Scribblings from a twenty-year homeschool veteran about homeschooling, life after homeschooling, occasional peeks into the world of writing for children, and the ups and downs of life in general.
Click the graphic for more S&Ts from Mary!
It's a "birthday" theme for Show and Tell this week! The closest I can come to joining in the fun with that is the fact that this month is my young homeschooling friend's 21st birthday! To honor her (but mostly because it happened to work out that way) I am going to post a picture of the two-page spread the July issue of Focus on the Family's Brio Magazine printed. So, with no further ado, Happy Birthday, Jessica! Brio did a nice job with the article she (and I) wrote over a year ago (these things take time to get published). Jessica, at 16 years old, portrayed my main character, Andi, a 12-year-old. Another trivia fact: Jessica was the first youngster to read my Andi stories, so it seems fitting that she should be on the cover.
Happy Birthday, Jessica!
It's probably best that the print is too small to read. I'd no doubt get in real trouble for posting this otherwise. As it is, it's an advertisement for Brio, so how can they object to that? Go on over to your local Christian bookstore and pick up a copy if you'd like to know what the article says.
Wordless Wednesday is brought to you by Tiany. Click her name to visit other WWs.
My daughter-in-law caught these magnificent photos of our recent (and very rare) thunder storm on Sunday. People sat outside (under eaves, of course!) and watched this mighty display. Usually it just rains in Western Washington.
Last night we in the Pacific NW had a terrific thunder storm. A real whopper! Well....actually...compared to the Kansas thunder storms I've been in and the No. Carolina storms, ours was....not a whopper after all. But to US, it was so beautiful. And it lasted a long time, too (longer than 10 minutes). There was sheet lightning that lit up the entire eastern sky and zig-zag lightning, and then the wind blew like crazy and the rain began to fall.
But what struck me as funny was the fact that DH, DS, and I all went outside and stood under the eaves to watch it. We couldn't wait to see another lightning bolt! It's funny because I think in the Mid-West when the thunder storms begin, folks head indoors, not outdoors. We so rarely get a thunder storm that everybody goes out to watch it. I know. A little weird. But so was the 95 degree temperatures on Saturday and Sunday. That storm was welcomed and now it's in the 70s. (See my new little widget-temperature-flag in the sidebar).
I was just wishing that the rain that always falls sooner or later around here could fall in California instead, to put out those horrible fires that are everywhere.
Yikes! Show and Tell Friday creeps up on a person during the summer, doesn't it?
Visit Mary (AKA Canada girl) for more S&Ts!
OK, this is desperation. I just put together a book trailer for my first book, Andrea Carter and the Long Ride Home. Yes, I know the book came out in 2005, but I didn't know anything about book trailers in those days. Then I figured it out in time to do trailers for the rest of the books. I'm not quite ready to unveil the book trailer for the upcoming book, San Francisco Smugglers, but please....somebody watch this book trailer! They take a long time to make, and although both my sons Andrew and Chad think the music is a little corny, I like it, as it is real country and light and for...kids! So, here you go. (I LOVE the Homeschool Lounge's video hosting feature. They do a much, much better job making the graphics nice than YouTube, which makes the trailer fuzzy. Enjoy!
Do you want to put this trailer on your blog? Here is a code for your sidebar that makes it small--just the right size! (make sure you use the "select all" feature.)
Click on the cover for more reviews from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine
It's time for a book review! I keep telling myself that I'm going to recommend some books for school next year, but who wants to think about school right now? At any rate, as a reviewer for The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, I have a great opportunity to pass along some reviews on my blog (this helps when I'm fresh out of blogging ideas!). Here is a review of a novel I wish I'd had for my boys when we were studying U.S. History a number of years back. Books like this make the history part seem more real. So here we go....
Towpath Adventures by Jack and Judith Woods (click cover to go to their website).
The past comes alive on the Erie Canal in Towpath Adventures. Twelve-year-old Jonathan Hamilton is a likeable main character who spends his summer managing mules, canal boats, cargo, and even escaped slaves in this 136-page historical fiction novel for middle-grade readers.
Set in central New York State during the early days of the Erie Canal, the story finds Jonathan at odds with his stepmother and unhappy at the news that his best friend is moving away. On the heels of this comes the announcement that his father, a blacksmith, has decided to ship Jonathan off to spend the summer with his Uncle James, a canal-boat owner who has recently lost his wife. James needs Jonathan to drive the mules along the towpath as they pull the shipment of cargo along the Erie Canal. In the course of the story, Jonathan acquires a new friend, Charles, and is unexpectedly drawn into the Underground Railroad.
Towpath Adventures is a lively read, and the historical details of life along the Erie Canal are impressive. A short glossary at the back of the book explains words that might be unfamiliar to modern-day readers. For example, a "drummer" is a traveling salesman. And have you ever wondered what a "conch horn" is? Or a "towpath"? Readers follow Jonathan as he and his uncle prepare the boat for its canal journey, load up, and begin the trip. Adventures await the crew of the Deliverance at every stop along the way. Seamlessly woven into the narrative are actual historical characters.
This book would be an excellent addition to a unit study on the Erie Canal. I wish I'd had this novel for my boys when we were studying that era of U.S. history. Towpath Adventures works well as a read-for-fun book also. The gospel is presented in a natural, non-intrusive way.
I highly recommend Towpath Adventures, especially for that hard-to-interest group of readers--our boys.
Product review by Susan K. Marlow, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, January 2008.
Saved Girl has started a Hymn Monday, where folks can include their favorite hymns and tell a little about them. I'm going to combine this with a quick review of my "source" for information about all our "old favorites." But first, one of my old favorites: "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." I remember singing this hymn over and over again as a child. In the "olden" days we didn't have Scripture songs or many Praise songs. It was mostly hymns and a few Singspiration choruses like "Deep and Wide" or "Gone, Gone, Gone, Gone, Yes, My Sins Are Gone." Here's a little bit of history about "What a Friend We Have in Jesus."
It was written by a man named Joseph Scriven in 1857, and wasn't considered all that great in literary writing. But its simple truths have brought comfort to countless people since its inclusion in Ira Sankey's Sankey's Gospel Hymns Number One. (Ira Sankey was the music leader for D.L. Moody's preaching trips).
Joseph Scriven lived by the Sermon on the Mount his whole life. He was from a rich family but spent his life working for those who could not pay. His fiance drowned the night before their wedding, and perhaps this set the course for the remainder of his life. He gave even the clothes from his back to the needy, depending on God for his own needs.
Joseph never intended "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" to be published. He'd heard about his mother's illness (in far-off Dublin, Ireland), and since he couldn't go to her, he wrote the words of the song (poem) in a letter. Later, a visiting friend found the words on scratch paper near the bed of the now-ill Joseph. It was published in a small collection of his poems.
Incredibly, Joseph Scriven also died in an accidental drowning. Ira Sankey discovered the poem in 1875, just in time for it to be on the very last page of his Gospel Hymns. Later, Ira wrote, "The last hymn which went into the book became one of the first in favor."
Would you like to learn more about the history of many of our Christian hymns? Kregel Publications publishes books like the one I gleaned the above information from. 101 Hymn Stories by Kenneth W. Osbeck is a wonderful source for learning about the godly men and women who wrote dozens and dozens of the songs we love most. Click on the cover to learn more!
There is also another book, 101 More Hymn Stories.
I found the entire 45 minute message on a friends' blog, but here is an excerpt with pictures and music. I watched it, mesmerized, and I had no clue who this person was who was preaching. But the words rang true--if not more than a bit shocking. If this excerpt piques your interest, go to the HeartCry Missionary Society website to see the entire "shocking" message. Are you courageous enough to hear it and respond to the challenge? No matter what, you will never think the same again after hearing the full sermon: HeartCry Missionary Society website
(Exercise Challenge Check-in: A good week except F and Sat when I was at the WHO convention. Sunny days, so I even walked today and yesterday with my 7# vest on. 2 miles!)
Friday and Saturday, Marie (Troopers for Christ) and the (WA Homeschool Nations coordinator) headed down to the Puyallup Fairgrounds to man the Old Schoolhouse Magazine's exhibit booth (table). In spite of being in the "outer reaches of space", tucked agains a brick wall that didn't allow the gorgeous banner to stick, it was a super-fun time! I don't know about your neck of the country, but out here, everybody's a "new friend" and eager to share their stories, their opinions, their love of TOS mag, and easy to encourage to "come on over" and chat awhile, sign up for the Homeschool Minute, browse through the sample magazines, and did I mention chat? That's what folks at the WHO (WA homeschool convention) like to do. Sure, we hobnobbed with a few folks Marie and I already knew, but the majority were passersby who were more than happy to turn aside from their "I'm on a curriculum mission" and visit. That's what I loved about the last two days.
True, we were not in the thick of things (the "midway" or "inner circle"), where most of the traffic congregated, but we had a great time, too. Here are a couple of pictures!
Here Marie and I are trying to get the TOS banner to stick to a brick wall. It didn't work. It fell on top of us as soon as we got it hanging. Rough brick walls don't work. The "inner circle" booths have the usual curtain arrangement that one can use hooks to hang the banners.
Doesn't our table look nice? But the wall banner is gone (sadly). Here is Marie waiting for eager convention passersby to come on over for a chat and a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the TOS Store.
We had a great time, and the vendor across the aisle had bowls of candy available, so I enjoyed a lot of chocolate those 2 days.
Show and Tell with Mary! Just click here: SHOW AND TELL
It was raining at Wild Waves last Friday, so I didn't think it would hurt to go on the "Log Ride"--especially when we asked the ride attendant, "Do you get very wet?" And she answered, "Not too bad." HA!
In the smartest move I've made in years, we removed our sweatshirts and other outerwear "just in case." Then myself, my grandson Nathan, my granddaughter Kaetlyn, and my DinL Joanna, took the plunge.
Judge for yourselves: Is this a ride that sane people choose when it is 57 degrees and you have to wear your clothes?
(Video courtesy of my DS, Chad, who wisely decided not to join us on the ride and was laughing the entire time he was shooting our finale).
