely a recipe that we will make again during the summer when we can pick fresh strawberries.

Ingredients:

1 quart strawberries, sliced
1 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted (we used dairy-free butter)

Directions:

Sprinkle strawberries with 1 cup of sugar; let stand 1 hour. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, the baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in milk and margarine just until blended.

Sprinkle a surface lightly with flour. Turn the dough onto the surface. Gently smooth into a ball; knead 20-25 times. Roll or pat dough 3/4 inch thick; cut into shortcakes with a floured biscuit cutter. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes.  Split warm shortcakes crosswise; fill and top with strawberries. Serve with Sweetened Whipped Cream. (Note: we didn't do this since we were trying to keep the recipe dairy-free.)

Sweetened Whipped Cream

Beat 1 cup of chilled whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar in a chilled small bowl until stiff.

Diary of 5

This was the moon setting earlier this week.

I am seeing...Montague (the golden retriever) sleeping with two cats (Lucy and Eenie) nestled by his neck and legs.

I am hearing...complete silence...with the exception of the pets breathing and the hum of the furnace keeping the home warm on a chilly morning.

I am smelling...a blend of essential oils - clary sage, lavender, peppermint, and pink grapefruit.

I tasted...a delicious cup of hot chocolate this morning.

I am feeling...better than I was a week ago.

3 in 30 - February Check-in - Week 2

This year, I'm participating in the 3 in 30 Challenge. During January I had three goals and worked towards them each week. During February, I'm continuing to work on my January goals:

- Finish taking photos out of the scrapbooks that aren't photo-safe, and put them in boxes that are archival-safe. I took all the albums out of the closet and put them in two stacks. There are 19 albums that I want to go through by the end of the month. Hopefully by having them in an accessible and visible place, it will be a good motivator to get through them and create more space.

- Finish the master bedroom by washing all the walls and windows; and then painting the accent areas dark green (behind the bed and over the window on the west side of the room) and the walls white.  I also want to go through the books on each side of the bed, and determine if they can be donated or I want to keep them. I did not work on this goal during the past week.

- Continue going outside each day for 15 minutes. With the exception of two days that I wasn't feeling and was recovering from being sick, I have been outside each day.

In addition, my three goals for February are:

1. Do a one-week fiscal fast. I did this during the first week, and have received a lot of positive feedback from others who are thinking of trying it in the future. A mother who I met when adopting Sophia did a one-week fiscal fast after reading about my experience last week and had an equally fun and challenging week doing her own fiscal fast. So, I was happy to hear that it inspired at least one other family to try to not spend anything for one week. 

Some people asked last week how a fiscal fast works. Basically, the goal is to not spend any money for seven days.  The next fiscal fast that we'll be doing will be from February 15th-21st. I picked those dates because all monthly bills will be paid by that time; and the girls don't have any activities that cost money during that time period.

In preparation for the fiscal fast, I fill up the car with gasoline so hopefully all errands and activities can be done on one tank of gas. This is a slight challenge in that the closest "big" town is 14 miles away (a 28 mile round trip). Going to the city is about 35 miles away (a 70 mile round trip). So, if we go somewhere we need to try to group things together so we don't have to refill the gas tank during the week.

I also ensure that I have some essentials from the grocery store so I can make homemade food during the week (e.g., dairy-free milk, dairy-free butter, regular milk, bread). Other than that, the food that we will eat comes from what we have on hand in the cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer. Fruit comes from produce I either froze or canned during the summer.

2. Reduce diet-pop consumption and increase water consumption. I have been able to keep my diet-pop consumption to only two cans maximum per day. In the place of extra cans of diet-pop, I am drinking two big glasses of water each day. I found that on some days, I drank three glasses of water. So, I feel like I am headed in the right direction with this goal.

The only day that I drank more than the two cans of diet pop was on Saturday when I spent the day with my mom helping to go through paperwork and personal items that belonged to my dad (he died last month); and determine what to do with everything (e.g., give to a family member or friend; donate and to what organization; toss). It was a long day and I was very tired, so I had a third pop while I was driving home (about 50 miles away).

3. File everything so I can begin working on taxes. I went through my home office and gathered all the papers that needed to be filed and put them in bags. Now that everything is together, the next step is to put the items in file folders, and then in the files.

P52 Photo Challenge - Drink Up - Week 6

This week's theme for the P52 photo challenge is "Drink Up." What immediately came to mind was a nice, warm mug of hot chocolate that I enjoy each morning and evening. Normally, I have marshmallows with my hot chocolate, but I ran out earlier this week, so I've been having it plain. 

As I was taking pictures of the cup of hot chocolate, it look so plain and unappealing. Thought if I added something on the top it might create a bit more visual interest. Looking in the cupboard, I found a jar of crushed Oreo cookies and confectioners sugar. (I had thought about using baking cocoa, but that would have been too bitter for me to drink.)

Hot chocolate with confectioners sugar and

Oreo cookie crumbs on top.

A long time ago, I found a recipe for a frugal hot chocolate mix that I have been using ever since.  What I like about the recipe is that it can be modified and still taste delicious.

Initially, I put the creamer and confectioners sugar in the mix, but have not done that for at least a year now. There not much of a difference without these two ingredients, so I didn't see a point in including them in the mix...it was just an added expense.

Ingredients

10 2/3 cups dry milk
6 ounces non-dairy coffee creamer
1 pound Nestle’s Quik
1/3 cup confectioners sugar

Directions

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. To use, mix ½ cup with 1 cup of hot water. Enjoy!

One of my favorite mugs for hot chocolate.

Artist/Picture Study - Grandma Moses

Sophia and Olivia have been learning about Grandma Moses as part of homeschooling this year. They have learned a bit about Grandma Moses as well as studied six paintings that she did.

Studying about the works of different artists over a block of time is something that follows Charlotte Mason's educational philosophy. How that looks with the girls is that I show them one picture for five minutes. They look and study the image.

After five minutes, I close the book and they take turns remembering and orally sharing different parts of the picture. They take turns saying one thing they recalled about the picture, with the goal of not repeating what the other one has said.

The art work that the girls looked at as well as they noticed and remembered about the pictures are below.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Mary had a Little Lamb

Sophia recalled:
- The schoolhouse is made from red brick.
- Mary is wearing airy clothes - bright pink.
- There are two girls sitting next to the fence making a daisy chain.
- As Mary's walking to school, she's carrying a tin bucket.
- There are three kids - two girls sitting on a fence and one boy walking on the fence.
- There are three houses spread a bit and in front of one is a little gate.
- The school mistress is wearing a gray shawl or jacket.
- One of the boys is holding a stick in both hands.
- There's a tall wooden fence that runs to the school.
- Next to the four kids picking daisies, there's mounds of dirt or rock.

Olivia recalled:
- There's a little fence in the distance.
- There are three little girls picking flowers.
- The teacher is ringing a bell.
- There's a little pond.
- There are three big rocks.
- There's  a little log house.
- A couple of boys and girls who were wearing red.
- The teacher was wearing grey.
- The lamb is white.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Childhood Home of Anna Mary Robertson

Sophia remembered:
- I saw a paddlewheel or mill wheel.
- Out in the distance, there's a city. There's a ship mast.
- There are big mountains in the distance.
- The whole place looks like it's getting ready for autumn - there's red, browns, and gold alng with green.
- There's a lake with a creek branching off from it.
- There's an orchard behind in the distance.
- The sky is really blue and there are clouds.
- All the people I saw were wearing hats.
- The people aren't dressed brightly they are in drab colors - even the red.
- The side of the millhouse is made from stone.

Olivia remembered:
- The white house is surrounded by a fence.
- I saw a cow standing under a tree.
- There's a hill.
- There's a horse standing by a lake with a person by it.
- There's a cart driver by two horses or a person leading it. There's hay in it.
- I see words.
- There's a house in the distance.
- There's a horse standing in the barn.
- I saw three people - 1 is a woman. She's wearing a pretty red dress.
- I saw things that were blue, white, green, gold, red, and brown.
- The barn and houses are built out of wood.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

May: Making Soap and Washing Sheep

Sophia recalled:
- The colors in the picture are subtle - they're not vivid.
- There's a dog by the house.
- An older lady and little girl are collecting eggs.
- All the men are wearing hats.
- There's a lady by the house stirring a cauldron over a fire.
- The sheep that haven't been washed are dirty.
- There's a big tub with a tap that's dripping white liquid in a bucket.
- Outside the barn, there's a stack of logs.
- Up by the house it looks like there's a lady ringing a bell for lunch.
- The barn had a bunch of hay or straw on the ground.

Olivia recalled:
- There's a sheep rearing on its back legs.
- There's a cat by the pond.
- The people are washing sheep in the pond.
- There are chickens.
- A goat is chasing a dog.
- There's a forked pathway - it looks like a "Y."
- The grass is green.
- On the house there's a window that looks like a fan.
- There's a white picket fence gate that's open.
- The trees have lots of leaves.
- Girls wore lots of dresses and aprons.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sugaring Off

Sophia remembered:
- By one of the fires, there's a white and gray dog.
- There are two girls who are holding hands. One has a pink coat and one has a purple coat.
- There are two women who are waving to men. Behind them is the house.
- There's a man who is dumping a bucket full of maple syrup into a vat that is by the oxen.
- There's a house in the trees way back.
- The people are wearing bright colors, but the background has dreary colors of blue, gray, and white.
- All the people seem happy - no one is crying or having a meltdown.
- There are lots of green evergreens.

Olivia remembered:
- There are two dogs - one is gold and one is black and white.
- There are lots of green pine trees.
- There are lots of horses - 1 with a sled behind it.
- There are lots of green buckets filled with maple syrup.
- There are lots of bright colors - pinks, purples, red, greens, and blues.
- There are two oxen pulling a sled filled with logs.
-  There are lots of trees with no leaves...maple trees.
- There are two cauldrons boiling maple syrup.
- There's a man with a bucket pouring maple syrup into the fire with a black and white dog behind him.
- People are wearing coats, hats, and mittens.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Get Out the Sleigh

Sophia recalled:
- There's a black dog with white stripes, and it's barking.
- There are mountains in the distance that are big and looming.
- Not too far away, there are little, small hills in pink, purple, and blue. It's really pretty.
- There's a lady dressed in purple. Her head doesn't reach the horse's back.
- The guy with the shovel is taller than the horse and wagon.
- There's a road between the church and house that goes in a "Y."
- There aren't any fir trees.
- It's very dark - the colors aren't bright.
- There aren't a lot of people out, but the one's who are out look happy and cheerful; and not glum.

Olivia recalled:
- There are two horses (yellow and orange). The yellow one is part of a a horse-drawn wagon.
- There are lots of hills and a church in front of that.
- All of the houses have dark windows.
- By the yellow house there's a car in the shed.
- There are lots of trees.
- It's snowing. The snow is heavy and there are lots of snowflakes.
- There are fences along the road.
- There are only three animals out.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rainbow

Sophia remembered:

- A boy feeding two black horses.

- There's a big white church in the distance and behind it are more houses - lik a settlement.

- The grass looks fresh and pretty. I like the greens and yellows.

- Therea re two donkeys pulling a plow.

- Huge mountains shrouded in mist.

- The rainbow isn't as bright as in real life. Real rainbows have more colors than yellow and green.

- Next to the house is a winding path leading to the barn.

- The sky is a pale blue.

- There are two oxen pulling red machinery with trees cut down.

- There is a little white house that has a flower garden near it.

- There's a little bush with purple, pink, and red flowers.

- There are no cats or dogs.

Olivia remembered:

- There's a pasture with a cow and goats pulling a plow.

- A boy is petting a tall brown horse.

- Behind the house are big mountains.

- There are two big black oxen pulling a wagon in front of the barn.

- All the people look happy.

- One person is cutting pumpkins.

- There's a rainbow.

- There's a white farm house.

- The paths have white fences around them.

- There's a big tree covered with green leaves.

- People are wearing white, black, brown, green, and red clothes.

- Beside the person cutting pumpkins, there's a big hedge of flowers.

- The pastures are green and gold with a patch of weeds.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Chevron Stitch - Week 6

This week for Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST), the featured stitch is the chevron stitch.

According to the Art of Threads, the chevron stitch, it is a "...variation of the herringbone stitch, and it is also made with the same movements of the hands as the herringbone stitch is made."

Photo Source

So, what's a "chevron" and how does it relate to embroidery?

On Wikipedia, it says that a chevron "...is an inverted V-shaped pattern." It also notes that "The chevron occurs in early art including designs on pottery and rock carvings. Examples can be found approximately 1800 BC in archaeological recovery of pottery designs from the palace of Knosos on Crete in the modern day country of Greece."

Photo Source

Another definition of a chevron is "...a series of  bones on the ventral (under) side of the tail in many reptiles, dinosaurs  (such as Diplodocus; see picture below), and some mammals such as kangaroos and manatees. 

"Their main function is to protect critical elements in the tail such as nerves and blood vessels from being damaged when the animal either supports its weight on its tail, or pushes it against a hard surface to propel itself."

Diplodocus chevron

Photo Source

A third meaning of a chevron as it relates to geology is "...a chevron-shaped fold in stratum layers. Chevron folds are generally close to tight (interlimb angles 70 to 10 degrees) with straight limbs and small angular hinges."

Chevron folds with flat-lying axial planes,

Millook Haven, North Cornwall, UK

Photo Source

All three of the images are reflected in the Chevron Stitch - the "V" shape and/or the straight lines. With those images in mind, I decided to use Aida cloth so the stitches would be more precise than if I was using fabric and estimating where to place the needle and embroidery floss.

I did three rows of stitching - the light blue, gold, and purple are all the Chevron stitch. The orange, dark blue, and green are just different backstitches that I added to the top and bottom parts of the Chevron stitch.

I enjoyed this stitch, even though initially it looked a bit confusing to do. It's a bit slower-going than the feather or herringbone stitches (two other stitches I've learned as part of TAST).

The potential for embellishing the stitch could go much further than what I've taken it. If this sampler wasn't going in my journal, I think adding beading to it would be a nice decorative element.

As I've done in past weeks, I included a brief re-cap of what happened during the week and a gratitude list along with my embroidery samplers. The background are random inverted "V"s done with crayons to represent chevrons in colors similar to the embroidery floss.

Five in a Row - "Cranberry Thanksgiving"

This year I'm using the Five in a Row curriculum with Olivia. The concept behind Five in a Row is that you read a book each day for five days and do a variety of multi-disciplinary activities to further explore and understand the book - not only from a literary point of view,  but from artistic, scientific, mathematical, home economic, historical, and geographical angles as well. 

One of the favorite activities that we've enjoyed this year as part of the FIAR curriculum is using the Five in a Row Cookbook that corresponds to books in Volumes 1-3 (we're doing the books in Volume 1 this year, so this will be a resource we'll be using for several years).

The cookbook also acts as a visual scrapbook of Olivia making the recipes and the final products. For each set of recipes, there is a page where pictures can be attached.  This is a wonderful way to record the learning experience as well as growth in culinary skills.

In Cranberry Thanksgiving, Grandmother's cranberry bread is known for miles around. She keeps her secret recipe "carefully hid" behind a brick in the fire place. "It was so famous that bakers all over the countryside had offered great sums of money for the recipe." Grandmother "scoffed at the idea, but she still thought it was something special to leave Maggie."

Grandmother and Maggie lived "at the edge of a cranberry bog in New England." We spent some time talking about our trip to New England in September 2011 and learned more about cranberries and how they are harvested.

Despite the focus in the book on cranberries, there isn't a recipe in the Five in a Row Cookbook for anything with cranberries. However, Cranberry Thanksgiving does have a recipe for cranberry bread which we will make at another time.

Olivia made three things from the Five in a Row Cookbook. First, she made a roast turkey breast. The recipe called for seasonings as well as putting carrots and onions in the center. It turned out very well, and she was happy with making her first 7-pound turkey.

Olivia with the roasted turkey breast she made.

The second recipe in the cookbook was for corn pudding. We weren't sure what this would taste like. It is a combination of creamed corn and frozen corn kernels that have been thawed. There are eggs in the pudding to thicken it, some sugar which sweetened it, and nutmeg sprinkled on top which added a different (but good) taste to the side dish.

 Olivia measuring the corn kernels

before adding them to the mixture.

We baked the corn pudding for the time specified, but it didn't thicken as much as we hoped. So, we baked it longer and then it seemed to thicken and get to the appropriate consistency.

Corn pudding that Olivia made.

The last thing that Olivia made (with some help from Sophia) was a pumpkin pie. The crust is homemade (rather than pre-packaged/pre-made); and the filling was adapted to be dairy-free (coconut milk is substituted for evaporated milk). The pie was delicious - especially warm from the oven.

Pumpkin pie that Olivia and Sophia made.

The girls said that they would make the turkey and pumpkin pie again, but would pass on the corn pudding. Although it tasted fine, they prefer plain corn rather than corn mixed with other ingredients. 

By the time that we are done with the Five in a Row Cookbook, we will have tried over 175 new recipes. With pictures in the cookbook that show Olivia making the food as well as the things she made, she will have a special book filled with memories and great recipes that she can use when she is older.

If Olivia has children, I would think it would be interesting for them to see their mother when she was a child learning to cook and making the recipes that they, in turn, would be learning.

R is for Raisin-Apple Muffins - ABCs of Homeschooling

This week from the Alpha-Bakery cookbook for children, Sophia made Raisin-Apple Muffins. We had all of the ingredients on hand which was nice. That's one good thing about this cookbook - all the ingredients are typically ones that you have in the kitchen. There aren't a lot of unusual or fancy ingredients.

These are very moist muffins. Both Sophia and Olivia would have preferred them without raisins, although I thought they tasted fine with the raisins.

Raisin-Apple Muffins

Raisin-Apple Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup Cheerios or Apple Cinnamon Cheerios cereal, crushed (about ½ cup)
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup applesauce
1/3 cup of milk (we used dairy-free rice milk)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 and grease bottoms only of 12 medium muffin cups. Mix cereal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.

Stir in remaining ingredients just until dry ingredients are moistened. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until golden brown 18-22 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
 

*~*~*~*~*~*

Sophia asked: What's the difference between baking soda and baking powder? I knew that both would cause a product to rise, but beside that I didn't know the difference between baking soda and powder.

I found a good explanation on The Kitchn site (yes, there's an "e" missing in Kitchn). As the site said, "Both are white powders, odorless and nearly indistinguishable. Yet both help your baked goods to rise. Without them (or another leavener like yeast or beaten egg whites) all of our breads and cakes would be very flat and dense.

"Baking soda is also known by its chemist term: sodium bicarbonate. When heated, this chemical compound forms carbon dioxide gas - making your breads and cookies rise. That's not all it produces, though, which can be a problem.

"When heated, sodium bicarbonate also produces sodium carbonate, which doesn't taste so great. It leaves an unpleasant, alkaline flavor behind. But if you mix baking soda with an acid (like lemon juice or another citric acid carrier) then the sodium carbonate is partially neutralized and leaves behind less aftertaste. This acid also helps the carbon dioxide gas release more quickly.

"Baking powder is basically just baking soda with acid added in. It has just enough acid to use up the sodium carbonate. Shirley Corriher in her great book Cookwise says that 1 teaspoon baking powder contains 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. The other 3/4 teaspoon contains the acid and cornstarch."

The Kitchn site concluded its post about baking soda and baking powder: "Corriher says that baking soda is 4 times as powerful as baking powder, so use only 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for each teaspoon of baking powder in the original recipe."

*~*~*~*~*~*

So, there we have it. Home economics combined with science.  All part of homeschooling.

Take a Stitch Tuesday - Herringbone Stitch - Week 5

This week for Take a Stitch Tuesday (TAST), the featured stitch is the herringbone stitch.

The two-page layout in my TAST journal.

This is another stitch I have never done before. It is basically an elongated cross-stitch. There are ways to embellish it by adding some extra stitching at the points and/or beading.

Detail on one of the fish.

The word "herringbone" means: an arrangement or design resembling the bones in a fish, used especially in the weave of cloth or the placing of bricks.

The herring - after which the stitch is named - is a fish that lives in the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea.

Atlantic Herring

Photo Source

I remember when I was growing up my Grandma used to have pickled herring in the refrigerator. When I went to her home, she would often put pickled herring on my lunch or dinner plate. According to Wikipedia, pickled herring "...is a delicacy in Europe, and has become a part of Baltic, Nordic, Dutch, German, Polish, Eastern Slavic, and Jewish cuisine.

"Most cured herring uses a two-step curing process. Initially, herring is cured with salt to extract water. The second stage involves removing the salt and adding flavorings, typically a vinegar, salt, sugar solution to which ingredients like peppercorn, bay leaves and raw onions are added."

It seemed fitting that I include some images of fish (even though they are not herring) in my journal.

Embroidered fish using a variety of widths on the stripes.

For learning the herringbone stitch, I referred to these instructions:

Photo Source

When first trying this stitch, I read that drawing parallel lines in water-soluable ink will help keep the spacing even. Once the stitch is mastered, it can be done by eye - without the lines. Part of the beauty of hand embroidery is that it’s not perfect. It’s done by hand...and it looks that way.

Once I was completed with the stitching, I finished the journal entry with what has happened during the week as well as a list of things and people for which/whom I am grateful.

This page includes the journal entry, an embroidered fish, and

an illustration from a magazine of fish under the water in winter.

Linked with: Create with Joy and Creating My Way to Success.

Nature Journaling about House Mice

As part of Sophia and Olivia's ongoing nature journaling, they learn about different animals each week. The most recent animal they studied was the house mouse.

Although we're not a huge fan of mice, we did learn a lot about them and have a greater appreciation for them after reading the Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock.

- The tail is covered with transverse ridges and is bare save for sparse hairs, except toward the tip.
- Mice use their tails when they climb.
- The hind legs are much longer and stronger than the front legs.
- The hind feet also are much longer and larger than the front feet.

Sophia's notes and images about house mice.

- When eating, a house mouse frequently holds its food in its front paws like a squirrel.
- The whiskers are sensitive.
- There are two long, curved gnawing teeth at the front of each jaw, then a bare space, and then four grinding teeth on each side, above and below, like the teeth of woodchucks and other rodents.

Olivia's page about house mice in her nature journal.

- Young mice are small, downy, pink, and blind when born.
- They like to make their nests within easy reach of water.
- House mice came from ancestors which lived in Asia originally....They came to America on ships with the first exploreres and the Pilgrim fathers.

The penny on each of the nature journal pages represent how small of a space a mouse can get through.

3 in 30 - February Check-in - Week 1

This year, I'm participating in the 3 in 30 Challenge. During January I had three goals and worked towards them each week.

During February, I'm continuing to work on my January goals:

- Finish taking photos out of the scrapbooks that aren't photo-safe, and put them in boxes that are archival-safe. This should be done by the end of February.

- Finish the master bedroom by washing all the walls and windows; and then painting the accent areas dark green (behind the bed and over the window on the west side of the room) and the walls white.  I also want to go through the books on each side of the bed, and determine if they can be donated or I want to keep them.

- Continue going outside each day for 15 minutes. This will be an on-going goal for the rest of the year.

In addition, my three goals for February are:

1. Do a one-week fiscal fast. I saw this done on "Extreme Cheapskates" and written about on AARP by Jeff Yeager. As Jeff says, "Go for a week without spending ANY money?!  It’s spending detox, what I call a “fiscal fast." Give it a try a couple of times a year.  You’ll save a few bucks, use up stuff you have around the house, and gain a new understanding of how you spend – and probably waste – money in a normal week.  It’s a challenge, but it’s also kind of fun."

I did a Fiscal Fast from January 25th-31st. It was fun...eye-opening...and definitely challenging (the microwave broke the night before the F.F. began).

Some days, honestly, were more challenging than others - especially when I group activities/errands to save gas money and time (e.g., when the girls are at the homeschool co-op on Mondays, I usually go grocery shopping, go to the post ...office, get anything we need at Target, make copies at Office Max...the list can go on). I ended up going home instead and getting a lot done. So, it's been good in the sense that it has helped me re-focus and try different things to pass the time.

It also is a good way to use what we have on hand in terms of food in the cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer. We used up many boxes of food that had only a little remaining in them. This was a good way to free up some cupboard space.

I think during February, I'm going to continue to spend as little as I can on food, using only what I have on hand (with the exception of getting some essential items such as milk, eggs, and bread).

I do miss having a microwave though. The flip side is that it has shown me a very good lesson in patience and waiting to get something rather than rushing out to get it...which is a great reminder for me.

From February 15th-21st, I'll be doing another monthly Fiscal Fast. I'm looking forward to doing this again.

2. Reduce diet-pop consumption and increase water consumption. At one time, I was drinking 4 cans of diet-pop a day. I'm now down to 2-3 cans per day.

My goal in February: 2 cans maximum per day. (During March and April I'll reduce it even further...with the ultimate goal of not drinking any diet pop at all - or having one occasionally.) In its place, I will drink 2 big glasses of water each day (1 in the a.m. and 1 in the afternoon).

The reduction in diet-pop consumption started the week I was doing the Fiscal Fast. I noticed that I was running low on pop so I rationed them out to get through the F.F. This helped limit the pop since I wanted them to stretch until after the F.F. was over. So, the first four days were easy. In fact, on Wednesday, I only had one pop.

The only disadvantage to limiting pop to two per day is that I have had a couple major headaches this week as well as have been very tired. Not sure if this is correlated to a reduction in pop consumption or from being sick. 

Drinking the water has been easy to do. I fill up a cup in the morning and leave it on the window sill if I am unable to finish it. By lunch, I always drink it. After lunch, I do the same thing and by dinner I am able to drink the second glass of water.

3. File everything so I can begin working on taxes. During the past eight months, I haven't done a very good job with filing because caregiving responsiblities demanded more attention.

I would like to have everything filed so I know that all receipts and paperwork needed for taxes are together. In this way, I can begin working on preparing the paperwork for my CPA who completes the tax forms each year. It would be nice to have them filed early...especially if there's a refund!

I have not had a chance to work on filing this week.

P52 Photo Challenge - Shadows - Week 5

This week for P52, the theme is "Shadows." I had hoped to photograph some shadows outdoors. However, on the days when I had some extended time to spend outdoors - the days were overcast and/or foggy.

So, I ended up waiting to take photographs until evening when everything is very dark outside (one of the benefits of living in a rural area that is void of street lights), and the inside lights were on. 

I didn't realize how many shadows are cast within a home. I was expecting the outdoors to yield more opportunities to capture the theme. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I started noticing all the shadows indoors.

My subject is a doll from Japan. Her robe is cream-color with red and gold accents. Although I like the color of her dress, sash, obi, and hat, I chose to change the photograph to a sepia-tone instead so the focus is more on the doll and her shadow than on what she is wearing.

In the room, this was the only item that was giving a double shadow - the stronger shadow in the front/left side with a lighter shadow in the back/right side.  My favorite part of the shadow is the tassel. 

I'm looking forward to the next theme, and challenging myself to take photographs I normally would not take.

3 in 30 - February Goals

This year, I'm participating in the 3 in 30 Challenge. During January I had three goals and worked towards them each week.

During February, I'm continuing to work on my January goals:

- Finish taking photos out of the scrapbooks that aren't photo-safe, and put them in boxes that are archival-safe. This should be done by the end of February.

- Finish the master bedroom by washing all the walls and windows; and then painting the accent areas dark green (behind the bed and over the window on the west side of the room) and the walls white.  I also want to go through the books on each side of the bed, and determine if they can be donated or I want to keep them.

- Continue going outside each day for 15 minutes. This will be an on-going goal for the rest of the year.

In addition, my three goals for February are:

1. Do a one-week fiscal fast. I saw this done on "Extreme Cheapskates" and written about on AARP by Jeff Yeager. As Jeff says, "Go for a week without spending ANY money?!  It’s spending detox, what I call a “fiscal fast." Give it a try a couple of times a year.  You’ll save a few bucks, use up stuff you have around the house, and gain a new understanding of how you spend – and probably waste – money in a normal week.  It’s a challenge, but it’s also kind of fun."

2. Reduce diet-pop consumption and increase water consumption. At one time, I was drinking 4 cans of diet-pop a day. I'm now down to 2-3 cans per day. My goal in February: 2 cans maximum per day. (During March and April I'll reduce it even further...with the ultimate goal of not drinking any diet pop at all - or having one occasionally.)

In its place, I will drink 2 big glasses of water each day (1 in the a.m. and 1 in the afternoon).

3. File everything so I can begin working on taxes. During the past six months, I haven't done a very good job with filing because caregiving responsiblities demanded more attention.

I would like to have everything filed so I know that all receipts and paperwork needed for taxes are together. In this way, I can begin working on preparing the paperwork for my CPA who completes the tax forms each year. It would be nice to have them filed early...especially if there's a refund!

Simple Woman's Daybook on 2/1/12

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...it's completely black. It's too early in the morning to see anything.

I am thinking...that January seemed like one of the longest months of my entire life. I'm remembering that one month ago today began a very difficult and life-changing week. It was not how imagined starting the year.

I am thankful...that I have been able to travel and see 43 states of the United States. Of those 43, I was able to see six of them (the New England states) with my daughters - a first for us all which was a memorable and fun experience.

In the kitchen...I'm using up what I have on hand. During the past seven days, I did a Fiscal Fast in which I did not spend any money (with the exception of having to get $10 in gas to make sure I didn't run out of gasoline on the way home yesterday). In doing this, we have used up boxes, bags, and cans of food that otherwise would have sat in the back of the cupboards while I purchased new food.

During February, I'm going to continue using what is on hand and only buy the essential items we need. The goal will be to use almost everything on hand.

I am wearing...a t-shirt, sweater, pajama pants, and socks. It's still early morning before anyone else is awake.

I am creating...a weekly journal that incorporates a written entry about what's happening in my life, a list of five things I'm grateful for, and examples of an embroidery stitch I learned that week. (This is part of Take a Stitch Tuesday.)

I'm also in the process of making an Embroidered Journal Quilt. Each month I'm going to embroider a 12" x 12" square. By the end of the year, I'll have 12 squares which I'll combine with fabric that I have on hand to create a quilt.

I am going...to take the girls to choir tonight, otherwise I don't have to go anywhere which is nice. We've been able to get a lot done with homeschooling over the past few days because we've been at home more than we've been away.

I am wondering...when I'll feel like I'm totally caught up with everything that needs to get done.

I am reading...an excellent book called Homer's Odyssey - A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat by Gwen Cooper. It's the second one that I'm reading as part of the Heartwarming Animal Stories Reading Challenge.

I read "Saving Gracie" during January about one dog's rescue and rehabilitation from a puppy mill; and the United States' problem with puppy mills and what can be done to close them so more dogs don't have to suffer.

I am hoping...that this month is less stressful than last month.

I am looking forward to...getting outside today and trying to take some pictures of shadows. It's for a weekly photography challenge that I'm doing called P52. The sun should be out today which should give me plenty of options.

I am learning...how to let go (of things and people). This is not an easy process by any stretch of the imagination, but one that is necessary. Especially as I'm simplifying and cleaning the house, letting go of things that no longer are needed or wanted has been liberating - to say the least. Having more space as well as enjoying only the things that bring the most enjoyment and are tied to positive memories is a good "reward" for the work involved.

Around the house...it's very quiet..almost silent...as the girls and pets are sleeping.

I am pondering...about ways that we'll be volunteering and donating this month. Am looking forward to picking some new organizations and continuing with ones that Sophia, Olivia, and I believe in this month as part of the 12 in 12 project that we're doing.

A favorite quote for today...is from Raymond Lindquist: "Courage is the power to let go of the familiar."

One of my favorite things...my camera - so I can capture every-day moments and remember them in the future.

A few plans for the rest of the week...homeschooling, go to the library, do some errands, and work on my 3 in 30 goals for February.

A peek into my day...I'll be making window stars in a variety of patterns and colors.

To see more daybooks that other women keep, please visit Simple Woman's Daybook.