Strawberry soda ice cream results

I mixed up the strawberry soda ice cream stuff yesterday at 4:00 pm. By the time I went to bed it still had not hardened at all. I forgot to check it this morning but at noon it was hardened and crusted. At about 2:00pm we decided to try it. After I broke thru the crust it was kinda slushy. We tried it and its really good. This evening we tried some more and its still slushy and yummy. I will be making this again. It is cool, refreshing, light and tasty.

I give it a thumbs up.

Make your own bias tape

http://creativelittledaisy.typepad.com/creative_little_daisy/2007/11/diy-version-of.html

I just found the neatest tutorial for making your own bias tape without the tube folder thingy. All you need is an iron, a long needle, an ironing board and fabric strips. Bias tape is so expensive and I can rarely find just the color I need, so I was very glad to find this tutorial. When I make my aprons I just hem the sides because bias tape is so pricey. Now I can use contrasting fabric to make my own bias tape and use it. Yeah.

Mesh Bag project

A day at the beach needn't end with a bag full of sand.
Tote How-ToTo make this tote, cut a 36-by-18-inch piece of fiberglass mesh and 6 lengths of 1 1/2-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon (two at 60 inches, two at 20 inches, and two at 18 inches). Iron the four shorter ribbons in half lengthwise. Sandwich one 18-inch side of mesh in one 18-inch ribbon. Pin, then stitch in place close to ribbon edge. Repeat on opposite side.
Sew ends of 60-inch ribbons together with a 1/2-inch seam allowance, making a large loop. Fold mesh in half widthwise; press to crease. Unfold, and line up seams in ribbon loop with crease in mesh (points A and B); pin.

Starting at point A, sew the ribbon along its outer edge to end of the mesh (overlapping 18-inch ribbon); turn corner and continue sewing lengthwise down entire opposite edge; turn corner and stitch back to point A. Repeat, starting at point B. Fold mesh along crease. To finish sides, sandwich each in a 20-inch ribbon, leaving an inch overhang at each end. Pin, then sew in place. Fold back overhangs, and stitch.

This looks like a fun project. We are hundreds of miles from any beaches but we have friends who live close to them. I think this could be used at the lake as well. I may have to try it.

source:http://www.marthastewart.com/good-things/mesh-bag?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/summer-sewing-projects#slide_6

Homemade corn chips

Your kids will love making their own crispy, crunchy corn chips from scratch. And there's no sweeter reward than getting to sample their first batch of snacks hot from the oven.
Ingredients
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 - 7/8 cup boiling water
Mixing bowl
Mixing spoon or spatula
Measuring teaspoon
Baking sheet
Use of oven
Cooking Instructions
Mix all ingredients.
Scoop 1 heaping measuring teaspoonful of mixture.
Place on a well greased baking sheet. (Use plenty of oil, or they will stick)
Moisten fingers, pat out very thin.
Bake in 400 degree oven about 10 minutes.
source:http://recipes.kaboose.com/homemade-corn-chips.html

Christian fish symbol

The Christian Fish Symbol (also called 'The Jesus Fish')
Christian fish symbol

Photo © bikercrosses.comThe fish symbol incorporated into a Cross Pattee on a mousepad
The Christian fish symbol is usually just two simple curved lines. Modern looking and sleek, often seen on car bumpers, it gives many people the impression that it's a new symbol. In fact, its history goes back even further than the cross as a symbol used by Christians.

As early as the second century Titus Flavius Clemens (St. Clement of Alexandria), suggested that Christians identify themselves with a seal engraved with a fish or dove (Paedagogus, III, xi. See also Dove Cross.) Even before that time, inscriptions on monuments2 suggest that the fish symbol was familiar to Christians.

Back in the earliest days of the Church, Christians needed no reminder of how Jesus died; they saw it in its most hideous form all too frequently. But the symbol of the cross was too great to ignore. The shape and form of the cross made no difference to them, as shown by the Chi Rho, of which the Chi (X) formed the cross seen by Constantine in the sky. Also within the tail of the fish was seen embedded the Chi (X), the initial monogram of 'Christ', as well as the Sign of the Cross.
It's reasonable to assume that early Christians made this sign of the fish to identify themselves to one another

It is understood that after Christ's crucifixion when Christians were persecuted, the fish symbol was used as an identifying symbol that fellow Christians would recognise, but non-Christians would not. Therefore Christians could connect with each other through this secret code without revealing themselves to the oppressors.

As in the miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, the fish is a symbol of baptism and as such, an appropriate symbol for Christians to adopt. Fish swim in deep water yet do not drown; indeed, they need to be immersed in water in order to survive. Similarly for us to survive spritually, we need to be baptised by immersion into the waters of Christ's love.

So the fish symbol occurred very early in Christian history. Quoting Carl G, Liungman in his magisterial volume 'Dictionary of Symbols' (1991, W. W. Norton & Company, New York,):

The Pagan fish symbol

(I could not fine a picture of the pagan fish symbol)

However, let's go back to a time even before St. Clement, since Paganism has been around much longer than Christianity.
Neo-pagans are often quick to point out, that the fish is not a Christian owned symbol at all, but was derived from a sexually related image

The New Age fish symbol
Rainbow trout?
Astrologers are often quick to point out, that the fish is not only a Christian symbol, but indicative of the Age of Pisces, which began at the time of Jesus' birth. This is surely more than a coincidence.

The Indian Hindu fish symbol
Hinduism is another religion that's a few thousand years older than Christianity, and one of their symbols is a fish. One appeared as an avatar (incarnation or physical bodily manifestation) of Vishnu to save mankind from the Great Flood.
The Sanskrit for fish is Matsya and he is usually shown with four arms and a fish tail.

The Chinese Taoist fish symbol

The symbol of the cosmic philosophy or religion of Tao, is yin-yang. This symbol is also popular with New Age followers and shows a couple of fish, Yin and Yang, where Yin's eye is in the Yang fish, and Yang's eye is in the Yin fish.

The Buddhist fish symbol

(I dont know why two of these showed up and dont know how to get rid of one, so oh well)
Mokugyo
In Japan and elsewhere, the fish means well-being, happiness and freedom. It is one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols used in Buddhism imported from China. The fish symbolises living in a state of fearlessness, without danger of drowning in the ocean of sufferings, and migrating from place to place freely and spontaneously. The fish symbol is considered Buddhist and consequently the 'Jesus Fish' is a rare sight in these countries.

My conclusion: The fish symbol is indeed used by many (religions) each are significantly different and there fore easy to recognize. I had always wondered where the fish symbol came from and what it meant. Now I know.

source:http://www.seiyaku.com/customs/fish/fish.html

Bible study

I am looking for a free printable Bible study for our family this summer. We are almost finished with our current one and I need another one.

It has to be KJV. We like to read, discuss, look things up and do worksheets with a game or crossword now and then. We have ages 13 to 56.

My girls are well versed in the Bible so we don't need things for unsaved persons, just a good
Bible study that is not too deep but again not too fluffy. We like to do this together as a family with everyone taking part in Bible reading, answering questions and doing the worksheet.
Any ideas?

Strawberry soda ice cream

I bought strawberry soda today to make ice cream like we used to years ago. Its cheap and easy.
1 2 liter bottle of strawberry soda
2 cans evaporated milk
mix and put in a plastic container with a lid. Place in the freezer. Take it out and stir it once in a while and eventually you will have ice cream.

I make my own evaporated milk. Here is my recipe
1 1/2c. water
1 c. powdered milk
Combine and mix well. This recipe is the equivalent of one can of evaporated milk.
I use non instant powdered milk from the LDS cannery and the measurement is 1/2 of this.
In other words I use 1/2 c. non instant powdered milk

Japense sign final surrender

Cleaning the molds and trays

Today we decided that when we pulled stone we would clean the molds and mold trays. We did some maintenance on them as well, some needed screws etc. We clean molds and trays every two or three weeks when we are making lots of stone or when we switch stone styles.

We then cleaned the garage and rearranged the pouring area hoping it will be more convenient. Its a tight fit already trying to pour stone in a two car garage, but we do it. I am hoping this new arrangement makes it easier on those pouring. We got rid of a bunch of stuff and moved other stuff to other sheds if it isn't needed now. No sense having stuff in the way when it can be stored elsewhere.

Right now I have water in the mixer and am hoping it softens some of the mix so I can chisel it cleaner. No matter how hard I try, I never get the mixer all the way clean.

Jeff greased everything and fixed electrical cords that needed attention. Now he is working on the riding mower. It needs a belt. If he can get it going it will sure help us keep up with the mowing easier. We just cant do it with only one push mower.

When we make stone if there is any leftover mix we use it to make something else, like stepping stones, drip molds, ten commandment stone sets etc. Anyway, the molds are in big heavy trays. Today we cleaned off shelves and got rid of the trays. We put the extra molds on the newly cleaned shelves.

Get er done

This morning we got up late and didn't start making stone until about 8:30 am. Then in the middle of making stone the guys came to put the fiber optic cable thingy or something in so now our Internet is suppose to be 60 times faster than it was.

Once we finished making stone we cleaned out one of the sheds. I didn't realize it was so messy and dirty it had gotten. Now it is organized and I know how much pig fat and used oil I have for making soap. We marked the 5 gallon buckets so I wouldn't have to guess or open them to find out.

Then it was lunch time and Joy wanted homemade pizza so we made a cheese and also a mushroom and cheese pizza. The cheese one was the best, yum.

Mollie didn't have to babysit Jace today so they watched a movie and I took a nap. I had a little tummy upset for some reason, but I am fine now.

After resting I decided to get some sewing done. I made an apron out of fabric I got at a thrift store. I got 10 yards for 4.94. It had stripes and watermelons on it. I decided that would be my summer apron. Then I made three new pillow cases for Joy's little pillow she likes to snuggle with. The pillow case she took to college was really worn out so it got thrown.

While I was sewing the girls began cleaning their rooms. Joy is going through books and such and now we have a bunch of stuff to take to the thrift store.

I want to take my old sewing machine and the sewing machine I bought in Missouri a couple of weeks ago and get them cleaned and worked on and ready to go. Joy wants to take a machine with her to college next year so she can mend and sew.

It was too wet to mow today so hopefully we can get some mowing done tomorrow after we do stone.

Edible landscaping

I have heard a lot about edible landscaping and it makes sense to me. This year we have planted cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, scallop squash and acorn squash in the front area of our yard where it used to have two big trees. We planted the cucumbers to climb up the new lattice we put on the front of the porch. I think the zucchini looks similar to elephant ear plants so I figured why not? We also planted several types of flowers in and around the vegetables. I wanted the garden close to the house to be more useful to us. Easier to weed, water, pick and plant.

The Alvin vacuum sealer

I think I will make one of these. I already have to lid thingy. One for regular and one for wide mouth jars. Instructables :http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Alvin-Vacuum-Sealer/step4/Evacuate-the-air/

Memorial Day

As with most every American holiday we sometimes need to be reminded of why we celebrate.

Symbols and their meanings

I have an interest in symbols and their meanings so I decided to do a personal study about different symbols. I found this information about the peace sign interesting. I had always wondered where it came from.

Peace Sign
The Nuclear Disarmament Symbol more commonly known as the Peace Sign was derived from the navy semafore letters N and D, for Nuclear Disarmament. Created by Gerald Holtom in 1958, the symbol was adopted by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), and spread quickly to the USA and around the world during the vietnam war protest period. Various groups have their own interpretations of the symbol, ranging from a death sign, to a droopy Cross of Christ, to eternal disarmament. Some see the center of the symbol as a stick figure with arms drooping in dispair. This stick figure resembles the symbol for "he" in Blissymbolics.

THE PEACE SYMBOL
the anti-nuclear emblem or the peace sign is one of the most widely known symbols in the world.it was invented on the request of lord Bertrand Russell,head of the British ‘campaign for nuclear disarmament’or CDN and sponsor of mass marches and sit-downs in London . the graphic symbol was designed by Gerald Haltom, a member of the CND movement, as the badge of the ’direct action committee against nuclear war’, for the first demonstration against

Aldermaston (a British research center for the development of nuclear weapons) in 1958. Haltom, a professional designer and a graduate of the London royal college of arts, had originally considered using the Christian cross symbol within a circle as the motif for the march, but various priests he had approached with the suggestion were not happy at the idea of using the cross on a protest march.

the letters N and D of the navy code of semaphore, the flag signalling system.
the first badges were made by eric austin of kensington CND, using white clay with the symbol painted black. again there was a conscious symbolism. they were distributed with a note explaining that in the event of a nuclear war, these fired pottery badges would be among the few human artifacts to survive the nuclear inferno.

From a design point of view, it is interesting to note that the original sketches are preserved at the school of peace studies, at the Bradford University .They show a symbol that stood for ‘the death of man and the unborn child’ and that symbol was designedfrom the naval code of semaphore – the code letters for N and D (nuclear disarmament).N is two flags, arms down stretched at a forty-five degree angle, and D is two flags, one arm straight up and one straight down. the ends of the ‘arms’ and ‘legs’ thicken and splay out noticeably as they approach the circumference.the circle itself was thick – the thickening itself has two versions:in one, all the straight strokes are thickened;in the other, only those in the lower half of the circle.it is said, that the reason for the symbol being upside down (D over N) is that semaphore is a military code and upside down ymbolizes ‘anti-military’.

The symbol was quickly adopted in the US when a friend of martin Luther king jr., Bayard Rustin began using it during civil rights marches. The power of this symbol is emphasized by the fact that various far-right and fundamentalist American groups, during the 1970s, seriously onsidered

forbidding it (they have spread the idea of satanic associations andcondemned it as a communist sign). in south Africa , under the apartheid regime, there was an official attempt to ban it. Also anti-Vietnam war protesters picked it up, and it was called ’the footprint of the great American chicken’ by many American soldiers during the Vietnam War era.

Deliberately never copyrighted, the symbol is still recognized in Great Britain as the logo for nuclear disarmament, but is known worldwide for peace and non-violence.No one has to pay or to seek permission before they use it.As a symbol of freedom, it is free for all. This of course sometimes leads to its use,or misuse, in circumstances that CND and the peace movement find distasteful. it is also often exploited for commercial, advertising or generally fashion

purposes.‘We can’t stop this happening and have nointention ofcopyrighting it. All we can do is to ask commercial users if they would like to make a donation. Anymoney received is used for CND’s peace education and information work.’says the campaign for nuclear disarmament website

There have been claims that the symbol has older, occult or anti-Christian associations and that it was a ‘symbol of death’. This fifth century illustration depicts st.peter crucified upside-down. The inverted crucifix was known for centuries as the’ Nero cross’ from the roman reign of the emperor

Nero (54-68 A.D.) In the middle ages the ‘Nero cross’ was adapted in Satanists rituals.
DOVES OF PEACE

one of the most recognized symbols of peace is the dove. Its origins are from the story of Noah and the ark.When the rains that flooded the earth stopped pouring down, Noah sent out various birds to see if they would bring back any sign of land to his boat.He was anxious to begin life again on drypasturage.One dove eventually returned carrying an olive branch.
Manifesto by pablo picasso, 1949

After world war II Pablo Picasso, was responsible for the decisive use of the dove of peace: his lithograph designed for the international peace congress in Paris ,1949, features the white ancestor of a new family of doves. Since then, graphic artists have produced an endless series of doves of peace in different shapes.
References
http://www.sadako.org/ http://www.coop.org/ http://www.cnduk.org/

Pork & Beans turn into baked beans

I love baked beans but I don't like paying twice as much for them as I can buy pork and beans for so looked on the Internet and found this recipe using pork and beans. Its really good too.
1 onion (diced)
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. ketchup
1 t. mustard
1 t. salt
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
bacon bits.
Saute the onion in a tablespoon of olive or vegetable oil. When transparent add 3 cans of pork and beans and other ingredients listed above. Heat through and serve.

The original recipe called for 1/2 c. water, dry mustard, real bacon and to bake in oven for 3 hours. I used what I had on hand and cooked it on the stove. It was a hit. I will make it again and again.

Pantry Inventory

The girls and I just finished the inventory of one of my pantries. I like getting that done so I know what I have and what I need.

Now Jeff can make a spread sheet and I can keep better track of what items are in that particular pantry.

I did find out that I have most everything I need to make some of the meals in the new book I got. Before I begin making the meal packets I just need mylar bags, oxygen absorbers and some dehydrated mushrooms. I will see about ordering them on Friday when Jeff gets paid.

This morning Jeff called to tell me that it was raining and lightning real bad in Guymon and maybe we shouldn't make stone right away. I looked outside and decided to go ahead because I thought we'd have time before the storm reached us. I asked the Lord to hold off until we finished making stone. Toward the end it began to rain very lightly, then as we got closer to being done it rained harder. Finally just as we were finishing up in began to pour. Isn't God awesome? His timing is perfect.

I was able to get a pallet of stone taken out to the front lot just as it began to rain lightly. We are trying to build up the inventory of the lot. If we have stone out front people stop and buy what is there instead of custom ordering so I try to have common colors on the lot for quick sales. This week we should complete 400 square feet of field stone in the mixed brown colors. Next week I think we will make 500 square feet of field stone in reds and beige. Then after that I will decide what color we should make for the lot. I am hoping Joe brings us his order soon so we can start on it. I hope he doesn't have too many corners as that is the hardest part of making stone. When we make stone for the lot we do not make corners. We just make the stones.

Back to the old grind

We started making stone this morning at about 8am. We were finished with stone, did the chores and mowed the west yard by 9:30am. I mowed so it took me a little longer than that but it was good to get things done.

When the whether warms up we make stone and do our outside work early in the day to avoid the heat as much as possible.

I figure if we do stone and then mow some each day maybe we can keep on top of it. We are also cutting down on the area we mow this year. Its really silly to mow 9 or 10 acres all the time. I think we will just let a lot of it look wild this year and see how it looks. I would love to plant billions of native wild flowers in the front that borders the high way.

This evening we will do more planting since we didn't get it done this morning.

Here is an update on my stacked pot planters. The strawberries in the pots leaning to the south all died and the strawberries in the pots leaning north survived except two of them. I think the main reason was them being in such a windy area and not sheltered. The herbs by the back door seemed to fair better but they are in a more protected place. I may change the location next year for the strawberry plants.

In Alvin Tx. they plant their strawberries in October and the harvest in finished by the end of May. You just have to learn what works in your area. Our area is very very windy so plants do much better if placed in a greenhouse or a protected area. For this reason I am glad we built the raised beds close to the house and in the greenhouse.

I am trying to change the way I garden in that I used to plant and then I was done. This year I am trying to plant at intervals and continuously so that a longer fresher harvest may be had. I also have never planted a fall garden and that is something I want to do this year.

Chicken quarters

When we went to the Perryton today we picked up two packages of leg quarters for $3.90 each at United. When we got home I cut them apart and chopped off the tails, don't like to have them on. We packaged 6 pieces to a bag, 3 legs and 3 thighs for a total of 7 bags. I am going to cook two bags tomorrow so Jeff has some to take for his lunches. It averages out to $1.11 per bag. That is a good price for the meat for a meal for five people.

We owed $11.70 in fines at the library. We gotta stop doing that. I guess we support the library that way. We really like the Perryton library.

I am so glad to be home. I enjoyed being with the kids in Alvin and wish we could have stayed and spent time with Bill and Christina but I really felt it was best to head home. I think I made the right decision.

Today we planted cucumbers, scallop squash, acorn squash, yellow squash and zucchini. In the way of flowers we planted lots of marigolds and morning glories.

Tomorrow after we make stone I want to get the last bed in the greenhouse ready to plant and plant more yellow squash, acorn squash, and scallop squash. I also have a place picked out to plant some cantaloupes and watermelons. I think we will plant one of the raised bed all to okra as well.

In a couple of weeks or so I will start another batch of squash so that when the ones we planted today start to wain, the next ones will be coming on.

It has been very windy here for the last few days. I am hoping it calms down a bit, its hard to work when its so very windy.

The girls mowed and trimmed today as well. When everyone works together its amazing how much we get done. Like last evening, they went to it and the house was in order in no time. I really appreciate my girls. They are very special. I feel like I have done a good job raising them and if I should die today they could handle most anything that comes along.

This coming year in home school, we will be learning Quicken as one of our subjects. This will help the girls to get a handle on the financial aspect of life. Also, they could actually get part time jobs doing some book work for local businesses. We have already been asked to have them do this.

We were sitting on the porch this evening talking, and the girls were saying how people think they are different than other kids (in a good way) and I said I am so glad that its obvious that they are different. We don't want to be like the world. We want people to look at us and say that we are dependable and helpful. Also that we don't act like the world does. I am proud of my girls. They are not perfect but they are great girls.

New book

I ordered this book and it came in while I was gone. I am getting ready to begin reading it. Its about using your food storage by making meals in a jar that you can just whip up easily. There are suppose to be 30 recipes so in theory you can make three months worth of meals by making three of each recipe. Since I can my own meat I thought it might be something I would be interested in.
This is what the web site says about it.
Create a 90 day supply of easily prepared dinner mixes your family will love using food storage ingredients in mason jars or mylar bags for emergencies and convenience on busy days.
Wouldn't it be nice if your pantry was filled with premixed dinners that you could put together with little effort and have healthy homemade meals that your family would love? Not only would you have a supply of easy dinners, but you could also give them away as gifts that anybody would absolutely love to receive.
Dinner Is In The Jar is filled with meal mix recipes that can be easily stored in mason jars or mylar bags. Dinner Is In The Jar has a dinner mix jar recipe for every day of the month, including comfort meals such as Chicken Pot Pie, Biscuits and Gravy, Enchiladas, Pizza, Spaghetti and Meatballs in Mushroom Parmesan Tomato Sauce, Italian Cheese & Sausage Calzone and many more.
Dinner Is In The Jar also features planning charts making it easy to prepare a 90 day supply of dinner mix jar recipes, step by step photographs of how to create mylar bags for the mixes and where to easily get the ingredients.
You have heard of gifts in a jar and kitchen gifts and those delicious cookie dough mixes in a jar. Dinner Is In The Jar, takes the concept of gifts in a jar and kitchen gifts to a whole new level focusing on dinner meal mixes made from food storage ingredients. Also, unlike gifts in a jar and kitchen gifts, Dinner Is In The Jar includes many comfort foods and a variety of different types of meal mixes.
These are recipes your family will be begging you to make again and again, and with how quick and easy they are to make, you will gladly make them a regular feature on your dinner table. Create a 90 day supply of easily prepared dinners your family will love using food storage ingredients in mason jars or mylar bags for emergencies & convenience on busy days with Dinner Is In The Jar.

We're home

We made it home safe, Thank you Jesus. The girls did almost all of the driving. Th new car only took $50.00 in gasoline. That was sure nice.
Gotta start my to do list now.
1. unpack, put away, etc. (done)
2. laundry (done)
3.clean house (done)
4.get tags for car
5.take Joy to get her drivers license
6.put wiper fluid in and new wipers on car (fluid done)
7.buy a new window air conditioner for our bedroom (done and installed)
8.mow with tractor, ditches, front area etc. Where ever it needs it
9.plant tomatoes and cucumbers and acorn squash and whatever else I missed.
10.make stone everyday this week.
11.??
11.

Almost home

Yesterday we picked Bill and Christina up from the airport. The kids were sure glad to see them. We then went to a restaurant for breakfast and chatting. It was sure good to see them. I would have liked to stay longer but at this time I just was ready to head home.
They gave us each beautiful necklaces with a flower to pin in our hair. Also we each got a t-shirt in pretty colors.

They also gave me a really neat bowl woven out of some kind of leaves. They watched someone make it. It has a rose on the side. They probably don't remember but when we first met them they gave me a rose rock I keep on a shelf. Now I have a rose bowl. It is turning brown but still has some green in it. Christina said it will turn all the way brown and get hard. It is beautiful.

After our late breakfast at the restaurant we headed out. We got to Norman and decided to get a motel. We still have about five or so hours of driving ahead of us today and probably could have made it, but better safe than sorry.

We woke up late and missed the breakfast the motel provides so we must have been tired.

This week we will be finishing the corners for the stone order we have and making stone to set out front to sell. Our stock out front is quite low and needs built up.

I also need to get some more tomatoes planted and cucumbers. Also some acorn squash among other things.

Joy asked me if we ever do anything fun at home and I laughed and said no, I guess we don't. We have plenty of work all the time.

Going to Galveston again

As soon as school lets out we are going to Galveston again. Hopefully it wont be so rainy this time. The kids are looking forward to another romp in the water. This time Hannah is leaving her glasses with me.

Tomorrow morning we pick Bill and Christina up form the airport and then head out. I will call them this evening to see if it would be better if we took two cars and left from the airport or came back to the house and then left. I think it would be better to take two cars to the airport because it would save me two hours of driving and two hours of time cause its an hour from here to the airport.
The girls think we should leave from here. There is a funeral that will be going on when they get here so I know they will rush right over to that so it just makes more sense to me to leave from the airport.
I will ask Bill what he wants us to do.

Today we are packing up our stuff and cleaning house so that it will be clean when Bill and Christina get home. We are trying to get most everything packed into the car so it will be easier to get on the road.

Its always fun to go places but its better to get back home again. I cant wait. I have been away from Jeff for too many days now.

Another baby afgan

I had purchased two skeins of each of the colors I wanted to use for the first afghan so I used what was left to make this one. As you can see I didn't do a scallop around the edge of this one.

Pizza sauce recipe

I saw on Candy's blog at keeping the home that she did a post on the best pizza ever. I noticed she said she just put pizza seasonings in some tomato sauce for the pizza sauce. I used to do that until a friend gave me this easy recipe. I thought I would share the recipe I now use.
1 small can tomato sauce or tomato paste (if you use paste add a couple of cans of water)
1 T. basil
2 T. Italian seasoning
1 t. beef bullion
1 t. sugar
garlic salt (to taste) we like it so we use more than some will
Place ingredients into a small sauce pan and warm just a bit. Be careful because anything that has tomatoes in it will pop and make a mess.
This recipe is easily doubled, tripled or whatever.

lost comment

I saw a comment I was going to moderate and somehow lost it so please send it again.

Space shuttle

We had a neat experience after church tonight. We all went outside and watched the space shuttle pass overhead. We would not have known what it was except we were told it would be passing and we were looking for it. It was just a bright white light. It passed from the northwest to the southeast. It was really a fun thing. I wonder how many miles high it was?

Neat ideas for using rubber bands

At a dinner party this weekend, my host was wrestling with a jar of honey in the kitchen, unable to unscrew the lid. Just as she was about to fetch her boyfriend to have him finish the job, I asked her if she had a rubber band. “What for?” she asked, having never heard of the following trick:

For stubborn tops, wrap a rubber band around the perimeter of the the lid a couple times before attempting to open it—the band acts as a grip and makes it about a thousand times easier to undo.

This got me thinking about and researching other uses for rubber bands, which led me to a really helpful post on the subject on the blog Marc and Angel Hack Life. Here, some highlights:
Paint can marker. If you’re partially finished with a can of paint, wrap a rubber band around its exterior at the same level as the paint that’s inside the can so you can tell at a glance how much you have left.

Pencil eraser. Fold a rubber band a few times to rub off pencil doodles.

To keep soap output in check. Loop a rubber band around the neck of the pump on a liquid soap dispenser to control how much soap comes out with each use.

Bookmarks. Just wrap a band around the page you’ve just finished reading and the cover of the book. You won’t have to worry about losing your place, nor do you have to bend the pages.

To manage stray wires—or yarn. Wrap cords and balls of yarn or thread in bands to prevent tangles.

Baby-proof cabinets. Bind knobs with rubber bands to keep them firmly shut.

Remote control pad. Wrapping the base with a band keeps your remote from sliding off the coffee table—and prevents your furniture from scratching.

Make a broom last. When the bristles on a broom get tired and start to splay out, wrap a couple rubber bands close to the base to keep them tight (and cleaning more effectively).

Kitty proof your toilet paper. To keep kittens (or puppies) from pawing at the ends, wrap a band around a roll of toilet paper.

Bottle gripper. To keep shampoos, conditioners, etc from slipping from your hands in the shower, wrap rubber bands around the middles to make them easier to grip.

Keep a sliced apple fresh. Supposedly, after you slice an apple into wedges, if you reassemble the wedges so the apple looks intact again and wrap a (clean!) band around it, it slows down the browning process—a good thing to keep in mind for brown bag lunches.
source:http://shine.yahoo.com/event/haven/a-dozen-ways-to-stretch-out-a-rubber-band-you-might-not-have-guessed-1425920/

gutters in the greenhouse

I figured out how to embed this video. I want to try this in my greenhouse. It could be used for salad greens and such as well as strawberries. I will try to find a rain gutter installation company to see about getting some used gutters.

Baby blanket

One of the ladies here at the Alvin church is having a baby next month. She had two boys and this one is a girl. I picked up some yarn and a crochet hook and made this for her. I hope she doesn't think its too pink. She doesn't want too much pink, so I made it with pink, brown and pink camo.

Its is just an over sized granny square.

On a lighter note

Houston Muslims

Harwin Central Mall: The very first store that you come to when you walk from the lobby of the building into the shopping area
Had this sign posted on their door. The shop is run by Muslims. Feel free to share this with others.

Going to Pearland

The girls and I went to Pearland with Sammy yesterday because Mollie wanted to buy some new tennis shoes. She found a pair that looks good on her and fits well. Hannah saw a pair but couldn't decide if she wanted to spend the money. I found a pair of crocks for Jeff. He has feet problems and he likes to wear crocks in the house.

Later we went to Wal Mart and I got 2 pairs of carpi's, and we all got assorted under garments. Mollie also got 2 new shirts.

Well now Hannah wants to go back to Pearland and buy the shoes if they are still there. So as soon as everyone gets around we will go.

We are hoping that the glasses Jeff mailed will come today for Hannah. She is ready to see again. She lost her glasses in the water on Saturday. Update, no glasses today.

Tonight is church. I bought a Thank You note to give to Galen for rescuing us last Thursday. I will give it to him tonight along with some of my home made soap.

I miss hanging laundry outside. They don't have a line here. Its funny too, they have a regular washer and dryer and my kids weren't sure how to run them. I thought that was funny. Of course Joy knew cause they have the old kind at college. We have a front loader.

I do think the Lord is trying to teach me something and I am sure I did not do well in the test. I still have a tendency to bristle when someone begins to yell at me. It looks like there is a lot more refining I need. Refining fire, my hearts one desire, is to love you, set apart for you. One thing I have learned is that I need to put feet to my faith. In other words I need to be able to with stand. It may not always be easy in the days to come. Can I hold up? Can I hold on? Can I hold out?

Contest

M.D. Creekmore over at the The Survivalist Blog – a survival blog dedicated to helping others prepare for and survive disaster – with articles on bug out bag contents, survival knife choices and a wealth of other survival information is giving away a Go Berkey Water Filter System (a $139.00 value)! To enter, you just have to post about it on your blog. This is my entry. Visit The Survivalist Blog for the details.

Clarification

Ok, this is my (sister in Christ) not in real life. She is my former pastors sister. I will try to explain as best I can.
C. just finished a year of christian worship school and does not know what she is doing with her life from now on. Our former pastor (her brother) asked her if she wanted to come to his house to stay and watch the kids while they went to Hawaii. Her response was that she would (have to pray about it) this is her response to anything she doesn't want to answer. Well, I guess God never gave her an answer because she never told him yes or no, so he asked us to come watch the kids. We said ok. We paid our way here, meals, etc. spent lots of money etc.
We were here five days before she showed up.
Apparently she is mad at her brother because he asked us to come and didn't tell her and she is taking it out on me. This is what she told one of my daughters. We had given the pastor some money like we do now and then and he gave some back and told me to pay the girls for watching the kids. I let it slip that he had paid the girls and that was a mistake. I didn't tell her we had given him money first.
The first day she lit into me because I was trying to visit with her and carry on a conversation and apparently everything I said I was judging her. This is when I ended up yelling leave me alone, leave me alone, and she never did.
Two days later the bug man came and I told him she was asleep in her room and he went ahead and sprayed in there and we didn't know it because we were in other rooms. She flew off the handle about that too, I am not sure why she didn't yell at him, but anyway.
Then last night I asked her if she had plans for today and she said she was going to lunch with a friend so I said ok. She wanted to know why and I told her it was because the girls and I wanted to go to the museum of natural science and it was free on Tuesday after 2pm. She was offended that I wasn't inviting her, I was asking her to watch the girls when they got home from school and she wanted me to pay her.
She then apologized and even wrote me a note. Each time she does these things she apologizes and then demands that I forgive her.
This is probably rambling but this is a summary of what is going on.
Anyway, the girls and I decided we would not go anywhere that we couldn't be back in time to get the girls from school or wait and take them with us.
I did explain to her that no we didn't have a food allowance (she thought we did) and I was paying for food and gas so the gas guzzler big car is being driven as little as possible.
We also decided we are not going to any museums or anything else, we will just do short simple things around here.
I can't leave because I gave my word, the pastor doesn't trust her. He said if someone called and asked her to go somewhere she would just go. Once she made her niece change the babies diaper because it was poopy. I am not sure why he asked her. Anyway. It has been no picnic for me and the girls and certainly no vacation for us either.
For some reason she can play monopoly with out asking God about every move so I don't know how she does it. Really, she has to pray about everything and get peace about it. Even buying a pair of tennis shoes.

Apologies and forgiveness

I am having a hard time with a (sister) who seems to believe she can say anything she wants to someone and hurt them as badly as she can, as long as she says she is sorry. Three times in three days she has done this to us. The girls just slip quietly into their room and stay there, leaving me to bear the verbal barrage. When she is done with her snit fit she then DEMANDS that I forgive her for having a fit, my word not hers. Once I said I would try and that led to another outburst.

I just know that if I were not already a Christian and she was my example, it would be the last thing I would want to be.

I know the Bible says:
Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Let me tell you this verse is easier to read than to live. I just feel like I am being attacked. I get all shaky and scared feeling.

I know I only have a few days left and then we can be free from her. The pastors are coming back on Saturday morning and we had planned to stay until Monday but I am sure I cant take it that long. I am having a hard time saying I will stay until Sunday morning. I want to pick them up at the airport and skedaddle as fast as I can.

I know the scripture says to forgive a brother 70 x7 but it also says when we repent we are to go and sin no more.
Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
If I say yes I will forgive you when I don't feel like it am I lying? If I just say I will forgive to get her off my back at the time and then later in my own quite place I try to forgive is that lying? If we (repent) and then do the same thing again and again, is that even repenting?

Found another neat gardening idea

Hey Yolanda and other gardeners.

I just saw a video on you tube about strawberries in a greenhouse in hanging gutters. They were waist level for easy care. The whole greenhouse was strawberries. I am thinking I can hang a few of these above my raised beds in my greenhouse.
I cant get the video transferred to my blog but its a really cool idea.

My potato salad recipe

Potato salad
Peel, wash and cube some potatoes.
Place potatoes in sauce pan and cover with water.
Boil until done.
Boil some eggs too. I just guess how many I want to use. Also depends on how many I have, if I have lots I may boil more.
When potatoes are done drain, rinse with cold water. Put in a big bowl. Peel eggs and chop into bowl with potatoes.
Add mayonnaise and mustard to taste.
Also add some relish, salt and pepper.
Mix all together. Eat warm or chill first. Some of my kids like it warm, others like it cold.

Help me please Houstonites

We had a fun day today. We went to Galveston and rode the ferry. While we were on the island we had a picnic and then came a massive downpour. We were under a tin roof so it sounded like we were really getting pounded. It was a picnic to remember. Then we rode the ferry back and went to the sea wall and the kids played in the surf. Well the waves were pretty good due to the wind. Hannah went out a ways and the waves washed over her face and the next thing she knows, her glasses are gone. This girl cannot see without her glasses.
Does anyone know of a place in Houston or the surrounding area we can get glasses FAST?
Its getting quite expensive to help this time. First over $350.00 spent on the car then new glasses for Hannah. I hope we get home in one piece.

Off to Galveston

Today we are off to Galveston. We want to ride the ferry, go see if we can find the washed up barges from the hurricane. Then we want to go to the ship museum if its not too expensive. Then the girls want to walk and play on the beach and have a picnic. It rained here in Alvin all evening and all night so we are hoping its not too icky at the beach. This is the only day we can go with all the kids.
We had planned to stay until a week from this coming Monday but I think we will leave as soon as we pick Bill and Christina up from the airport next Saturday. That means we will get a late start, like after lunch, but we have three people who can drive so I think it will be ok.

Long day

This morning Hannah and I drove clear across Houston to north Houston. We arrived at the LDS cannery and made an appointment to can the food I wanted.
Our appointment was for noon and it was eleven so we left to get lunch and come back at noon. We got just a few blocks away and the car died. It was at a stop light in a busy intersection of course. A car stopped by us and blocked traffic with their car so we could push our car to a parking lot. It would not start. Later Hannah and I decided to push the car more into a parking space so it wouldn't block traffic. Two men who were working on the overhead wires came running over and helped us.
I had to call Bill in Hawaii, he gave me a man from church's phone number. I called Galen and he left right then and drove all the way to help us. When he got there he checked it over and we decided to rent a car dolly from U haul. While we were there a man told us he would get some help and come help us push the car onto the dolly.
We took the dolly to the car and tried to get it on, the man wasn't there yet. We couldn't quite get it on, it was pushing uphill onto the dolly.
A couple stopped and asked if we needed help and I said yes. The man got out to help and we still couldn't quite get it so the wife got out and we got it pushed onto the dolly. Of course we told her she had lots of muscles.
Of course we called the man who was coming to help us and thanked him and told him we had it under control and he could go back to work.
We strapped the car on and Galen drove us back to Alvin. Of course we hit just the beginning of rush hour.
Oh and I called the cannery and cancelled my appt. They were very nice and told me I can come back any day and can there.
When we got back to Alvin, Galen hauled the car right over to a mechanic he knows. The mechanic later called me with an estimate and he said he will have the car fixed in the morning. It was the timing belt. So with renting the dolly and the repairs it will still be less than a wrecker to haul the car all that way.
I think I convinced Galen that there are nice people in Houston and not just Oklahoma. He kept telling me that no one would help us. Thanks Houston.

Tomorrow after we pick up the car I would like to go to a few garage sales if possible.

Saturday we are packing a lunch and going to Galveston. We want to ride the ferry, look at the washed up barges, tour the ship, play in the water, and have a picnic. The kids are really looking foreword to it.

Oh and I don't remember if I told you but I messed up my phone last week. I dropped it in Joy's coke and didn't realize it and left it there while we went into a Goodwill. I got my new one tonight. Its a pretty cherry red one. Now I just have to figure out how to use it.

No home made pita pockets for us

I just found out the preachers oven doesn't work, so its no home made pita pockets for us. I will have to figure out meals that don't use the oven.


The Holocaust Museum was really nice. I was hard to read all of the plaques though. When you are reading a book you can put the book down when it gets intense. At the museum you either had to leave or continue with the tour. We finally got to the point that we just couldn't take any more sadness and we left.

If you are in the Houston area, visit the Holocaust Museum.

Off to the museum

We are almost ready to go to the Holocaust museum. I am both excited and worried. I know I will cry for the victims I will learn about.
I will write a post about our day this evening.
I hope all of you have a wonderful day.

For Autumn

Channel. This is used to attach the plastic to the greenhouse.

This is wiggle wire. It is used to hold the greenhouse plastic in the channel.

Autumn, I just bought regular cattle panels. They are 50 in. tall and 16 feet long. I used T-posts along the sides. The arch is about 6 1/2 feet wide. You can buy as many cattle panels as you want to make the greenhouse as long as you want it. Mine is 6 cattle panels long.

I bought my plastic from Farm Tek. I also bought the channels and wiggle wire there as well. I will post a picture if I can so you know what I am talking about.

http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/prod1;;pg102197_102198.html

I strongly suggest spending the little extra to buy the channel and wiggle wire as well as the greenhouse plastic. The first year or two I used cheap plastic from Wal Mart and Lowes and had to replace it every four months. It would just disintegrate.

Alvin/Houston schedule so far

May 11~Tuesday~find the DAV thrift store and shop
look for other thrift stores.
After school~pick strawberries
May 12~Wednesday~Holocaust Museum
Evening~church
May 13~Thursday~Go to Houston to the LDS cannery and Goodwill shopping.
May 14~Friday~?
May 15~Saturday~Galveston, Ferry, walk on beach, Goodwill shopping. Picnic on beach
May 16~Sunday~am church, picnic lunch at Kemah, then walk around
pm~church
May 17~Monday~After school~ Hermann Park?
May 18~Tuesday~after school, museum of nature and science
May 19~Wednesday~?
pm~church
May 20~Thursday~Houston Audubon Park, water park and log cabin museum
May 21~Friday~?
May 22~Saturday~Bill and Christina return
May 23~Church and spend day with Bill and Christina
May 24~Drive home in Joy's new car Bill and Christina gave her for her first year graduation of bible college.

Thank you for the ideas of places to go and things to see. We may not get to do everything, it depends on weather and if my girls get their school work done so we can head out. They are mostly done with their work, but still have math and some other subjects to finish up. If anyone thinks of other cheap/free places to go, please leave me a comment.

Tuesday Menu

Tuesday we will be making home made pita pockets. And tuna melts. The recipe is from Tammy's recipes. http://tammysrecipes.com/

Steam canner

Steam Canner Item #: 400A Our price: $69.99
Back to basics.

I bought one of these steam canners a couple of years ago. It is made of lightweight aluminum. I love it but I am not impressed with the quality of the product.

While garage sale shopping we found a brand new, still in box steam canner. It was marked $10.00. My son in law got it for $5.00. It is made of much heavier metal. I am so happy with this buy.

Alvin, Texas

The girls and I made it to Alvin, Texas at about 8:30pm last evening. The trip was uneventful, thankfully.
Monday morning Bill, Christina and I went to the fresh fruit and vegetable market. Bill bought about $32.00 worth of veggies. Then we came home and Bill cooked us chicken fried steak with sweet potatoes, fresh green beans, asparagus, corn on the cob, scallions, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and green peppers.

Some of our plans for this trip are to do a lot of Thrift shop shopping. Go to Galveston and ride on the Ferry and walk on the beach.

Pick fresh strawberries.

I would also like to go to the Blue Bell ice cream factory and see if they make powdered milk. I may just call them.

I am hoping to pay a visit to the LDS cannery in Houston.

We are trying to think of things to do that don't cost a lot of money and are family friendly.

Joy said something about a museum. The museum of natural science which is something we may do while the little girls are in school.

If you know of fun things to do in the Alvin/Houston Texas area please leave a comment.

This n that

Its been a whirlwind of activity lately.
We drive all day to attend closing exercises at the bible college on Wednesday. Thursday morning we got to watch the last bible college choir tour of the 2010 class. It was different than the spring tour because some had dropped out and the program was changed. It was really good.
The tour this year did 37 concerts and visited 9 states. What fun. Joy said they really learned unity and how to get along.
Later in the evening on Thursday was graduation. There were 5 students who received their second year diplomas. Joy was among about a nine first year students who received a certificate of completion. There were also about five drive in students or students who did not carry a full class load or who did not pass all of the classes.
Joy ended up beating James, her grade rival by 3 tenths of a percent to get the top score in her class. James is a 45 year old man who was very serious in his studies and was quite a rival for Joy. It was good for both of them to have competition. I think they both needed it. It did bother James to be the oldest in the class and get beat out by the youngest in the class.
On Friday we ate a picnic and then headed out to Forsyth Mo. to visit Kaleena and Justin.
On Saturday morning Justin and Kaleena took us garage shopping. I have never seen so many garage sales in my life. I loved it. I found a lot of stuff that Jeff is taking home for me.
They all took me out at lunch to a Chinese buffet. Then home to rest and visit. The girls went to the landing with Justin and Kaleena and to a mall.
This morning (Sunday) we are heading out for the long drive to Alvin, Tx. and Jeff is going home. Please pray for a safe trip for all of us.
I will try to update while we are in Alvin. We hope to have some adventures there. Pictures later.
Also, Elie asked me to write a post on teaching domestic science. I will try to get to that while we are in Alvin as well.

1,111 posts

My last post made 1,111 posts. When I started this blog I never would have thought I would find so much to write about. I wanted to make a place where I could go and retrieve recipes easily and organize my thoughts. I now have followers and new friends.
I have had hate mail. I have deleted posts and kept posts. I have found a place to post my thoughts. I cant say I have become a better writer, but it surely couldn't be hurting my writing.
Its a good place for my grown daughters to go to find out whats up here at home. Its a good place to share my family with others.
I have to say I really enjoy this blog. Thanks to my readers for coming here to visit.

Porcupine Meatballs
1/2 lb. ground beef
3 c. fully cooked rice (I used brown rice.)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 t. Italian seasoning
1/2 t. each – salt, garlic powder, pepper

1. Put all ingredients in a large bowl and combine. Press into large balls and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes (more or less depending on the size of the meatballs), until beef is fully cooked.

recipe and picture source: http://stolenmomentscooking.com/porcupine-meatballs/

Ground beef pastie

Ground Beef Pasties
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
5-6 medium-sized red potatoes, cubed
2 c. diced veggies (I usually use just fresh carrots, but my carrots weren’t fresh as I would have liked this time, so I used 2 cups of frozen mixed veggies instead. It was a great substitution!)
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 t. Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste
Homemade pie crust or store-bought (enough for 3 -4 crusts)
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/4 T. butter or margarine
1/4 c. flour
2 c. beef stock, broth or bullion cubes
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. Italian seasoning
1. In a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion for 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and fresh veggies, if using. Stir in seasonings. Cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. (If using frozen veggies, stir into skillet shortly before removing from heat.) Cool.

recipe and picture source: http://stolenmomentscooking.com/ground-beef-pasties/

Brown bag burritos

Brown Bag Burritos
2 lb. ground beef
2 cans refried beans (I make my own)
1 1/3 c. enchilada sauce
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. minced onion (I use dried)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 c. shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, whatever)
20 flour tortillas (burrito-size)
Brown ground beef; drain. Add remaining ingredients (except tortillas). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
recipe and picture source: http://amysfinerthings.com/brown-bag-burritos

Sausage & egg freezer muffins

Sausage and Egg "Muffins"
Makes 18-24 "muffins"
Ingredients
•2 cans (12 fl. oz. each) Evaporated Milk
•8 large eggs, beaten
•7 oz precooked turkey sausage links, diced
•1/2 teaspoon onion powder
•1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
•4 cups 1/2-inch cubed Italian or French bread (about 9 slices)
DirectionsPREHEAT oven to 350º F.
Spray Muffin tin with cooking spray.
COMBINE milk, eggs, sausage, onion powder and garlic powder in large bowl.
Add bread cubes, stirring gently to moisten bread.
Pour mixture into baking dish.
BAKE for 30-35 minutes or until set.
Serve warm or freeze in ziptop bag and defrost and reheat in microwave.
** One tip-if you have a silicone muffin tin, use it!
This is one recipe where it comes in handy!
recipe source:http://thriftyjenny.blogspot.com/2010/05/freezer-cooking-sausage-egg-cups.html

Frozen fruit cups

10 Servings
Prep: 10 min. + freezing
Ingredients
2 cans (20 ounces each) crushed pineapple, undrained
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen sweetened strawberries, thawed
1 can (20 ounces) fruit cocktail, undrained
1 can (12 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
3/4 cup thawed lemonade concentrate
6 medium firm bananas, cubed
Directions
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour into foil-lined muffin cups or individual plastic beverage glasses. Freeze until solid. When ready to serve, thaw for 30-45 minutes before serving. Yield: 10 servings.


Nutritional Analysis: One 3/4-cup serving (prepared with unsweetened pineapple and fruit cocktail in light syrup) equals 259 calories, 1 g fat (0 saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 7 mg sodium, 64 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 3 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 fruit.

I saw this recipe at money saving moms and followed the link to taste of home. I think this would be a good snack to have in the freezer. I may make these when we get home from Alvin, Texas. Maybe I will make them there for the kids too. They sure look good.

How we do home school

Home school at our house
Candy, at Keeping the home put up a post about how they do home school. I thought I would give a different perspective since my children are quite a bit older than hers are.

I have a 7th grade 13 year old and a 15 year old freshman. Both girls are pretty much in charge of their own schooling. They have a huge impact on what subjects they study and when and where they do their school work. They also help one another with their work and keep track of the subjects studied.

I have the girls keep a record of subjects studied, who the book is produced by and such as a beginning of their transcript. We start keeping records in the 7th grade. This allows us to complete their high school transcripts without having to try to remember after several years what was studied.

For instance, both girls are at higher grade levels in some of their subjects than the grade they are “officially” in. Hannah has already completed the science book intended for her for next year so she will just go on to the next level. Mollie is the same way.

The girls have been learning Latin for about two years now. We like to use Getting started with Latin by William E. Linney. http://www.linneyslatinclass.com/ We like it because you can listen to Mr. Linney on the computer for correct pronunciation of words and phrases. He also has online lectures for the more advanced students.

For math we like Saxon until about 8th grade. Then we use singing turtles for algebra 1 http://www.singingturtle.com/pages/HOMESCHOOLERS4.html and finally teaching textbooks for algebra 2 and geometry. http://www.teachingtextbooks.com/

For History it’s the Mystery of History. http://www.themysteryofhistory.info/
We like this curriculum because it incorporates secular history and biblical history in a continuous timeline. I always had trouble with what happened in world history and timing it to what was happening in biblical history. I also like it because all ages can use it. They just have different assignments. The girls can work together. This next year we will be using volume II.
From their website........
"The Mystery of History is a curriculum unparalleled in its field. Created as a guide through the annals of time, The Mystery of History will lead all ages clearly through the labyrinth that many find this subject to be. Up until now, most world history and bible history have been separated. Linda Hobar has taken the initiative to tell the whole story in a way that few have before. With a classical approach, she weaves the story line together of both world and Bible history in Volume I. Subsequent volumes continue to weave the message of the Gospel through the ages.

For Sign Language we found a free instruction online here: http://www.start-american-sign-language.com/ This is another class the girls can do together.

I like having classes the girls can do together despite being different grade levels.

Joy and now Mollie have taken parent taught drivers education through National drivers training. http://www.usdrivertraining.com/ In Oklahoma students need to have an 8th grade reading proficiency test in order to get their learners permit. All you have to do to get this is to call a local school and tell them that you home school and that your student needs to take the 8th grade reading test. They will call you when their counselor has time to administer this test. The test, at least for my girls was quick and easy. Just make sure they give you the notarized document stating your student completed the test and the score. At first the local school just had the counselor type something up and the drivers license bureau would not accept it. The drivers license bureau stated that they were obligated to provide the same document they did public school students. When I called the school, they said they didn’t know if they could do that. I told them that the drivers license office said that they could. They finally provided the correct papers and we have not had trouble about that since then. It is a state law that they provide the test and the proper documents when the test is completed.

Mollie uses Abeka Grammar and Composition. It is a high school course and takes more than one school year to complete. Hannah studied Language C by Abeka.

Both girls use the Bible for reading and handwriting. They also use it for keyboarding practice. Some days they write scriptures longhand and others they type them up on the computer. We also pray together and read chapters each day. We pray for people we know and give God praise. I like that the Bible can be one of our textbooks.

For Humanities the girls worked 30 hours each at the local food bank in Guymon. They filled orders, received new stock, carried out groceries, cleaned, did front desk book work and everything volunteers were asked to do.

Science~~~Hannah loved her Abeka health science book so much that she completed it early and started on the 8th grade Abeka health science. Mollie also completed her science early. She studied Biology for Christians Schools by Bob Jones University Press.

Domestic science. Both girls continually study this. They are both now able to plan for, shop and prepare meals using the best ingredients for their money. They can keep a home tidy and do deep cleaning jobs. I have had several compliments that I have trained the girls well as they can adapt to most situations and are able to look at what needs done and do it with out being instructed or told to help. They have both served funeral dinners, church dinners and the like. They have the skills necessary to maintain a household from the domestic point. Later we will study finances more in dept but for now they can find sales, use coupons etc.

One thing homeschoolers must do is to find out the graduation requirements of their state. Some states allow home scholars to participate in school sports or other activities. My girls participated in art, music, P.E. and computer at the local public school when we lived in Kansas. The Oklahoma laws are similar to Kansas but each district superintendent has the authority to authorize these types of activities or deny the student them as they desire. Where we live in Oklahoma the superintendent is not home school friendly and will not allow our students to participate in any activates associated with the local school.

We enjoy the freedom we have in home school. The girls can do assignments ahead of schedule if we have events we want to attend. They can do work on the road. They also do not have to wait until the teacher can get order in the class room to begin their studies. If they want to fiddle around they can make school last for hours, or they can get down to work and complete their work in a timely manner. Its their choice. They like being able to choose some of their subjects. For instance they have both completed the basic science courses and both are interested in physical science. So they do more of that. In public school there are not as many choices subject wise.

How does your family do home school? Leave a comment with a link to your home school schedule.

Edited to add: I forgot to list music. My youngest practices her guitar and the oldest is learning. Also, next year we may learn Quicken books if we can find it at a price we can afford. I have The Mystery of History II and timeline ordered for next year.
P.E. We do activities and are learnng the hula hoop.

Edited again to add: I forgot to list that the girls also have classical reading lists. They get a new list at the beginning of each year for their grade level. They read quite a bit. They can do pleasure reading as well as reading from the reading list.