My Very Own Website

October 31, 2010 in Blogging Fun and Info by Nancy in KY | Permalink

Well after 5 1/2 years and over 680 posts, I finally decided to get my own website: NancyRCarter.com. I absolutely love HSB, and will keep my account here so that it’s easier for me to comment on other people’s blogs, but I’m going to pursue having some books published and really felt like I needed to switch to my own website.

NancyRCarter.com

I’ve already posted a few entries at the new site, created my own button, and am working on a schedule to help me blog more regularly.

You can click on over there to read such fascinating (ha ha) entries such as . . .

I hope that you will bookmark my new blog, update it in your feedreaders, list my new url in your sidebar links so others can find me, and come say hello and let me know what you think about my new site. Please, please, please!

Oh, and I don’t want to lose track of any of you! When you comment over there, be sure to leave me your url so I can post your link in my sidebar and make sure that I’m following you with my Google Reader.

Y’all come see me at my new place!

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It’s Not an Inkblot

October 19, 2010 in Family Memories, Keeping It Real by Nancy in KY | 3 comments

But I think you still have to use your imagination and squint just a little bit to make out what we were trying to carve into this pumpkin.

So, what do you see in the pumpkin?

We tried one of those fancy pumpkin carving kits with patterns. My boys are 9 and 14 and it was pretty challenging.

  • You tape the pattern on the pumpkin.
  • Roll over the lines with a little tool that pokes holes into the pumpkin.
  • Use the little saws to connect the dots and cut away unneeded sections.
  • A facebook friend mentioned that we should have cut away the small detail sections first.

Wish I had known that when we STARTED. It would have really helped. We actually had to freehand a portion of the design because we broke off part of it doing a little section at the end. We probably could have avoided the breakage by doing the little cut outs when the pumpkin was mostly together and stronger. Oh well, live and learn.

Anyway, I hope you can tell that it’s supposed to be an owl sitting on a tree branch with the moon shining behind it.  We have always allowed our children to carve pumpkins, but just taught them that we only use images that allow Jesus to shine through. (Nothing scary!) It’s kind of a tradition for us to read The Pumpkin Patch Parable before we get started. I love the Bible verses that are on each page.

When Jon picked out this picture, it reminded me of wisdom (and my friend Julie’s love of this animal!) and this Bible verse immediately came to mind:

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established. Proverbs 24:3

Can you tell what we carved on our pumpkin?  If you posted pics of your kids with their pumpkins or other fall decorations, please leave a link so I can come visit your page. I haven’t gotten all of our fall decorating done, but at least we have pumpkins. It’s a start!


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Just for Julie

October 11, 2010 in Farm Livin Is the Life for Us by Nancy in KY | 1 comment

Ask, and ye shall receive.

My original post, The Barns Are Not on Fire, from November 3, 2005.

This year, we are using the metal barn for storage and only have tobacco in the wooden barn, and they aren’t smoking it . . . just curing it.  You can still smell the tobacco barns from other farms down the road though. Just come visit. Kentucky misses you.

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Schoolhouse Expo: Day 5

October 11, 2010 in Happy Homeschooling, Schoolhouse Expo by Nancy in KY | 2 comments

John Taylor Gatto

John Taylor Gatto at the Schoolhouse Expo

Cindy wrote an excellent review of our final day at the Expo. Here are just a few of my own highlights:

  • Deb Wuehler did a wonderful job talking about how God meets all of our needs using Scripture. She even had a beautiful chart that had a Scripture showing how He meets different needs. You can print a copy from page 5 of her powerpoint.
  • Tricia Goyer talked about how she got started writing from home. I was amazed at HOW MUCH writing she has done while she’s been busy raising a family. I really appreciated how she told us all about how she got started and shared some great writing tips. I started working on a book this summer and have an idea for a children’s book series. This workshop came at a wonderful time for me.
  • Kim Kautzer did a really nice workshop about teaching writing called Your Child’s Writing: Garden or Weed Patch? The main emphasis was on getting your children to understand that writing a paper is kind of like growing a garden. You have to edit and make improvements before you get a wonderful final copy, just like you have to water, fertilize, and weed a garden.
  • Diana Waring did a presentation on history next. Honestly I didn’t get to hear very much of it though. About this time, we were trying to make sure that Mr. Gatto had the correct address for the hotel.  Thankfully he did. He was just running a bit late because he had a hard time getting a cab. The joys of midtown Manhattan. Ha!
  • Our highlight of the evening was when John Taylor Gatto spoke to us for three hours.  He shared about the history of institutional schooling, little known facts about it, and the secrets of successful private schools. I felt truly honored to hear what he had to say. He is a pioneer and truly wants to change how people think about education. It was very generous of him to spend so much time with us and I will miss having a reason to call and chat with him. He was a class act and an encouragement to me personally. I had to smile as we got off the phone the other day. He said, “Until our paths cross again,” and I just thought that was something to look forward to. Such a happy thought.
  • Finally, we wrapped up with our Door Prize Extravaganza. We had a ton of fun asking trivia questions and giving away gifts. Perhaps a bit too much fun. I think we almost killed the GoToWebinar system. My Internet kept stalling and at one point, I started humming the Jeopardy theme song. Little did I know that somehow they could all still hear me and that they were just cracking up about it.

Altogether it was a wonderful week and God truly ministered to me, right along with many others. I’m thankful for my buddies on the Expo Team that really worked hard to pull things together.  I’m thankful for the other TOS folks who prayed for us and helped however they could. I’m thankful for the very generous sponsors who make the Expo possible. I’m thankful for the speakers who put so much into their presentations and share from their hearts. And most of all I’m thankful for how God works all things together for good. He does all things well. And I was blessed to be a part of it.

See the rest of my Schoolhouse Expo Recaps:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

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Schoolhouse Expo: Day 4

October 8, 2010 in Happy Homeschooling, Schoolhouse Expo by Nancy in KY | 1 comment

A Behind the Scenes peek at the Schoolhouse Expo:

I was a little worried just before we went live because for some reason my mom’s Internet went out unexpectedly without reason for about an hour earlier that morning. As we were chatting before the Expo went LIVE, I was just reminding Sharra & Cindy to just follow the script in case the Internet went out again and I disappeared from the Attendee List.

Without missing a beat Carol Barnier said, “Oh, that’s good to know. That way we won’t think the rapture has happened.”

That woman is a hoot.

For a full recap (and a cute picture of 3 handsome boys), read Cindy’s entry on the new Schoolhouse Expo blog.

And don’t forget that tomorrow is the LAST day of the Expo and your chance to hear Deb Wuehler, Tricia Goyer, Kim Kautzer, Diana Waring, and John Taylor Gatto! You can buy a ticket for a reduced price to join us LIVE and you’ll also get the Expo To Go with it, AND over $240 worth of free downloadable gifts.

See the rest of my Schoolhouse Expo Recaps:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

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