I'm still here!

I think I just took the longest break from blogging ever since I started this thing! I do have good reason. We've been experiencing a different season and a different kind of busy in our lives for the last two months.

My mother was diagnosed with cancer just over the Christmas holiday, and it has been a whirlwind of emotions and travel, as you can imagine. It became official after her surgery in early January: Stage 2 ovarian cancer. I set up a Caring Bridge blog for friends and family to be able to recieve updates in their e-mail boxes, and I spent 12 days with Mom and Dad, during the blizzrds of winter 2011 in Oklahoma (more specifically the Tulsa area). I must say it was rather FUN, but also just a blessing to get to spend so much time with my folks.

My Mom, only sister, and I got to go wig shopping together, and would you believe we really enjoyed our time together. We may not like Mom's diagnosis, but we can enjoy our relationship and time together. THAT we certainly did.

I just received two new cookbooks (Mom ordered one for herself, but I wanted one or two to access here at the cottage) that were written just for people in cancer treatment and their caregivers. I am finding them to be amazingly helpful. I must thank my friend, Queen Shenaynay for texting me while I was in Tulsa with these recommendations. They have some terrific nutritional advice with wonderfully tasteful recipes, but also comforting ideas about sharing the joy of food and things tasting good with loved ones who may be lacking appetite.

The names of the cookbooks are:

One Bite at a Time and The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen, both by Rebecca Katz, and What To Eat During Cancer Treatment: 100 Great-Tasting, Family-Friendly​ Recipes to Help You Cope by Jeanne Besser.

The last one is grouped by treatment side-effect and the recipe(s) that help alleviate or that are edible during said side-effect(s).

I'll keep you all posted on our thoughts and experiences as we go along with Mom's progress, treatments, and such.

She is scheduled to have her second chemo in the morning, but that all depends on her platelet count. It was too low last week for treatment, so we are praying that this extra week has allowed her time for those counts to come back up after her first chemo last month.


Javamom

I must confess...

...that it has been easier to keep in touch with friends and family through :::Facebook::: which has taken the place of blogging for a short while. I have been pondering off and on this past week about something interesting to post on the blog. I find it takes longer these days (for some reason) to purpose out a good post, unless I "get a bee in my bonnet" over something. Well as it is, things have been going along with our family in such a way as to not have much time for overmuch serious, educated or thoughtful posting, though I have been doing a lot of thinking while cooking for the family, reading, grading and prepping Spanish lessons. After all, I still have the Charlotte Mason bookclub once a month to prep for, Spanish I and Spanish II classes and grading, and I picked up a new student to tutor weekly just this month.


I have exciting updates on several of my hobbies:

~ Birds visiting our yard this winter and perhaps tomorrow I can share about and
~ Reading discoveries made this week regarding my most recent favorite author, Elizabeth Gaskell.


So without further ado... a post on our latest visitors to the feeders and bushes. These were all taken today (1/24)

flock of red-wing blackbirds that have found there way here this past week. They some times hang with the grackles, starlings, and cowbirds, who stop by the feeders daily, as well, though we do our best to scare the grackles away every time we see them. All it takes is to push back the vertical blinds/curtains and they fly off.


This red-bellied woodpecker has been here since the summer. I've seen a second one from time to time, as well.

They all share quite well, believe it or not.







Mr. Chickadee. He and his spouse come to the feeders daily. They are so tiny, lithe, and quick! Even moreso when it is cold!


purple finch. This guy used to come in the summer quite regularly

mystery grey birds (Still need to find them in my books-they have more marks than the dark-eyed junco, and seem a little larger, as well. Their beaks are almost blue)

mourning dove (six or eight make their appearance daily)

part of our white-winged dove covey. We see upwards to 25 or so on a regular basis, even in past years before we began feeding them.




This cardinal is a little bit ruffed up!

Miss cold cardinal





little miss cardinal


poofy miss
Bluejay imploring me for more seeds


house finch and purple finch and spouse


Four swashbuckling cardinals

Dark eyed Junco is new to our feeder. He showed up about a week ago.

Cardinal feeding time at sunset. Tonight, there were at least 13 cardinal couples taking their turns in some unspoken birdie queue, moving from one tree to other trees closer to the feeders, then to the branches nearest the feeders, then hopping on down to one of four feeders, then finally, down to the deck, where leftovers fall throughout the day, from the messier birds.

This time of day has become a magical, birdie wonderland, and I am content.


Javamom

Blog spring cleaning

I've begun a little spring cleaning on the blog, taking off old links, rearranging a few things and such. I'm doing this as I can interspersed with working at Hubby's school, teaching, taking ds to football carpool daily now, and wrapping up a semester at our hs co-op.

Thank you to my handful of visitors who stop by every once in a while! Some don't post comments and that is fine, since you e-mail me ;-). The purpose of this blog is not to stir up controversy or complain about the state of things. I post to keep family members and friends up to date with our family. I also post to share my latest research in teaching a foreign language or Charlotte Mason, especially when CM is associated with foreign language learning. As I've stated before, the researchers and practitioners that I read now go back to M. Gouin and his research, just as CM did @ 100 years ago! So much of what these FL teachers talk about on a weekly basis on our TPRS teachers' list are these things:

~ Telling Back aka Narration
~ Dictado or Dictee aka Dictation
~ presenting a short list of new words at a time
~ learning to read in context
~ speaking in the target language in context, such as a nature walk in the target FL

So, that is my area of joy and research these days, besides teaching three or four Spanish classes each week and also homeschooling, I stay pretty busy and am not able to post as much as I'd like. But maybe that will change in just a few weeks!

One thing I have added is a list of blogs of some of the ladies in my local CM book club. I have given up on the international AO blogring, because I can't get the html update to work and can't really access my account at RingSurf. I may start over again fresh this summer, but right now, I just don't have that kind of time.


Thanks again for continuing to stop by~

Javamom
Trying to keep things simple!

Too Busy to Blog

Is there a "too busy to blog" medallion? I'm sure that we all go through seasons where we have no time to put thoughts down, or are barely able to post a new and interesting photo to keep the blog updated. Though in part, I think it a sign of a healthy person who does not blog constantly...meaning, the person has a life away from the computer screen. Even when home much of the time, daily needs press us out of the computer chair and on to the daily duties of keeping a home and family running smoothly. I believe that busy moms who also happen to blog understand that balance is important!

That said, I need to tell you all how wonderful our weekend was, helping the Hubster and his brother and sister put together and serve at their parents' Golden Wedding Anniversary. The kids worked so hard for their Dad, Aunt, and Uncle! They served
happily and were so engaging and warm with everyone as they sliced cake, served up punch and coffee. 275 people attended this beautiful reception, which included old friends from across the state, many fellow church members from their local congregation, but also important people from their community and their city's symphony guild.

Homeschooling works and produces beautifully social beings who can and do move well through a crowd of all ages. In this setting, many were of the older generation. The photographer who was chronicling the event told them, "You guys seem like you're actually enjoying this...or you're good liars." to which our oldest two (18 and 16-in-a-few-days) said, "Yes, we really enjoy this!"

The kindness, love, and joy of all four of our kids was obvious. The man was genuinely intrigued. He did not expect that. What an affirmation that was that we made the right choice back when our first son was four. Every little bit of affirmation helps, even though it is not what we live for or what keeps us going, no, our motivation goes far deeper than that.

Our Sunday began with going to our in-laws' congregation across town. The non-instrumental singing that we grew up with was quite wonderful and filled with rich harmonies and diminished cords. Though every song slipped in pitch...no one seemed to be bothered by it, except maybe us altos who ended up "scraping" the low notes by the end of each song :-). There was joy in the air. My Aunt and Uncle and one of my cousins attends the same church as my in-laws, so it was fantastic to get to see them and hug their necks.

The reception was in the fellowship hall of the church building. The Harpist and pianist friends of my in laws (who are symphony guild board members) played during the whole reception. This was simply beautiful and set the tone in the room. They played classical to modern, with songs such as "My Funny Valentine" and "Did You Ever Know that You're My Hero."

The original Maid of Honor drove from Arizona to be there, and the original Best Man (Hubby's Uncle Alvin) was there, as well. It was so sweet to see and be a part of. As my father-in-law said, they are all happy to be alive for this! We are glad that they are, as well!!

It was a family rich day, and a beautiful tribute to their 50 years of marriage. Their relationship has grown in such a beautiful way over the years, but moreso since my Father-in-Law has survived two cancer events in the last 14 years. When I get some photos from the day, I will post a few. In the meantime, I will post some from their celebration 10 years ago, when our kiddos were so young and especially cute.






Javamom

Thinking Blogger

Mother Auma sent me the Thinking Blogger Award over a week ago. The only trouble is, I'm still thinking about who to nominate next! I will try to get going on that. There are several sites I check once in a great while that really make me think differently or on a subject that I really don't understand...such as an Economics site I found recently while researching the book, The Incredible Bread Machine.

I've a plethora of irons in the fire: many family birthdays, two anniversaries, three weddings, and family reunions all happening in an eight week span, not to mention a Senior camping trip, graduation parties and graduation! Makes me think I have too much to do :-). They're all good things, so it will be fun!

Ciao for now,

Javamom

Homeschool Blog Awards voting this week

Do remember to hop on over to vote in this year's HS blog awards. There are so many categories to vote that it really gives everyone a good chance to find new blogs they may not have visited before, and for all the blogs get a chance at some new visitors to their home-on-the-web. I am in the best "Variety" category and the best "Live-what-you-believe" category. Plug over, Javamom out!

Blog labels

I updated nearly every post with a blog label today. What I noticed(and I grant that I am late to the game :-) is that it is not an exact science. There is a lot of overlap, and some posts hang out there under a label that could apply to a number other posts. For example, on the blog topic of opinion, you'll notice there aren't that many listed under this label. It's not because I'm not opinionated. In fact, I really am. I just found better labels to apply to a lot of posts, or my opinions are woven into other posts. I try not to be too blunt in my presentation of my opinions, either. Heaven knows that the older I get and the more I learn, the more I see what I lack in so many areas. So I have little inclination to put myself out there as an expert.

My main purpose for starting this blog was to keep in touch with family and friends flung to the outer-regions of the earth :-).
It's quicker than snail mail and easier to keep up with said family and friends in one venue, complete with pictures. But you all already know that!


Anyhow, it should make it more interesting...or at least easier to search through post topics.

I lost my AO/HEO homeschoolers blogring code when I upgraded my blogger and changed my template recently, and it was supposed to be sent to me. I need to go try to get it, again. If any of you know the code, could you send it my way? Thanks in advance!

Ciao for now, faithful visitors one and all!

Javamom

Homeschool Blog Awards

Have you sent in nominations, yet? I'm about to go do this right now. I know several who deserve to be in the running. You only have until April 6th to get them in!

Hurry!

Javamom

This semester

I already mentioned what my semester looks like this winter. Here is what our four dc are doing.

18 y o Son is a senior with Senioritis. He is working about 20 hours a week at Starbucks. He plays guitar and leads youth worship every Sunday evening. He plays acoustic guitar part time for adult worship team.

He has his three-hour Worldviews (Year 3) class on Wednesdays. This class encompasses History, Literature, Speech and Debate, theology, church history, English composition and grammar...basically everything except science, math, and foreign language. At our Friday co-op, he is taking "What's in Your Wallet?" which is a practical economics class for the Sr. High. Then he is taking "ballroom Dance" (prom is in a few months, and we have the wedding of a friend to attend, as well!), Precept Bible Study, Movie class, where they discuss the worldview of various movies. That's it. He's finishing Algebra at home with the help of his Dad and another tutor-friend.

Dd, age 15.5, is taking Geometry, Dance, a home ec type class, Billiards and archery. She also has a three-hour Worldviews class on Wednesdays, but she is in her first year, but as I said, this class covers all subjects (and then some) except math, science, and foreign language.

Ds, age 13.5 is in my Word Feud (Greek and Latin roots) class, "What's For Dinner" cooking class, Colored Pencils class, Archery, and Narnia lit. class. He is completing Chalkdust Math at home, as well as history and geography.

Youngest ds Androcles, age 11.5, is in "Italian Cooking" class, Chronicles of Narnia Lit. class, Performance Ensemble, "Whose Line is it, Anyway" improv class, and "Hands on Imagination"
He is doing Saxon Math and some history and other lit. books here at home. I'm also doing some poetry and copywork with him and his 13 yo brother, and occasional Artist/Composer Study.

Since we have a part time home business, the younger two boys get an education in business, as well! They are weekly helpers, so are getting a small share in the form of teamwork and in wages! I also infuse some conversational Spanish into our days.

Back to classes!

We're all in an uproar (a good one!) here at the Booksncoffeehaus, preparing for our first co-op day of the winter semester. We are gathering our bookbags and teacher bags and supplies for various classes. I am printing out Syllabi and lesson plans, and making copies of the next Spanish test and copies of word games.

I've been given a break from Jr. High Spanish, as the Jr. highers needed to take two semesters of Science. However, I get to take on two new classes in its place.

Word Feud:
This class is mostly freshmen. We'll learn Greek and Latin word roots and play word rummy, roots bingo, then work up to family feud, and roots jeopardy and "who wants to be a winner." I'm also going to teach them tidbits of quotes that reflect either put-downs or insults given in a gentlemanly or gentlewomanly fashion and work up to funny-worded put-downs. Think Shakespeare and Jane Austen, even Will Rogers and Mark Twain. Here is a nice site I found to help build my own Word Bingo game boards. We'll use smarties or skittles for markers.

Book Club class:
We'll be reading Laddie by Gene Stratton Porter the first five weeks and The Chosen by Chaim Potok the second five weeks.

I'll still have High School Spanish 1 (second semester continuation)

I'll be helping in Performance choir for 4th-6th graders (should be fun!)

And I'll have second hour grading period.

I'll post the kids' schedules for this semester next.

I hope my readers are having a smooth January transition out of the holidays and back to their regularly scheduled lives :-)

Javamom

Blog or browser troubles

Two or three of my visitors have let me know that they have trouble when visiting my blog. I'm wondering which browsers are the ones having trouble. One friend, who uses aol, used to have trouble, but her browser loads on my page just fine, now. I had messed with some of the html a month or two ago, and so I have removed those two small things. Maybe that will fix the problem. I really don't know much else about the template, but possibly swithcing to the new Blogger program will help alleviate any other possible troubles, as well.

Let me know if things seem to be working better on your own end, now! I'll also post a message to Blogger's help desk.

Our computer crashed about two weeks ago, and I noticed that made my photos here on the blog a little blurry. Thanks to my handy hubby and some upgrades in the hardware of my computer, we got that all worked out, now.

Thank you for stopping by and keeping up with us!

Javamom

Happy Blog Birthday to Me

The Booksncoffeehaus turned two this past weekend, and begins its third year of "production." It has been a nice way to simplify my writing in multiple places, being able to post my opinions, thoughts, ideas, photos, experiences, with family and friends all in one place. There is so much more that I'd like to write about these days. I am pretty opinionated, I just haven't had a lot of free time to formulate my arguments as well as I'd like in the past year. Being "Mom" and "Wifey" holds the higher place in line, and therefore, many of my thoughts go unposted or unpublished for now.

I just found out yesterday that my sister's daughter, a young mom to twins, has been diagnosed with Mitral Valve Prolapse, which is hereditary. That's a new wrinkle in life that I'll need to look into, because it may have come through my Mom or Dad's side of the family. It could explain many of the little nagging health symptoms several of us in the family have struggled with at various times over the last decade or two, such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (yes, I have had bloodwork and gotten an official diagnosis, not a self-diagnosis!), heart "flutters," good-to-lowish blood pressure, spells of low energy or dizziness, slight scoliosis, headaches, all which I think can contribute to a frustrating general clutziness that I experience sometimes...along with other symptoms.

Life is interesting.

Javamom

updates

Blogger was behaving oddly last night, so I decided to change my template and try out a different format. I really like my old "scribe" parchment template, but, I think it was time for a fresh, new look. In the process, I lost all my comments! Argh :-\.

I'll get my links back up, and my blog ring html sometime today.

One Year Blogging

Happy Anniversary to the Books-n-coffee house. I've had this home on the web for one year, today! It is the chapter in my life that began after a mid-life crisis of sorts...the first of our children becoming a more assertive teen-ager.

My wish for you all today is that you take some time for a cup of Java (or tea, if you prefer it) and kick your feet up with a good book, poem, or essay...enjoy God's blessings in your life.

With His Love,
Javamom

"Growth is the only evidence of Life." ~Cardinal Newman

Do you agree or disagree?

On Books and blog tags

A recent blog tag that has gone around...


1. How many books do you own?

about 5000, maybe more, now...and they're multiplying. Some are stored up at hubby's school.



2. What was the last book you bought?

I've bought two books this week:

The Tribune Primer by Eugene Field, published 1900 - a lady in my book restoration class is restoring her mother's copy of this hilarious, satirical book of short quips with line drawings. My copy cost $6


BOOKBINDING & CONSERVATION BY HAND, A WORKING GUIDE by Laura S. Young used and pretty pricey...



3. What was the last book you read?

Book 2 in The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith, Tears of The Giraffe.

Currently in the middle of Charlotte Mason's Volume 6...Towards a Philosphy of Education.



4. What are some books that have meant a lot to you?

I'll not mention the standard, typical choices of C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity (okay, maybe just that one, lol), Chesterton or Schaeffer...yeah, these are some of my all-time favorite authors. For obvious reasons, though, books that have meant the most to me are:

My great grandmother's Bible from 1851 and Old books and notebooks of notes that were my Grandfather's. My Dad's high school scrap book has always been a favorite of mine since childhood as well. I am slowly restoring and conserving all 80+ pages of it.


Someone else added:


5. Changed my outlook on the world:

Shared on my favorite's list on my profile: How To Be Your Own Selfish Pig by Susan Schaeffer (Macauley), and L'Abri Fellowship by Edith Schaeffer

I almost went to L'Abri in '84 when I spent my second summer in Germany (for mission work) and went to Switzerland. One thing that discouraged me from pursuing that dream that summer was the fact that Dr. Schaeffer was already very ill by then. I still made a "L'Abri journey" anyway. It's one of the reasons we homeschool, and why we choose to live a life at a different pace than most people.


6. Embarassed to have on the list:


Elsie Dinsmore series - Let's not go there ;-) my dear CM friends who cannot abide the sappy writing of this series, [snicker, snicker] They are beautiful vintage copies, at least... and I will say that~
1. they look sharp arranged atop my computer armoire and
2. I am practicing a few restoration techniques (disbinding, mending most of the signatures, and preparing them for re-sewing and re-casing) on the worst volume. So, there. [very big grin]