Springs IS Around the Corner

Let's Get Digging

Isn't it funny the things that bring us joy?

For Mary, it is being able to clean  the hooves of this 17h + horse all by herself and then cleaning out her stall.

Black Gold

For me...

 it's bringing home what gets cleaned out of the stalls!

I gotta tell ya, I was giddy ...

shoveling this out of the back of my truck last week.  It has been composting for over a year and it is crawling with worms.  Mix that black gold in with my compost and existing soil...

It's a beautiful thing!

Here We Go!

Ooooooh.... I am so excited!

I love spring.

  

A Promise Kept

 Evidence

Bones & Daffodils 

Thinking Day

Over the weekend we were busy doing Girl Scout business.  

We had booth sales, cookies, cookie, cookies and a Thinking Day event.  We were so busy that we didn't even get to the barn this weekend.

And boy I could kick myself for not going today.

Not only was it a gorgeous day but...

I just found out that my beautiful Tessa girl gave birth to a sweet bay colt last night.

Ugggh...

I knew it!  She just looked so miserable when I saw her last...

It was fast and uncomplicated.

Momma and baby are doing well.

Yippy!

I need to get to bed early so I can get to the barn and see Momma and son!

Bee Happy!

The Night Shift

I really appreciate all the support I have received with homeschooling Mary!

It really has made a world of difference to us.

Things have really started rolling.

Math

I LOVE this curriculum and Mary does to.

After testing, we started the 6/5 series of Saxon.
The areas that Mary struggled in
Critical Thinking
and
Memorizing her Math Facts
(Mental Math)
These are things that are gone over every day in each lesson

repetition, repetition, repetition...

Math was already her "Favorite" subject
NOW it really is.


Language Arts

In Language Arts I decided to focus on the Basics with Mary.

Since she was struggling in READING & SPELLING mostly.

I started with ...

SPELLING WORKOUT LEVEL D

and LOTS of reading, reading and more reading!

all kinds of books

books from the home shelves and books from the library.

We read them together, out-loud and independently.

I really have struggled finding a curriculum that was the right fit for Mary.

Do you want to know why?

Hmmmm....

let's see,
maybe because after only a couple months of homeschooling I realized without a doubt that Mary has

Dyslexia


This shouldn't come as any big surprise, considering most of my siblings and father have it.
I have always suspected that I may have it, however I was never diagnosed.
One of my brothers has sever dyslexia and went to a private school that specializes in dyslexia.

The GOW School


Here are a couple sites to check out:

Symptoms

37 Common Characteristics

Research & Information

So what does this mean for us?

Well, honestly not much!
Will I have her tested?
NO!
I really don't see the point.
I will  make adjustments in what and how we study "English".
But for now... no TEST needed.
We will simply keep on keeping on!
She went through the public school system up to 5th grade without one person even hinting to this possibility.  Even after I specifically asked a couple of her teachers, who emphatically responded... No!
Again, this shouldn't surprise me.

It is not my intention to bash the public school system or any teachers, they truly have their hands full as well as tied.


Then...
I met an angel at the Barn.
She took me under her wing and shared with me so much of her knowledge and experience.
Then she opened up her own private home library of Resources.
WOW!
Let me tell you, it is extensive!
"BONUS"
Two of the most useful things she gave us were...

Hooked on Phonics





& 

Circle C Books

with Free downloadable Unit Study Guide 

we are currently reading





and doing vocabulary & questions

She has really made an improvement.

Last week when she was suppose to be cleaning her room, I walked in, to check on her progress
...and there she was laying on the floor with pillows, blanket
and a STACK of books beside her.

The room was still a mess...

but I just smiled and quietly shut the door.


This is the Language curriculum I want to use this Fall
it is suppose to be one of the best curriculum for children with dyslexia.

Reading Horizons Program

The rest of our curriculum is in place for this year...

History




Science




Music



I have told her that when she finishes this course I will allow her to pick any instrument she would like to try next.
She wants desperately to play the violin (fiddle).


As for

Art

The Tree of Life
by Gustav Klimt


I hope you catch the punny!

We have become comfortable in our homeschooling routine or lack of routine.

Now a new wrench has been thrown into the routine.
Bill started to work a Night Shift.
I am not complaining...
we are blessed to have the work, overtime and shift differential.
He started last Wednesday and 2 days later we got the computers back.
My problem is "CHANGE".
I kinda fall apart with any little bit of change.
It's true, I do not adjust well to change.
Even "Good" change.

You would think that these two things would not effect me that much, however it has.

The apple doesn't fall to far from the tree,
Budgeting time is somewhat of a task for me as well as Mary.

Never a dull moment around here.

If there is anywhere I need to go or errands to run I need to have them done before 4:30pm now.

Yikes!

That includes trips to the barn.


So, we will try some temporary changes...

Barn on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings & class in the afternoon.

We will see how this works.
Wonderful thing about free will...
if something doesn't work, we get to make another choice!

Happy Unbirthday!

Yikes!

I was doing some cleaning up in my "blog space" and found this blog from back in October... as a draft.

I thought that if I published it, it would go back to the month it was first drafted.

Nope!

A little late but oh well!

What a week!

Big changes, new schedules, new responsibilities, new prioities.
and a
PARTY!

Wow... I am a true glutton for punishment.

I am still sure that I have made the right decission for our family.
 I do however, question my timing.

My number one reason for not persuing the homeschool path is definately taking it's toll.

Mary is challenging me at every opportunity.  And testing my compency for the job.
No surprise here.

Very Happy Unbirthday!

Koo Koo Ka Choo

Happy Valentine's Day

St. Valentine 

a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius II, known as Claudius Gothicus. He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Helping Christians at this time was considered a crime. Claudius took a liking to this prisoner – until Valentinus tried to convert the Emperor – whereupon this priest was condemned to death. He was beaten with clubs and stoned; when that failed to kill him, he was beheaded outside the Flaminian Gate 

That's cheerful huh?


The images and traditions that at a glance may seem familiar and secular, may need bit of research.  Where do they come from and what do they mean?


Does anybody even care?


Cupid

It has been suggested by some historians that the "Feast" or celebration of Saint Valentine aka Valentine's Day was created in attempt to "out shine" the pagan festival of Lupercalia  making conversion to christianity an easier task.


Lupa
the legend of Romulus and Remus

Capitoline Wolf

Hmmmm.... 

Februa, also Februatio, was the Roman festival of ritual purification, later incorporated into Lupercalia. The festival, which is basically one of Spring washing or cleaning (associated also with the raininess of this time of year) is old, and possibly of Sabine origin.

 According to Ovid, Februare as a Latin word which refers to means of purification (particularly with washing or water) derives from an earlier Etruscan word referring to purging.^[1]

The Roman month Februarius ("of Februa," whence the English February) is named for the Februa/Februatio festival, which occurred on the 15th day of the Roman month. A later Roman god Februus personified both the month and also purification, and is named for them. Thus, the month is named for the festival and not for the god.

Some sources connect the Latin word for fever (febris) with the same idea of purification or purging, due to the sweating commonly seen in association with fevers.

Fauna

     

Faunus

Hmmm... 

Pan, Mr. Tumnus?

Who remembers the game "Telephone?"

Why do I think any of this is interesting?

Well, first off it is interesting to me because it is HISTORY!

And I LOVE history.


It doesnt' matter which history book you read because ultimately they all have a common thread.  
If we actually looked deeper into things we might see more similarities than differences.
I try to see the "Big Picture" of things
and act on a simplistic level


I know that 
this makes me a living breathing contradiction...
and I am just fine with that.


The amount of technology and information out there for most of us in the "Free World"
is both intimidating and inspiring.


What any of us do with these tools is... 
relevant.


Egypt

Over the last few months the main source of news for me has been the radio.
We do not subscribe to any television service and I have not quiet mastered the ability to utilize my phone.


I listen mostly to NPR but I also listen to some other syndicated talk radio that have a much more conservative agenda .  I believe it is important to hear as many versions of the same story as possible.


It is my opinion that all media, entertainment or art has some type of agenda 
and to think or imply otherwise would be disingenuous.


If these platforms did not have an agenda then what would be the purpose for it's existence? 
Is it not to evoke a thought or emotion?


As I write, a couple thoughts are conjured ...


on this personal journey of
"self" discovery




FIBER

seems to be  a constant....


it shouldn't be surprising to me that I am drawn to the art of spinning and weaving .


For as long as I can remember I have Dreamed of having a Farm.


Thus explaining why I have created my version of  rural, on a small coastal island
smack dab in the center of an industrial park.

I was first drawn to the idea of having a sheep farm when I was in grade school, living in a small farm town in Virginia.  
However, as I evolved and became exposed to the realities of my dream.  
The notion of sheep shifted to alpaca.


Alpacas need less area and have a much gentler "hoof-print" on the environment.  Not to mention they have those long beautiful eye lashes.


After a mortgage, child and marriage came into play, the dream kinda fell from sight.


It has only been in recent years that my dream veered back into view. 


Maybe not today...
but someday?


All things are possible!


So in my creative journey I have allowed myself to experiment...  
be inspired...
become purposeful...
relevant.


So, back to my dream, my canvas...


it is symbolic to me. 


 Not too many details...
some space to spread my legs, grow some veggies, have a horse or two or three, my dogs, chickens, cats maybe a goat or cow and some alpacas.


My mother tried to teach me to knit when I was in my teens... but I was unable to find the patience and stillness to feel the rhythm that allows me to knit today.


A quarter of a century later, a substantial segment of my earthly lifetime 
I am finding my rhythm, my connectedness.


I love to knit, 
I like that the end product is tangible but why I do it is because it centers me, it relaxes me it taps into my soul, my vibration.


However, it is simply a tool for me not a destination.  The skill and technique is inevitable not the inspiration.  





The inspiration is the fiber.
The destination is the fabric and the journey is to clean, dye, card, spin and ultimately to weave.  




Gandhi

Over the last few months many things have come and gone.
Several holidays, a birthday, a basketball season, a dance and several inches of snow. 
(this is monumental here on the Outer Banks)




A Foal at the Barn

 A Giving Tree

Braces and Botany

A Hat for a Friend

A Quilt for Child

Sanity for a Sister

It's good to be back!