Quote

"Courage does not always roar. Sometimes it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow."Maryanne Radmacher

St. Catherine of Sienna - Faith

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful: and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.

We are reading St. Catherine of Siena; The Story of the Girl who saw Saints in the Sky
by Mary Fabyan Windeatt

Coloring a picture provided by Waltzing Matilda (http://tiredtwang.blogspot.com/search/label/Coloring%20Pages)

Booklist - Self Sufficiency

from another lady's blog -

Magazines
Mother Earth News

General Knowledge for Self-Sufficient Living
The Encyclopedia of Country Living
Country Wisdom & Know-How
Dare to Prepare
A Slice of Organic Life
Mini Farming for Self-Sufficiency
Just in Case: How to Be Self-Sufficient When the Unexpected Happens
Depletion and Abundance - Life on the New Home Front

Gardening
Square Foot Gardening
The Compost Gardening Guide
Worms Eat My Garbage
The Backyard Berry Book
Backyard Market Gardening
Four Season Harvest
Seed to Seed
How to Store Your Garden Produce
Herbal and Natural Healing
Gaia’s Garden
Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine
Common Herbs for Natural Health
The Whole Herb

Recipes - cooking what you grow and store
Pantry Cooking
Food Storage 101

Livestock
Backyard Livestock
Storey’s Guide to Raising Rabbits
Chicken Tractor
Keeping Chickens

Soap Making
Smart Soap Making
Everything Soap Making

Solar
Cooking with Sunshine

Simplicity
A Small Farm
Better Off - Flipping the Switch on Technology
Radical Simplicity

Inspiration
Your Money or Your Life
Getting a Life

Quote

"While it is obvious that an ignorant man can be virtuous, it is equally obvious that ignorance is not a virtue." -
Frank Sheed

"Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the freedom to do what we ought."
JP II

St. Catherine Laboure - Humility

 

 

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

I have always been interested in being frugal, in being a good steward of God's creation and in saving money.

I have always wanted to make a rag rug. I am doing some research, trying to learn just how to do it. http://www.rugmakershomestead.com/ This site has some excellent information, and I guess I will buy a book so that I can start. I have a big sack of clothes that I was going to send to Goodwill - I guess I can start by cutting strips and winding them into balls. Then I will be ready to start. I like the looks of the toothbrush rug, the crochet rug, and the bohemian one looks super nifty too.

http://www.littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2008/02/little-house-crafts.html

This blog has loads of thrifty crafts! I have been reading a blog lately on redesigning clothes in the effort to buy no new clothes and seen so many fabulous recycling ideas. Somedays, I look at my 'trash' - clothes I won't wear, empty bottles, can, and containers, plastic bottles.

I see ladies that bond plastic bags together and sew them into totes, crochet with cassette tape, plastic bags, vhs tape, you name it. It is all so amazing.

I want to try it all. I love to do crafts, and could just do them all the time.

My quandry is how to work this in to my life - recently I have been thinking that what I need is an afternoon per week that I use to do crafts. Preferably, with my children.

I figure, since it is almost May, we could start with making Christmas gifts. The season will roll around all too soon.

And...............

with a bit more browsing, look what I found - a gift planner!

http://www.littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/02/free-printable-handmade-gift-planner.html

I love printables.

Forms, forms, forms! I love forms!

Principles of Happy Moms who Home Educate

All learned from the brilliant ladies at the 4 Real Learning board.
Brilliant ideas all, I love lists!




********************************* *
God is in control of our family’s home education. *
Home education is a portion of my full vocation as wife and mother. Keep it proportionate.
Home education, when done from love and humility, is a steady path to sanctity and heaven. Home education is primarily a way of life, not an alternative to school.
My husband is objectively the spiritual head of our household, the spiritual director of our home education. *
All home education decisions are prudential between husband, wife, and God. Leave the neighbors out of it. *
Homeschooling is mostly joyful and right. It is also hard work worth doing and involves purposeful suffering. *
Anxiety and worry are not an inevitable part of home education or an outward sign of hard work. They are signs to re-group. *
Burn-out is preventable. *
There is no perfect curriculum (self-designed or prepackaged.)
Perfect is the enemy of the good.
Be content with good enough. (Good enough does not justify sloth which is not good enough. Know when to realize that any additional effort toward improvement would result in a negligible improvement, especially in comparison to the effort required to gain it.) *
Plan primarily based on the truth about Mom, playing to my strengths, secondarily on the needs of the family as a whole, thirdly on the individual needs of each child, playing to their strengths. Emphasize character formation for all, especially formation that increases family harmony and independent decision-making. *
Academic achievement is over-rated. *
Focus on today. *
Progress is not linear and best gauged over time. *
We’re never behind. We’re exactly where God wants us. We entrust the past to God’s Divine Mercy and the future to His Divine Providence. *
Saints do not compare themselves to their neighbors because they keep their eyes fixed upon God. *
Delegate out of humility. *
Know when to take a break to refresh and renew. *
Know what I need to feel comfortable in my home.
Prioritize maintaining a basic level of order. *
Discussion counts as an invaluable learning and teaching tool. *
Mastery takes time, for student and educator. *
Laughter is good, even when it needs to be redirected. *
Academic standards are arbitrary. *
Time spent on curriculum planning is time not spent on other things. *
Money spent on curriculum is money not spent on other things. *
A sense of humor lightens our load. *
Enthusiasm is contagious. *
Enthusiasm enhances motivation and engagement. *
Engagement and practice increases retention.

When I take proper care of myself, I am taking care of my family.
Formation is more important than information.
My principle for this year is Simple is better.

The lesson I took away is that since I TRULY believe that different types of homeschooling will result in happy, educated, God-loving children, than I also believe that for my own house.

Another thought is "use the library and get to know the librarians" ... saves time, money and building a relationship with the librarians helps get really good books on the shelves!

Don't be afraid that you're using the wrong curriculum.
Don't be afraid you're not doing what's best for your child/family.
Don't be afraid if you can't do the lesson today...etc.
BE NOT AFRAID! It sounds so simple, yet once that fear creeps in....you and your family CAN'T be happy!

Research, do initial planning, then discuss with dh to get his input.
Keep communicating throughout the year to get feedback and his balanced view. **
Don't overanalyze. Simplicity is key, and makes everyone happy.

Don't keep rethinking and entertain other things once the plan is set. Stay the course.

Our Motto and Guiding Principle for the Next Year of Learning
Phillipians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

An article:
http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Education/Education_001.htm

7 Undeniable Truths of Homeschooling
http://www.triviumpursuit.com/articles/7_und_trs_hsing.php

10 Ways to Simplify Homeschooling
http://wonder.riverwillow.com.au/home_education/ten_ways_to_simplify.htm

& 50 Reasons Whay I could Never homeschool:
http://guiltfreehomeschooling.org/blog/2006/04/50-reasons-why-i-could-never.html

Field Trip to St. Augustine

Optional Memorial of St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest and martyr



Mission of Nombre de Dios & Shrine of Our Lady of La Leche

St. Augustine, FL

http://www.missionandshrine.org/index.htm



THis is where we are going. We have a guided tour and picnic lunch afterwards.

The weather promises to be lovely. I will try to add pictures later.

Later......................................

The field trip was very fun. Our weather was terrific, and our picnic was fabulous. My eldest forgot her camera (and the diaper bag for one of the children she was baby-sitting - luckily our friends are also Catholic homeschoolers with larger than average families, so she was able to borrow one - do I think this will be a lesson learned - IDK - I can only hope).

So, no pictures, but there are plenty on the website, and having a guided tour really was nice. We learned a few new things.

Interestingly enough, I got a field trip email today from Homeschool How To about field-trips. http://www.homeschool-how-to.com/homeschool-field-trips.html some really great tips, and a nifty notebook page.

http://www.homeschool-how-to.com/support-files/hsfieldtrip.pdf

More Field Trip How-To's, Info & More:

http://www.homeschool-curriculum-savings.com/homeschool-field-trips.html http://www.homeschoolnewslink.com/homeschool/articles/vol4iss3/triplady_v4i3.shtml http://www.pregnancy.org/article/homeschooling-field-trips-z http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/articles/031706.htm http://www.homeschool-your-boys.com/homeschoolinthewoods.html http://www.milehighhomeschoolers.com/planfieldtrip.htm http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/families/at_the_smithsonian/make_the_most.html http://www.homeedsa.com/Articles/Ms%20Frizzle.asp http://www.homeedmag.com/HEM/HEM162.99/162.99_art_ftrp.html http://home-educate.com/fieldtrip.shtml Virtual Field Trips - http://www.oklahomahomeschool.com/fieldtrip.html Really Great resources here, planners and so on

Quotes & Notes & Family Rosary

Young people must be made to distinguish between helpful and injuious knowledge, keeping clearly in mind the Christian's pupose in life. So, like the athlete or the musician, they must bend every energy to one task, the winning of the heavenly crown.
~ St. Basil of Caesaria (+379)


"Joy and gladness will be found in her,thanksgiving and the voice of song." ~Isa. 51:3


"When we ask God for the grace to be generous, He gives us great courage-courage to live life to the full, giving of ourselves to others. That's where we meet God."
Marianist Father William Meyer


Rosary Boxes Idea:
http://ukbookworm.googlepages.com/rosarybox

Another nifty little idea to add to our Family Rosary time basket.
and one more way to do it:
http://grayfamilycircus.blogspot.com/2008/05/rosary-boxes.html

and look at this idea - crochet roses!
http://ponderedinmyheart.typepad.com/pondered_in_my_heart/2009/04/praying-the-rosary-with-little-ones.html

"Commitment is more than just a mental exercise. It's not a commitment until you back it up with action." ~Ralph Marston

"The beauty of the house is order; The blessing of the house is contenment; The glory of the house is hospitality; The crown of the house is godliness."

Matthew, Gregory and I

Earth Day going's on at our house

I printed some fun little freebie things from abcteach.com and currclick for the kiddies to do.
I read a little background here: http://www.earthday.net/node/77
Interesting.
Because I tend to be a Black/White thinker - I think tree-hugging, granola eating, crunchy hippy........ I don't know - something. I ususally try to hide my over the edge opinions from people most of the time. For me, this has been a maturity thing.

We attended noon mass.

check here: http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/
We took the St. Francis Pleadge

I/We Pledge to:
PRAY and reflect on the duty to care for God’s Creation and protect the poor and vulnerable.
LEARN about and educate others on the causes and moral dimensions of climate change.
ASSESS how we-as individuals and in our families, parishes and other affiliations-contribute to climate change by our own energy use, consumption, waste, etc.
ACT to change our choices and behaviors to reduce the ways we contribute to climate change.
ADVOCATE for Catholic principles and priorities in climate change discussions and decisions, especially as they impact those who are poor and vulnerable.

Read some here: http://www.catholicsandclimatechange.org/index.html
Trying to be somewhat informed.

This is where I want to be for Earth Day.
"Earth Day is simply a great chance to remind ourselves that, as Catholics, we are called to protect and to treasure the earth and one another. "

This is my sweet husband and my mischievous Mary Grace.

She has socks on her hands.