2009 ~ A Good Year!

This was the year we married off our first child! Another graduated and got engaged, Hubby and 16 yo son climbed a mountain. We took a long roadtrip back to our old, early-marriage stomping grounds in Boston and all over New England. We camped in Knoxville, TN, visited Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Rhode Island, camped in Plymouth, Mass., Maine (Acadia National Park!), New Hampshire, Vermont, and in Pennsylvania. That was a phenomenal and memory-making trip!!

My Charlotte Mason bookclub continues to grow and flourish, and I so enjoy seeing these friends each month for tea and great discussion! It is a time of laughter and of mentoring, as well!

We visited our married kids in Omaha, NE, for thanksgiving holidays which was really a roadmark of life change, hehe. I also did more updating on FaceBook than on this blog, for the ease of exchange that it provides.

Christmas was spent with my extended family during the Oklahoma (actually the whole midwest!) blizzard of Christmas '09. We have sevaral exciting stories of being stuck and stranded to share :-).

I'll continue to teach and tutor Spanish in the new year, continue bookbinding and vintage book restoration, and will be busy preparing the homefront for another wedding. Will also be getting the next teen in line prepared for taking the SAT.

So, until next year, I bid you all adieu and

░░░ HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!░░░☆☆ ☆☆♥░▓▓▓▓▓░░░░▓▓▓▓▓░░░▓▓░░░░▓▓▓▓▓░♫░░☆☆ ☆☆░░░♫░░▓▓░░▓░░░░░▓░▓▓▓░░░▓░░░░░▓░░♥☆☆ ☆☆░░♥░░░▓▓░░▓░░░░░▓░░░▓░░░▓░░░░░▓░░♫☆☆ ☆☆░♫░░▓▓░░░░▓░░░░░▓░░░▓░░░▓░░░░░▓░♫░☆☆ ☆☆░░░▓▓░░░░░▓░░░░░▓░░░▓░░░▓░░░░░▓░♥░☆☆ ☆☆░♥▓▓░░░░░░▓░░░░░▓░░░▓░░░▓░░░░░▓░♫░☆☆ ☆☆♫░▓▓▓▓▓▓░░░▓▓▓▓▓░░░▓▓▓░░░▓▓▓▓▓░░♥░☆☆


Javamom

Book finished and delivered

New spine created and cloth color matched to the covers

The finished product! The book is all back together again, and good for another couple of generations!

Javamom

Update on Littlest Angel

I'll post more tomorrow, when this should be finished.

Javamom

Took care of some wedding plans today

My daughter and I went on a quest to make some more solid plans toward her and Andrew's spring wedding.


We had a sumptuous palette of colors from which to choose, as all brides (and their helpers) do ~

We narrowed down the colors ~ Our story begins this way. Ky is our only daughter of four children. Our oldest son is already married.

For every Birthday for our daughter, I would clip yellow and cream-colored roses from the rosebushes outside, along with Indian Paintbrush that I'd planted in the yard, or that we'd collected on a nature walk to put in vases for her birthday in the spring. So, she thought it only fitting to have them in her spring wedding, as well!

Possible centerpieces, still needing that red-orange of the Indian Paintbrush:

Flower colors: It may be a little too early for Indian Paintbrush, but we are going to try to force them and coax them out early. Also on the docket: the Yellow Rose of Texas, of course!

Possible ends-of-isle flower holders, with some tulle and extra ribbons or rafia:





Also purchased today:

And one possible pattern, which I will not show you yet ;-)




Happy Javamom

Current Restoration

This is one of the projects that I started recently and will be finishing up this week. This 1940's edition of The Littlest Angel needs a new spine and complete recase. In the forties, most books were made of cheaper materials because of the war, so this is a tender, frail book to work with. I will post more photos of the finished product later this week.




Javamom

Orchard House

The photos are for the daughters of a friend who are fast becoming LM Alcott fans :-)

This is where Alcott wrote Little Women. Many of the stories in the book are real, and were lived out in Hillside, the home that sits to the right of this one in Concord, Massachusetts. Bronson Alcott moved sheds from the property and added them to the initial structure, creating more room for the family. He also did the same thing to Hillside! The wrap-around porch at Hillside (after it was named Wayside) was added by the Lothrop family in the late 1800's.

Ky and me :-)

Our dear daughter. This was part of her graduation present.

Javamom

Of Chore Charts and Scheduling

A friend asked me to post this family schedule/chart over a month ago, and I am finally getting to it. Below, find a photo of my copy of the Alcott Family chore chart that was posted at "Hillside" which was later renamed to "Wayside" by Nathaniel Hawthorne after he purchased the home. This is where, when the girls were younger, they played "Pilgrim's Progress" on the front staircase and made up other plays complete with costumes. (the small trunk and some of the original costumes reside in Orchard House, just to the left next door, where the family later moved after Elizabeth's death).



(our visit to Hillside, aka Wayside ~ summer of 2009)



The Alcott girls were homeschooled by their father for much of their education, and also had a tutor come in (in this chart, it is a Mr. Lane). We know that money Louisa earned from writing went to send May to study art and painting in France.

The family awoke at 5 a.m. and took very cold baths, something that Mr. Alcott was very keen on. (Brrrrrr!) The girls had some 'recreation' aka chores in the early morning, overseen by Miss Foord, and did sewing, had conversation, and reading in the evenings with their mother and Miss Ford. (spelled two different ways on the chart, perhaps b/c of space?)

(click to enlarge)


Note the high expectation of the girls: "Vigilance, Punctuality, Perserverence. Promt, Cheerful, Unquestioning Obedience. Government of Temper, Hands, and Tongue. Gentle Manners, Motions, and Words. Work, Studies, and Play distinct. No interchange of Labors."

Our guide noted how different most of the world is today...and not for the better.

What other significant things do you notice about their routine that stand out to you? Espcially my Charlotte Mason educating friends?

Can't wait to hear from you, and sorry for my laxity in keeping up with the blog of late. I will post on that another time.

Javamom

Behind The Wall: The Story of Birgit Lindemann

This is a cross post, so that they ladies in my book club can have a direct link to an interview I discussed in our meeting earlier this week. Apologies to my FB friends who've already seen this.

Behind The Wall ~

*Fantastic* interview from Birgit, who was raised as a "young pioneer" in East Berlin and how the fall of the Berlin Wall changed her and her family's life. Go listen!! Let your kids listen to this. Fantastic personal account of this time in history and what it was like for children of parents who loved their party and towed the party line. She also touches on what she thinks now about kids in Berlin who never knew what it meant to have a wall (real wall and political wall) dividing you from loved ones and privileges that you can only smell and imagine.


Take some time to reflect on history


Javamom

Hand Bookbinding and Restoration services available

Anyone have a family heirloom or sentimental vintage book they would like to have restored/preserved (maintaining original integrity) for a family member for Christmas? Feel free to contact me for more information. I have many detailed photos HERE (on my blog) of much more complicated work, and happy former and current clients to recommend my services, if you are interested!

One of the plainest examples of my work, but I have many detailed photos you can view by clicking on the subject links in the right-hand margin, more specifically, bookbinding and restoration.This book had lost it's spine and spine cover, so I cleaned off the old, acidic spine glue and materials and created a new spine and covered it with new, matching bookcloth. I could have created a new title label for it, but it was not asked for.

These are just a few examples of hand-bound journals that I have made and sold, available in any size you would like. Bookcloth is more durable, but these craft papers hold up well. I can attest to this, as these are the style I use for my own journal books.


Let the binding begin!


Javamom

Spanish practice through music

While trying to find a Spanish song to use in my Spanish classes this week, I found a site called Actualidades: a learning blog, that has a fantastic collection of music/songs to listen to. The site owner has gone to a lot of effort and also posted activity sheets that go along with each song (there are almost 50 in the collection!), including a vocab list that you can present before you play the song. They are not translated into English, for the most part, so you are forewarned that you will have to do this part yourself.

These have excellent sound quality, as well, and I'm looking forward to giving some of these a try.


Enjoy!

Javamom



Preview for any topics you personally might want to avoid with younger ages (i.e. love or dating relationships).

Mr. Gorbachev, Tear Down This Wall!

Happy Anniversary to Germany on this, the 20th anniversary of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall.

These were courageous words spoken by then President Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Not even Reagan's own aides wanted him to utter that particular line, yet he did! Discussing the dismantling of the wall and the fall of communism, Reagan's biographer quotes Mikhail Gorbachev as saying, "I don't know if what happened would have happened if Reagan had not been there."

I remember the era and how fearful everyone was to elect Reagan, thinking for sure that he would cause nuclear holocaust. I wrote the president myself with my own concerns (I was about 16 at that time of writing that letter) as one of my brothers signed up for the Air Force during that time and was sent to West Germany, along with his young family, to serve his country and protect our allies as a Russian Linguist.

A small handful of friends and I got to visit Berlin, including East Berlin one weekend in the summer of 1984, while doing mission work there. My experiences can in no way be compared to those who lived through the time of occupation of parts of Eastern Europe by the Soviet Union. I am, however, very thankful to have been able to get to know a few people who lived that life, had family behind that wall. I am thankful to have been able to see some of Eastern Europe and East Berlin for myself. To witness a socialist holiday complete with goose-stepping soldiers and tanks, etc. It was a life-changing experience for this very-blessed American, then a college student seeking to live life with greater purpose.

Our very-long day of walking miles upon miles of exploring in East Berlin, without food until about ten at night when we finally found one of the few small taverns or restaurants in the city. Because it was Stalin's or Lenin's day, what services the city did have available were mostly closed. Lines of people wrapped around the one restaurant we saw after lunchtime, so we'd walk on to the next possible restaurant which we would not ever find.

We made it to Checkpoint Charlie in the late afternoon, with hopes of getting back into West Berlin through Checkpoint Charlie. We were so happy, thinking we could finally get something to eat just across the way! But it was not possible for us to do that.

The East German guards informed us that we could not under any circumstances re-enter the West through Checkpoint Charlie, because we had entered the city by train on another side of the city. As I look at the map of the city divided by the wall and the various checkpoints, we must have come in at Checkpoint Bravo, the only other checkpoint possible for non-Germans.

We drove from West Germany to an appartment of some church members in W. Berlin, but took a train in from West to East Berlin, from what I remember. We were told by our missionary friend that if we took cameras, there was a good chance that the guards would take our film on the way in or out, when they checked us in and out. How I wish I had photos of that weekend.

At that point, trying not to be discouraged, we bolstered ourselves and began the walk back to the other side of the city, hoping and praying for a place, any place, to eat. I cannot remember if and how we were able to find water or something to drink along the way. Convenience shops or kiosks that one would see in free Europe were pretty much non-existent. We probably found juice or some such thing somewhere, because we did spend our money. It was required of us by the guards that we convert a certain amount of Deutsch marks to East German Marks upon entering East Germany, and we were not supposed to take any of those marks out of the East with us when we left.

Sometime after dark, and I do not remember how many hours or miles, we finally found a small, hole-in-the-wall mom and pop place to eat. We were thankful when we were finally seated at a table. It took 45 minutes to an hour to be given a menu. It took up to another hour to be waited on. It was not because we were Americans, I truly believe. We were dressed as German as possible (though definitely Western) and we spoke in German. This place was simply almost out of food.

There were five dishes listed on the menu, but only two were still available. My team and I rallied each others' spirits my making funny references to things such as "now they're going to the barn to slaughter the bull for dinner," etc. I began writing a postcard to my parents while we continued to wait. Another hour after our order was taken, our food finally arrived; a small piece of meat, green peas, and boiled potatoes. It was one of the best meals I have had, simply because of need.

At some point during that weekend, we were able to visit the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, and spend time pouring somberly over the stories and artifacts of those who escaped or died trying to escape from East to West.

This was truly one of the top ten best times of my education. I came away from that experience more grateful for my blessings, and prompted me (still prompts me) to mourn the greed, waste, and indifference that I saw then and still see today. I am not perfect by any stretch in trying to live a less commercial lifestyle and to appreciate the simple things, but this helped to take stock of my life and my values and to live what I believe without apology or shame. I am not anti-capitalist, but, I am a fan of buying what you can afford or need, not being so indulgent.

This post is a perfect reminder of the attitude of gratitude that we should have as we soon celebrate Veterans Day, toward our military~our brothers, uncles, granfathers, sons, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, etc., who have served to protect us and our country through in the armed forces. We owe them more than we can give, and often, simply thanking them can really encourage them.

I know of no better way to leave you thinking about and pondering our blessings, and being thankful to God for them, and our military who have worked and fought to serve and protect us.


Chao for now,

Javamom

Online Justice Class

Harvard University's Justice with Michael Sandel is an interesting, engaging course that I found last Sunday. The particular course was delving into John Locke's treatises and applying them to specific situations our country has found itself in many times. I am thrilled that it is free and online, and not just available through TV. I stumbled onto the program on our local(ish) TV, non-cable channel thanks to our digital converter box. I was engaged right from the start, so I'm sharing it here in case you can use it in your homeschool high school, as I am going to do, since we are studying American History and some current events this year and next.

If you come up with any ideas of how you are going to use it with your teens, post them back to me, and maybe we can share info or activities.

Ciao for now,

Javamom

Online Civics Web site with Games

I stumbled onto a simple Civics web site yesterday that will be a helpful supplemental resource in teaching and solidifying how our court system works to our last two boys at home. It was created by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. On the site, you will find simple lesson plans for The Constitution, the courts system, how our government works, links to our current Supreme Court Justices, and interactive games.

The two games are called "Do I Have a Right" and "Supreme Decision." I have only previewed Supreme Decision so far.

Did I mention that it is free?


Javamom

National Parks

Some of you are probably getting tired of hearing me plug this program, which has been running all week long on PBS. The series, by Ken Burns, is called "The Naitonal Parks: America's Best Idea."

Some of you know that we are crunchy conservative libertarians (with a couple of Democrats in the immediate family, as well) so it comes as no surprise to you. Personally, I am frustrated by almost all politicians and lobbyists, but that is another post for another time. You know that we love National and State Parks and have extolled their cost-effective and natural, restorative benefits to soul and spirit. I don't intend to sound mystical. I am a Christ follower, and a preacher's kid. I know the difference between Christianity and Paganism, and a debate on those topics are not my purpose for posting. :-)

I have found in this series an impressive balance between things that are for "the greater good" of society vs. destroying our resources without some responsible efforts and replacing resources that are often and greedily stripped away. This series has presented and showcased both naturalists and rich, capitalist folks and presidents who all worked together to create and protect the wonders in our own nation.

We may not have cathedrals built by human hands, but we have been given some mighty and spectacular sights to oversee and to be good stewards. Some of them look like Cathedrals, some are far larger than European cathedrals, but were created by God himself. I've seen quite a few of those Cathedrals; climbed their narrow, spiraling staircases, being in awe of their beauty. Still, they really cannot compare with naturally carved and created wonders with which we were blessed. A lot of Europeans come to tour our National Parks, and are very impressed by what we have here. Our country may be young as we exist today, but these wonders have been in this land for thousands and thousands of years.

To me, they are but a glimpse of what Heaven may be like; a glimpse of Heaven on Earth while the Lord tarries to take us to His final home for us.

These can be viewed for free online at PBS.com until October 9th, and it is a collection of the best cinematography I have seen in one series. Ken Burns has hit another one out of the ballpark, in my opinion. I also recommend his "Lewis and Clark" series. Extremely beautiful to watch, to listen to (for the music is so well-chosen). His Mark Twain series is also one of my favorites.

I hope you take some time to enjoy the show!

Until later,

Javamom

Tweaking School Schedules pt. 2

After thinking through what I typed regarding our ds #3, age 16 and his remaingin high school years, I'm considering that perhaps I will be able to crunch nine terms over two years (18-24 months), instead of crunching years 9 and 10 into the next 12 months (which would include summer school). It will take some more time for me to mull over the numbers game of dividing pages over fewer months, and I am NOT a huge fan of SYSTEMS or programs, so if I'm not as detailed here as you like, I am sorry!! I can post page number updates when I get that all completed and fit into a realistic time-frames each week. Do post any questions that you may have. Some friends just e-mail me privately, and that is fine, too.

I still may add one or two small items in this schedule for our 16 yo, but then again, maybe not! We'll see how he manages his time. He is between summer job hours and a different job. His summer job was with a business that only runs through the summer. He is waiting to hear back from other potential employers for work during the school term. He also needs to take initiative and visit those businesses to show his interest and motivation once again.

Jr. Yr. Term 1 Week 5	Monday	Tuesday	Wed.	Thursday	Friday
Devo: Imitation of Christ	Thomas a Kempis		Thomas a Kempis
Bible: James	Daily reading	Daily reading	Daily reading	Daily reading	Daily reading
History: HEO selections	History: Clarence Carson Hist. of the US	History: Letters or journal entries	Government: Are You Liberal, Conserv. Or Confused?	History: Letters or journal entries of the revoltionaries	History: Pope’s Essay on Man
Language Arts: Elements of Style		Writing – narrations of essays		Writing-other narrations
Poetry: Puritan Poetry of N. England	1 poem read	1 poem copy	Mom teaches Spanish I Class	1 poem finish copying	Art History: Raphael bio
Biography: Various HEO selections	John Adams	Geo Wash. Addresses to Cont. Cngrss	Spanish poem scrip, or song	Leave for Chem class	Picture Study Raphael Sanzio
Spanish sheets 2 pgs day	Spanish sheets 2 per day	Spanish sheets 2 per day	Spanish sheets 2 per day	Apologia Chemistry Class	Copy Spanish vocab/phrases in context
Alg 2	Alg 2	Alg 2	Alg 2	“	Alg 2
LUNCH	LUNCH	LUNCH	LUNCH	“	LUNCH
A hymn per term	Benjamin Fr. Autobio 20 pgs./wk		Spanish II	“	Mere Christianity
Geography & Natural Hist.:	Carpenter’s N.American Geograph. reader	View maps of militia and battle sites	“ “	NatureStudy:	Ethics of the Dust
Citizenship: Plutarch’s Lives or Ourselves	Letters from George Washington	Ourselves by CM	Spanish II ends, visit w/our friends before they leave	Writings from other re-volutionaries
			Plutarch - together
Literature: Shakespeare * Midsummer Nights Dream		Shakespeare together
	TIDY	TIDY	TIDY	TIDY
Tea and Fine Arts: Term 1	Ralph V. Wms symph. I A Sea Symphony	job	job	job	job
Free Reading:
Man Who Was Thursday
Sir Walter Scott novel
Games: Farkle backgammon	Or Cranium		Dad Wood Working club		Movie night
Bedtime	Bedtime	Bedtime	Bedtime	Bedtime	Bedtime
Lights out	Lights out	Lights out	Lights out	Lights out	Lights out

Friday:

Bible reading; Pope's Essay on Man (not sure how many pages, yet); Copy Spanish vocab/phrases in context; read Mere Christianity; Algebra 2; Read Ruskin's Ethics of the Dust; family movie night...especially if our college DD is home for part of the weekend with her fiance. We also cook up a feast on most Friday or Saturday evenings.

Any Questions?

Javamom