Before we proceed, you really should know how much I dislike onions. A whole lot. Not as much as I used to. I'll eat them cooked down to nothing but slimy, little slivers of their former selves, but a bowl full of them? Five whole pounds of cooked onions? Now that's something to cry about.
Now that we're clear, you will fully appreciate the following admission: This was just about the best soup I've ever had. It was unimaginably sweet with a salty zing thanks to the beef consomme and chicken broth. Considering it was basically just 5 pounds of caramelized onions, broth, and herbs, I never would have guessed the flavors to be so intense.
You can find the recipe here, but give yourself plenty of time for this one. It takes FOREVER for the onions to reach their mahogany color, longer than the time he gives. Also, the recipe I used doesn't have the apple cider that the online recipe calls for. And I substituted extra chicken broth for the wine. In my opinion, the recipe needs neither of those ingredients. I can't imagine it any better than it was!
Me? Well, as I said before, I was never very thrilled with the Disney movie as a kid. It was nonsensical, which of course, is exactly what it's supposed to be. But for a practically minded, common sense kind of individual, it was just annoying. Surprise, surprise the book is no different.
The first couple of chapters were cute. I liked the slow-motion tumble down the rabbit hole, the empty jar of marmalade (reminded me of Paddington Bear), the attempted "air curtsy." You're right Abby G., it was "perfectly quirky." I like quirky, but I can't do pointless. At least not for an entire book.
I found it interesting that the Disney movie follows the book so well. Besides a few of the excessively pointless chapters, very little was left out. I was going to say "a few of the unnecessary chapters", but except for the first and the last, they really all are!
Did you know that the author, Rev. Charles L. Dodgson (Lewis Carroll), was a widely respected mathematician? Math was what he wanted to be known for. In fact, he shied away from much of the recognition that came with the publication of Alice in Wonderland.
It's said Queen Victoria loved the book so much, she asked he dedicate the next book to her. In response, Dodgson sent her a copy of his next work entitled An Elementary Treatise on Determinants. Isn't that great?! He had some nerve.
I thought you'd like to see a photograph of Alice Liddell, the little girl Dodgson wrote the story for. (Where's the blond hair and crisp white pinafore, right? The real Alice is more like Raggedy Anne.) Dodgson took this photo himself in 1858, eight years before the book was published. Miss Liddell was a little friend of his who he would take rowing, along with her sisters. They'd sit on the bank of the river and he'd tell them stories.
Years later, they begged him to put the stories on paper. Thus Alice's Adventures were born.
Knowing the origins, it makes sense that none of it...makes sense. I'm glad I read it, but my Little Man can't say the same. He wouldn't even finish it! Maybe he and I will have better luck next month with Old Yeller. I'm looking forward to it!
This week in Spanish school we’ll learn a series about los ojos, the eyes.
(To start Nature’s Language School from the beginning, click here)
For advanced or older students, this month we will be working on la hora, time.
This week’s optional material is:
Previous sentences--¿Que hora es? What time is it? Son las dos. It’s two o’clock.
New sentence—¿En qué mes estamos? What month is it? (literally—In what month are we?)
Monday Review: Hablo con la boca. ¿Cuantas bocas tienes? Bible reading: This will be a great opportunity to practice sounding out and saying a variety of Spanish words. In case you don’t have a Spanish Bible, here’s a passage listed for you. Be on the lookout for words you might know! Have the kids identify every word they can before looking this up in your English Bible. Juan (John) 9:15
Volvieron, pues, a preguntarle también los fariseos cómo había recibido la vista. El les dijo: Me puso lodo sobre los ojos, y me lavé, y veo.
Revisit this passage throughout the week as you practice reading Spanish.
Tuesday
Review:Tengo un/el libro. Leo el libro (insert color). Mi libro es pequeño/grande. New Material: 1) los ojos, the eyes 2) diez—ten Today’s focus:¿Cuantos ojos tienes? Activity Suggestion:
Spend some time answering the question in today’s focus. With a dry erase board, draw a face to represent of one of your children. Draw it with any number of eyes. Ask them the question ¿Cuantos ojos tienes? They must respond appropriately. Tengo tres ojos. As you feel they’re ready add different colors. This time when they answer, they’ll add the color into the answer. Tengo cinco ojos rojos. You can also draw the eyes, then ask the question this way: ¿Tienes cuatro ojos? If you have indeed drawn four eyes, they would respond, Sí, tengo cuatro ojos. If not, then change the si to a no. Remember, in this case, if using the number 1, don’t be tempted to say “uno ojo”. The number is referring to a specific object, therefore drop the “o”.
Wednesday Review: Numbers 1-10 New Material: Veo, I see
Sentence 14—Con los ojos, veo _____. Suggested Activity:
With Sentence 14, play a game of I Spy. I encourage you to use Spanish colors and objects you know. The word “mis” (my) can be substituted for the word “los”.
Thursday
Review: Alphabet. For reviewing the alphabet, check out this webpage: http://www.123teachme.com/learn_spanish/spanish_for_kids_26 New Material: Sentence 15—Mis ojos son (insert color). My eyes are (insert color). Flashcards:
To add to this week’s flash cards: los ojos.
Take a few minutes to review all your flashcards. Activity Suggestion:
It’s time to work on the face the children began last week. Today, we’ll add los ojos.
At the bottom, have them add the following sentence. Veo con los ojos.
Friday
Review: sentences 14 and 15
Handwriting practice: As neatly as possible, have those students old enough write the two sentences they’ve learned this week.
Notebook:
Words to add this week—
Under “objects”—los ojos
Under “numbers”—diez
Under “action words”—veo
Recap: Sentences learned so far
1. Yo tengo un lápiz.
2. Yo escribo con mi/el lapis.
3. Yo tengo un papel.
4. El papel es blanco.
5. (Yo) escribo con el lápiz en el papel.
6. Tengo un tenedor.
7. Como con el tenedor
8. Como la fruta con mi tenedor.
9. Tengo un/el libro.
10. Leo el libro (insert color).
11. Mi libro es pequeño/grande.
12. Hablo con la boca.
13. ¿Cuantas bocas tienes?
14. Con los ojos, veo (insert object/color).
15. Mis ojos son (insert color).
What’s better than an evening writing? Spending it with other writers!
Tuesday, I attended my first ACFW writers meeting. I had no idea what I was in for, but I had a suspicion it would be worth the 2.5 hours it took to get there. It was.
All the years I’ve been writing have been from overseas where I could only dream of attending a meeting like this. When I learned there was an American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) Atlanta Chapter, I knew there was no way I’d miss it.
I was pleased the meeting started with prayer and praise. ACFW talks big about writing for the Lord, keeping Him first. This was my first opportunity to see it in action, and I wasn’t disappointed.
Agent Melissa Jeglinski from the Knight Agency was the guest speaker. She was a wellspring of information about the editing and agency world. She walked us through the process of submitting to an agent and explained the relationship to be expected between an agent and her client. Some of it, I’d heard, a lot of it was…wow. Didn’t know. (Note to self: Next time, don’t forget the steno pad to take notes!)
Thanks, Melissa, for spending your evening with us!
It was neat to put faces to names I’d heard, and names to faces I’d seen on the web. The Christian writing world is one big encouraging family, and I’m so happy to be a part!
A big thank you to the WORD members for welcoming me. Can’t wait to get to know you better!
I’d love to hear about your first writers meeting. What sweet memories do you have from that day? What did you learn that you still carry with you today?
I'm no tree-hugging hippy, but I've just discovered there's something wonderful about planting a tree. It's enduring and memorable. A tree is a visual reminder of the passage of years. Hmm...is this a good thing? :) I think so, especially when the kids are involved. They'll always remember planting their first tree, and each year they will compare their own growth to that of the tree.
When we moved into our house last July, we were delighted to find a little apple tree loaded with tart green apples, perfect for pies. I made three of the most perfect apple pies with what was left of the year's crop. The house had been vacant all summer, so sadly, most of the apples had rotted on the ground before we moved in. I wonder what I'll do with all the apples this year? Any suggestions? Any recipes?
Last week, we added to our tiny orchard by planting another apple tree. This one will (hopefully!) produce gala apples in a year or two. Moving as we do in the military, we might never enjoy the fruit, but the satisfaction of planting the tree is something that will always be ours. For $14 and two hours of sweat, it was a great deal on a sweet memory.
Tell me about a tree you've planted. When did you plant it and why did you choose that particular kind?
Pour boiling water over half a head of torn red cabbage leaves. Five minutes later, strain (and retain) the liquid and you have the perfect solution for an acidity test. (Yeah, yeah, it’s science not magic. But what’s catchy about “The Scientific Brew?” That’s what I thought too.)
Our curriculum (My Father’s World, the best in education you'll find) keeps us busy each week with these fun, easy to do experiments. The kids and I had a blast in the kitchen with this one. Here’s what we did.
We divided the purple liquid into various jars. Then, we gathered a few food items. Milk, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, yogurt, soda, orange juice. Before proceeding, we noted on a piece of paper what we thought each item would be—acidic or not. Time to test them!
We poured a small amount of each into the separate jars and watched the magic happen. If the cabbage water turned from a lovely purple to red, we had acid! Otherwise, it stay purple (except where a white substance was added. In that case, it turned a light purple).
We also tested the acidity of soda on a dirty penny by leaving it to soak overnight. Sadly, nothing happened. Hubby said it was because we used Dr Perky (Off-brand name. I know, I chuckle at it too!) instead of Coke. Has anyone else tried this trick? Did it work for you?
I hope your week was productive. Did you remember to use your new sentences as you sat down to eat? Read a book? Write a note? The more often during the day you recall the sentences you know, the better they’ll stick. It’s easy to forget Spanish once you’ve moved on to the next subject, but give it an extra effort this week. Your diligence will be rewarded!
(To start Nature’s Language School from the beginning, click here)
For advanced or older students, we will be working on la hora, time this month.
This week’s optional material is:
Previous sentence--¿Que hora es? What time is it? (Literally—What hour is?)
New sentence—Son las dos. It’s two o’clock. (Literally—They are the two.)
Note: You’ll notice the plural form of the first two words. Replace dos for any hour on the clock, except one. For “one o’clock”, you’ll need to make the sentence singular. Es la una. (Literally--Is the one.)
Monday
Review: Tengo un/el libro. Leo el libro (insert color). Mi libro es pequeño/grande.
Bible reading: This will be a great opportunity to practice sounding out and saying a variety of Spanish words. In case you don’t have a Spanish Bible, here’s a passage listed for you. Be on the lookout for words you might know! Have the kids identify every word they can before looking this up in your English Bible. Be on the lookout for variations of words you know (such as “come” in this passage) Ezequiel 2:8
Mas tú, hijo de hombre, oye lo que yo te hablo; no seas rebelde como la casa rebelde; abre tu boca, y come lo que yo te doy.
Revisit this passage throughout the week as you practice reading Spanish.
Tuesday
Review: All numbers.
New Material: 1) Sentence 12—Hablo con la boca. 2) ocho, nueve—eight, nine
Activity Suggestion:
See what silly sentences you can make up with all the words you know.
Here are a couple to get you going. Leo el tenedor.
Hablo con el libro.
Wednesday
Review: el tenedor, el papel, and la fruta.
New Material: Sentence 13 ¿Cuantas bocas tienes? How many mouths do you have?
Note: To use “how many ___ do you have?” for other objects, you’ll need to watch the gender. For masculine nouns you’ll need to say “cuantos”. Also, for nouns ending in a consonant, add “es” to make it plural. For nouns ending in a vowel, simply add and “s” to make the word plural.
Suggested Activity:
Let’s ask some “how many” questions! Grab different quantities and colors of the following objects: books, pencils, papers, fruit. Add any other object you’d like, but you’ll need to supplement the English word.
Everyone pick a group of objects then ask each other the appropriate “how many” question. Here are some to get you started. “Cuantos tenedores tienes?”
“Cuantos libros verdes tienes? Y azules?”
“Cuantos paperclips tienes?”
Thursday
Review: Alphabet. For reviewing the alphabet, check out this webpage: http://www.123teachme.com/learn_spanish/spanish_for_kids_26
While it might seem redundant at this point, it’s not. The more the children train their tongues to form the individual letters, the better they’ll pronounce the words. Keep it up!
Today’s Focus: Tengo una boca. Mi boca es grande/pequeña. I have one mouth. My mouth is large/small.
Note: Have fun with this one. But be nice! :)
Flashcards:
To add to this week’s flash cards: la boca.
Take a few minutes to review all your flashcards.
Activity Suggestion:
Over the next three weeks, the children will be drawing a face. Each week, we’ll add a new feature. This week, on a blank piece of drawing paper, draw the head. Leave space at the bottom to add three sentences over the coming weeks.
Today, the kids can draw a mouth, and anything else they want, besides hair and eyes. Those will be the two we add later. At the bottom, have them add the following sentence. Hablo con la boca. Friday
Review: sentences 12 and 13
Handwriting practice: As neatly as possible, have those students old enough write the two sentences they’ve learned this week.
Notebook:
Words to add this week—
Under “objects”—la boca
Under “numbers”—ocho, nueve
Under “question phrases”—¿cuantos/as tienes?
Recap: Sentences learned so far. 1. Yo tengo un lápiz. 2. Yo escribo con mi/el lapis.
3. Yo tengo un papel.
4. El papel es blanco.
5. (Yo) escribo con el lápiz sobre el papel.
6. Tengo un tenedor.
7. Como con el tenedor
8. Como la fruta con mi tenedor.
9. Tengo un/el libro.
10. Leo el libro (insert color).
11. Mi libro es pequeño/grande.
12. Hablo con la boca.
13. ¿Cuantas bocas tienes?
A huge welcome to my friend and fellow homeschool mom, Cindy Downes!
In the following article, Cindy does a wonderful job of explaining what unit studies are and what the benefits are of doing them over traditional grade-level textbooks. She also includes resources to aid the homeschool parent in getting started.
In my house, we use My Father's World and have fallen in love with it. Every subject (minus the three R's) is meticulously planned out in unit study format. But Ms. Downes has a few more suggestions you might be interested in. Thanks, Cindy, for sharing with us today!
“Getting things done is not always what is most important. There is value in allowing others to learn, even if the task is not accomplished as quickly, efficiently or effectively.” R.D. Clyde
What is multi-level teaching?
Most homeschool parents have children in several grade levels. Rather than teaching each child using his own grade-level textbooks, many homeschool parents teach all their children the same subject at the same time, but give them assignments based on their ability. This is called multi-level teaching.
Multi-level teaching is easily accomplished and is the method of choice for most homeschooling parents. Their children are given their own math textbooks. Reading and handwriting instruction is given individually. The remainding subjects are taught as a group similar to the old, one-room schoolhouse. (read full article)
Did you know that the dry speech given by the Mouse in Chapter 3 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is an quote from a textbook of the author’s time? Imagine having to read that in school?
No wonder Charlotte Mason felt the need to transform the educational system.
Most books during Mason and Carroll’s time were written to improve their audience, but Alice in Wonderland doesn’t preach good morals or proper manners. It's simply literary nonsense meant to entertain. Carroll defied all that was expected of a childrens author. In his writing, he mocked the stringent Victorian culture (the dry textbook, for example).
Despite symbolically “bucking the system”, he not only entertained children, he fascinated adults with his make-believe world. One hundred and forty-five years later, his parody is still well-loved. Curioser and curiouser!
In case you missed it, here’s the dry speech excerpt:
At last the Mouse, who seemed to be a person of authority among them, called out, `Sit down, all of you, and listen to me! I'LL soon make you dry enough!' They all sat down at once, in a large ring, with the Mouse in the middle. Alice kept her eyes anxiously fixed on it, for she felt sure she would catch a bad cold if she did not get dry very soon.
`Ahem!' said the Mouse with an important air, `are you all ready? This is the driest thing I know. Silence all round, if you please! "William the Conqueror, whose cause was favoured by the pope, was soon submitted to by the English, who wanted leaders, and had been of late much accustomed to usurpation and conquest. Edwin and Morcar, the earls of Mercia and Northumbria--"'
`Ugh!' said the Lory, with a shiver.
`I beg your pardon!' said the Mouse, frowning, but very politely: `Did you speak?'
`Not I!' said the Lory hastily.
`I thought you did,' said the Mouse. `--I proceed. "Edwin and Morcar, the earls of Mercia and Northumbria, declared for him: and even Stigand, the patriotic archbishop of Canterbury, found it advisable--"'
`Found WHAT?' said the Duck.
`Found IT,' the Mouse replied rather crossly: `of course you know what "it" means.'
`I know what "it" means well enough, when I find a thing,' said the Duck: `it 's generally a frog or a worm. The question is, what did the archbishop find?'
The Mouse did not notice this question, but hurriedly went on, `"--found it advisable to go with Edgar Atheling to meet William and offer him the crown. William's conduct at first was moderate. But the insolence of his Normans--" How are you getting on now, my dear?' it continued, turning to Alice as it spoke.
`As wet as ever,' said Alice in a melancholy tone: `it doesn't seem to dry me at all.'
In our house Mess is the name of my kids' pet monster. Mess is big and ugly and always underfoot. I want him gone, but the kids insist on keeping him around because he has super powers. I mean, what dog can shape-shift into limitless shapes and sizes? What canary can expand to elephantine proportions in mere seconds? None that I know of, which makes Mess a highly desirable pet. Of course, when he gets out of shape, I usually have to assist him in regaining his original, manageable form, which is as annoying as all get out. Of course, the kids don't care. In their minds, seeing Mess explode is always worth the hour it'll take to get him reigned back in.
Mess is also an excellent entertainer, beating your average electronic toy and even Baggy the Clown by a long shot on the scientific fun-o-meter scale. Our pet monster can make the kids giggle and stampede like nobody's business.
He's rather loud too and can make an assortment of different sounds. Today, Mess' noises consisted of the sound of a bucket of legos being dumped on the ground, water running in the bathroom (accompanied by bursts of giggles), and Hotwheels racing down the hall way.
But all these noises only bother me. The kids are so used to his antics, they don't even bat at eye when Mess sprawls himself across the middle of my living room floor and trips everyone up. The Hubby is occasionally disturbed by our pet monster's disruptions, but only when Mess gets particularly obnoxious.
To add to the chaos, the kids' pet and my own pet, Peeve, get along like school work and Saturday.
It's one pet battle after another around here. Mess and Peeve are enemies of the worst sort. Peeve insists that because she's been around longer (and is therefore wiser) Mess must follow her rules. Mess, on the other hand, is a sneaky booger. He's learned a few tricks to get under Peeve's radar and has mastered performing his super powers in complete silence (minus the occasional giggle escapee). It's during these times, Peeve knows Mess is at his worse. These are also usually the times, I lose my Christian testimony.
It's a frustrating and often fruitless life I lead, but there's some consolation in knowing I'm not the only one with conflicting pets. I hear there are Mess pets lurking about in closets and under beds of other people's houses too. My friends try to hide their kids' pet monsters before I come over, but I'm not fooled!
So 'fess up. What super powers does your pet monster have? What noises does Mess make in your house?
It's time we lived up to our name, and this year's the year to do it.
I've wanted a garden for years, but was never in the right situation.
In Germany we tried carrots. I planted about 15 at the end of our patio. When I pulled them up in the fall, every last one of them was as twisted as a corkscrew with a knot in the middle. That's what happens when you plant carrots in a 12 inch concrete box. Hey, the box was in the ground, how was I supposed to know it had a bottom to it?!
That's the full extent of my gardening experience, but I plan to nix that reputation.
A little nervous about getting in over our heads, we're starting small--a 4'X7' raised garden bed. To save our backs and brains, we got a kit from Lowes and had the frame put together in 30 minutes.
Breaking up the ground was the worst of it. Moving earth is not back friendly labor.
That's why we had the kids do it.
Ok, not really, but they did help a little with tools more their own size.
Five hundred pounds of top soil, peat moss, and cow ploppies later,
we had a bed. It's all tucked in and ready for planting.
It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!
You never know when I might play a wild card on you!
***Special thanks to Linore Rose Burkard and Dave Bartlett (Harvest House Publishers) for sending me a review copy.***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Linore Rose Burkard is the creator of "Inspirational Romance for the Jane Austen Soul." Her characters take you back in time to experience life and love during the era of Regency England (circa 1811 - 1820). Fans of classic romances such as Pride & Prejudice, Emma, and Sense & Sensibility, will enjoy Linore's feisty heroines, heart-throb heroes and happy endings.
List Price: $13.99
Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (January 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736927999
ISBN-13: 978-0736927994
MY REVIEW: “The Country House Courtship” has been aptly coined “Inspirational Romance for the Jane Austin Soul.” Recently, I’ve saturated my mind with PBS’s Masterpiece Classics, and Jane Austin’s novels-turned-movies have been aired one after the other over the last months. At the same time, I picked up author Burkard’s latest regency romance. To my delight, there was no jolting change, no embarrassing attempt at British English, no corny, contrived situations to “compromise” the heroine. Linore Burkard’s use of Austin-era English, customs, and propriety are synonymous with the great English author herself. The plot is believable and absorbing.. At the end, a burst of action inconsistent with the rest of the sedate (yet intriguing) story line took me by surprise. I’m not sure it was necessary, but it didn’t ruin the book for me. I’d still pick up any other of Linore R. Burkard’s novels in a heartbeat. This was the first of hers I’d read, so I look forward to back-tracking to her two previous novels in the series—“Before the Season Ends” and “The House in Grosvenor Square.” If you’re in the mood for good quality regency era romance, search no further. You’ve found it!
AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:
London, England, 1818
Mr. Peter O’Brien felt surely he had a devil plaguing him, and the devil’s name was Mr. Phillip Mornay. The paper in his hand should have made him happy. Indeed, it ought to have elicited nothing but joy after two years of holding a curacy that didn’t pay enough to feed a church-mouse. Yet, instead he was staring ahead after reading a letter of recommendation for him as though he’d seen a ghost.
His previous naval commander, Colonel Sotheby, had recommended Mr. O’Brien to a wealthy landowner whose vicarage had gone vacant. It was the sort of letter that a poor Curate should rejoice over. The man who obtained the vicarage in the parish of Glendover, the Colonel said, in addition to having a decent curate’s salary, would have claim to a large glebe, a generous and well built house, and, in short, would see himself by way of having enough to begin a family. (If he found a wife to marry, first, of course. O’Brien could just hear the Colonel’s good-natured laugh ring out at that remark.)
But still his own mouth was set in an unpromising hard line: The landowner’s name was Mr. Phillip Mornay, none other than the Paragon, himself. And Mornay, Mr. O’Brien knew, would never grant him the living. To do so would go against everything he knew to be true of him. After all, no man who had once overstepped his bounds with Mr. Mornay’s betrothed, as Mr. O’Brien unfortunately had, would now be presented to the vicarage on the man’s lands. Of all the rotten, devilish luck! To have such a letter of commendation was like gold in the fiercely competitive world of the church, where there were more poor curates looking for a rise in their situations than there were church parishes who could supply them.
Therefore, instead of the boon from heaven this letter ought to have been, Mr. O’Brien was struck with a gloomy assurance that Mornay would sooner accept a popinjay in cleric’s clothing than himself. Even worse, his mother agreed with his appraisal.
He had taken the letter into the morning room of their house on Blandford Street, joining his mother while she sat at her breakfast.
“You do not wish to renew old grievances,” she said. “Mr. Mornay is not, to my knowledge, a forgiving man; shall you be put to the expense and trouble of travelling all the way to Middlesex, only to be turned down in the end? What can you possibly gain in it?”
Mr. O’Brien nodded; he saw her point. But he said, “I may have to do just that. The Colonel will never recommend me for another parish if he learns that I failed to apply myself to this opportunity.”
“Write to him,” replied his mama. “See if you can politely decline this honour, with the understanding that any other offer should be most welcome and appreciated!”
He doubted that any letter , no matter how ‘politely’ written, would be able to manage his desire to avoid this meeting with Mornay, as well as secure the hope of a future recommendation. But he thought about it, put quill to paper and sent the Colonel a reply. He asked (in the humblest terms he could manage) if the man might commend him for a living to be presented by some other landowner, indeed, any other landowner, any other gentleman in England than Phillip Mornay.
He could not explain the full extent of his past doings with Mr. Mornay without making himself sound like an utter fool; how he had hoped to marry the present Mrs. Mornay himself, some years ago. How presumptuous his hopes seemed to him now! Miss Ariana Forsythe was magnificent as the wife of the Paragon. He’d seen them in town after the marriage, but without ever presenting himself before her. It appalled even him that he had once thought himself worthy or equal to that beautiful lady.
When the Colonel’s reply came, there was little surprise in it. He assured Mr. O’Brien that his apprehensions were ill-placed; that Mr. Mornay’s past reputation of being a harsh, irascible man was no longer to the purpose. Colonel Sotheby himself held Mornay in the greatest respect, and insisted that the Paragon had as good a heart as any Christian. In short, (and he made this terribly clear) Mr. O’Brien had best get himself off to Middlesex or he would put the Colonel in a deuced uncomfortable spot. He had already written to Aspindon House, which meant that Mr. O’Brien was expected. If he failed to appear for an interview, he could not expect that another recommendation of such merit and generosity would ever come his way again.
Mr. O’Brien realized it was inevitable: he would have to go to Middlesex and present himself to Mornay. He knew it was a vain cause, that nothing but humiliation could come of it, but he bowed to what he must consider the will of God. He knelt in prayer, begging to be excused from this doomed interview, but his heart and conscience told him he must to it. If he was to face humiliation, had he not brought it upon himself? Had he not earned Mornay’s disregard, with his former obsession with Miss Forsythe, who was now Mrs. Mornay?
He no longer had feelings for the lady, but it was sure to be blesséd awkward to face her! No less so than her husband. Nevertheless, when he rose from his knees, Peter O’Brien felt equal to doing what both duty and honour required. He only hoped that Mr. Mornay had not already written his own letter of objections to the Colonel; telling him why he would never present the living to Peter O’Brien. The Colonel was his best hope for a way out of St. Pancras . It was a gritty, desperate parish with poverty, crime, and hopelessness aplenty—not the sort of place he hoped to spend his life in, for he wanted a family. A wife.
Prepared to face the interview come what may, Mr. O’Brien determined not to allow Mornay to make quick work of him. He was no longer the youthful swain, besotted over a Miss Forsythe. A stint in the Army, if nothing else, had hardened him, brought him face to face with deep issues of life, and left him, or so he thought, a better man.
******
Aspindon House, Glendover, Middlesex
Ariana Mornay looked for the hundredth time at her younger sister Beatrice, sitting across from her in the elegantly cozy morning room of her country estate, Aspindon. Here in the daylight, Beatrice’s transformation from child to warm and attractive young woman was fully evident . When Mrs. Forsythe and Beatrice had arrived the prior evening, Ariana had seen the change in her sister, of course, but the daylight revealed it in a clarity that neither last night’s flambeaux (lit in honour of their arrival) or the interior candlelight and fire of the drawing room had been able to offer.
Beatrice’s previously brown hair was now a lovely luminous russet. Ringlets peeked out from a morning cap with ruffled lace, hanging over her brow and hovering about the sides of her face. The reddish brown of her locks emphasized hazel-green eyes, smallish mischievous lips and a healthy glow in her cheeks. Beatrice noticed her elder sister was studying her, and smiled.
“You still look at me as if you know me not,” she said, not hiding how much it pleased her to find herself an object of admiration.
“I cannot comprehend how greatly you are altered, in just one year!”
“I regret that we did not come for so long,” put in Mrs. Forsythe, the girls’ mother. She was still feasting her eyes upon Ariana and the children (though the nurse, Mrs. Perler, had taken four year old Nigel, the Mornay’s firstborn, from the room, after he had spilled a glass of milk all over himself minutes ago). “We wished to come sooner, as you know, but Lucy took ill, and I dared not carry the sickness here to you with your new little baby.” At this, she stopped and cooed to the infant, who was upon her lap at the moment.”No, no, no,” she said, in the exaggerated tone that people use when addressing babies, “we can’t have little Miranda getting sick, now can we?”
Ariana smiled. “It matters not, mama. You are here, now. I only wish Papa and Lucy could have joined you.” Lucy, the youngest Forsythe sister, and Papa, had been obliged to stay home until the spring planting had been seen to. Mr. Forsythe did not wish to be wholly bereft of his family, so Lucy, who was a great comfort to him, had been enjoined to remain in Chesterton for his sake.
“I could not bear to wait upon your father a day longer,” she answered with a little smile. “They will come by post chaise after papa has done his service through Easter. And then we will all be together--except for the Norledges. Perhaps when Papa comes, he may bring your older sister and her husband?”
“I would want Aunt Pellham too, in that case,” murmured the blond-haired young woman.
“Oh, my! With your Aunt and Uncle Pellham, and the Norledges, even this large house would be filled with guests, I daresay!” said her mother.
Beatrice was still happily ingesting the thought that Ariana had evidently noticed her womanhood. At seventeen, hers was not a striking sort of beauty—one did not stop in instant admiration upon spying Beatrice in a room, for instance, as had often been the case for Ariana; but the younger girl had no lack of wits, a lively eye and countenance, and, not to be understated, an easy friendliness. Among a group of reserved and proper English young ladies, Beatrice would be the beacon of refuge for the timid; she was welcoming where others were aloof; inquisitive and protective where others looked away.
Nor was she the sort of young woman to glide across a floor, dignified and elegant. Instead, Beatrice was ever having to keep her energy in check; When rising from a chair (her mama had made her practice doing so countless times) she could appear as elegant as the next young woman. She ate nicely, even daintily. But left unchecked, her natural enthusiasm might propel her through a room with alarming speed. Her shawls were ever hanging from her arms, never staying in place over her shoulder; and her mother forbade her from wearing hair jewellery, as it tended to lose its place upon her head. Bandeaux were her lot; besides bonnets, of course.
“It is fortunate that I am only seventeen,” she had said to her mama only last week, while the woman was draping a wide bandeau artfully around Beatrice’s head. “Or I believe you would exile every manner of female head attire from this house, saving turbans! Although my hair holds a curl twice as long as Lucy’s!”
Mrs. Forsythe had paused from her ministrations and met her daughter’s eyes in the looking glass before them. “I daresay you are suited for turbans; perhaps we should shop for some. I believe they are very popular just now.” Since the last thing in the world Beatrice wished to wear upon her head was a turban—no matter how many ladies in the pages of La Belle Assemblée wore them—she simply gave voice to an exasperated huff, evoking a knowing smile upon her mama’s face.
“I should adore a full house of guests,” she said, now. “Please do invite the Norledges’ Ariana! Only think of the diversions we could have; play-acting with enough people to fill all the roles, for a change! Or charades; or even a dance!”
Ariana looked at her sister fondly. “Which dances do you like best?”
“The waltz!” she quickly responded, with a smile to show that she knew it was mischievous to prefer the waltz—the single dance which entailed more contact with the opposite sex than any other ballroom fare. Mrs. Forsythe clucked her tongue, but Beatrice blithely ignored this, taking a peek at her brother-in-law to gauge his reaction, instead. The host of the gathering was reading his morning paper, however, and not listening to the small talk between his wife and her relations.
And relations were virtually all around him. In addition to Beatrice and Mrs. Forsythe, there was his aunt, Mrs. Royleforst, staying with them at the present, and her companion, skinny, nervous Miss Bluford. These two ladies had not appeared yet for breakfast, which was probably on account of Mrs. Royleforst. She found mornings difficult and either slept in, or took a tray in her room.
“What do you think, sir?” asked Mrs. Forsythe, of her host. “Shall my daughter invite the Norledges to join Mr. Forsythe and Lucy when they set out for your house? Or is your home already filled enough for your liking?”
Mr. Mornay looked over his paper enough to acknowledge that he had heard her question. “As it is your and my wife’s family, I think the two of you must decide upon it. As long as there are bed-chambers enough,” he added, looking at Ariana, “you may fill them with guests as you please.”
“Thank you, darling,” she said, making Beatrice stifle a titter. Her sister and her husband were still inordinately romantic, to her mind. Good thing no one else was present save her mother! She would have been embarrassed for them in company.
“Shall I take the baby, mama?” said Ariana, for Miranda was beginning to fuss.
“I suppose she wants to be fed,” agreed her mother. Ariana nodded to a maid who was seated against the wall, who went and received the child from her grandmother and brought her gingerly to her mama. Ariana’s eyes sparkled with happiness as she took her little girl. She murmured to the baby, by turns picking her up and kissing her face, and then just holding her in her arms and gazing at her in loving adoration. “I shan’t feed her yet,” she said. “She isn’t insisting upon it.”
Beatrice’s thoughts were still upon the diversions that would be possible with a large group staying at the house. “If they all come, can you and Mr. Mornay hold a ball, Ariana? Or, will you take me to London this year for the Season? Then I may go to as many balls as I like, and you will not have the expense of holding them!”
“If she takes you to London for the Season,” put in her mama, “she will have a great deal more expense than just that of a ball! Besides which, you are too young for such.”
Beatrice looked at her mama, her enthusiasm temporarily dampened. “But my sister sees I am older, now,” she said, looking at Ariana with a silent plea in her gaze. “And I am not too young for a Season, according to the magazines. Many girls my age do have their coming out, mama!”
“Many gels,” she returned, instantly, “have little sense, and their parents, no better; your papa and I did not allow either of your sisters to go about in society at your age. You have been already too pampered, if you ask me. London society is out of the question!”
Beatrice was now thoroughly dampened in her spirits, but she looked about and settled her eyes upon her brother-in-law. “I daresay Mr. Mornay has seen many a girl of my age--and younger—make their debut during the Season. And to no ill effect! Why, I am sure some of them have made the most brilliant matches! Many a man of good standing prefers a younger lady for his wife. You had ought to let me go while I am young enough to enjoy this advantage.”
Mr. Mornay was frowning behind his newspaper. He knew that his young relation wanted his support in the matter, but Mr. Mornay was assuredly not in the habit of coming to the aid of young women, particularly regarding a London Season. So he said nothing, though an ensuing silence in the room told him the ladies waited for his opinion.
Ariana, who knew better, offered, “Let us discuss it another time. There are months, yet, before the Season. And with Miranda so young, I cannot decide at this point, in any case.”
Beatrice, who had no idea she was treading on dangerous ground, said, “Only let Mr. Mornay tell us his thoughts! I know my mother will listen if you tell her, sir,” she said, directly to him.
He put his paper down reluctantly, and then looked at Beatrice. “I think Ariana was young to face society at nineteen. At your age, you need to be sheltered, not put forth among the wolves.”
Her face fell so entirely, that he almost chuckled at it. “Why are you so eager for a Season?”
She smiled a little. This was better; he was inviting her to explain so that her mother could see the good advantage in it. “I have long lived with the memory of my sister’s tales of her experiences in London;” she said. “She met you there! Her coming out is what brought her to marriage, to Aspindon, to a better life! I have had my fill of Chesterton, I assure you! The prospects for marrying well in that region are as dismal as ever, if not worse;” she said. (Ariana closed her eyes at this; she could hardly bear to hear her sister telling all the reasons Phillip would most despise.) “Why does it seem that all the eligible young men in the county are either in a regiment somewhere, or at sea, or in need of a fortune? I must go to London or Bath, where there are more men one can meet!”
She paused, looking at him earnestly. “I have no fortune, sir, as you are well aware. And with your connexions, I am certain to make very advantageous acquaintances! What could be more certain? I shall end up, no doubt, just as my sister has, with a man like you, sir!” Beatrice evidently thought she was giving him a great compliment. She waited, expecting a gracious answer.
Mr. Mornay stood up, after folding his paper to a neat size. He said, “It takes more than wearing a corset to say a young lady is grown up, would you not agree?” He directed his remark to the whole room, and then settled his eyes upon Beatrice for one second too long, before giving a small bow to the women in general, and turning to leave the room. Beatrice considered his words for a moment. He had rested his eyes on her long enough so that she knew exactly what he meant.
Mr. Frederick met his master at the door, holding out a salver with a letter for Mr. Mornay, who took it but then looked curiously at the butler.
“It arrived in that condition, sir! I daresay it was lost in the mail or some such thing.”
“Hmm, very good, Freddie.” He held up a battered and ink-soiled missive for his wife to see, while eyeing it dubiously.
She looked amused. “Who is it from?”
He unfolded the paper, as the sealing wax was almost entirely worn off already, and scanned the signature at the bottom. “Colonel Sotheby. I’ll read it in my office.” She nodded, and Mr. Mornay left the room.
Beatrice was still smarting from his earlier remark, and said, as soon as he’d gone, “How ‘grown up’ can I be, when I am forced to exist in a small country village, with no prospects, and genteel company only upon a Sunday?”
“You overstate your case! That is not true,” answered her mama, disapprovingly.
“And as for wearing a corset,” Beatrice continued, after taking a sip of tea, “I do not pretend that wearing one is what makes me of age for a Season. I have formed my principles upon sound reason. I have sat beneath the tutelage of my father and of Mr. Timmons, and of his curate, and I should say my principles are well-founded.”
“We are glad to hear it,” Ariana said, with great forbearance, “but really, you should not be setting your mind upon seeking a man like my husband; you should be intent upon finding the man that God has chosen for you.”
“And so I am!” she protested, her eyes wide and laughing. “But look at the advantage He gives me in having you for my sister! Am I to ignore that? When it could be the very means of bringing me and my future husband together?”
Ariana played absently with little Miranda’s blanket, tucking it in about her chin more snugly. She met her sister’s eyes. “London is not the only place a young woman may meet a husband. And if you want my husband’s approval of your plan, the last thing in the world you should tell him is that you want to meet a man like him! Or that you wish to marry above you in any way!”
“But is it above me? To marry well? When my sister is Mrs. Mornay of Aspindon House?”
“It is above you,” said her mother, “because you are Miss Forsythe of Chesterton.”
“I am a gentleman’s daughter,” she replied.
“With no dowry to speak of,” said her mama.
Beatrice’s cheeks began to burn. “With a rich and famous brother-in-law!” she said, petulantly.
“That does not signify!” said her mother.
“It does, to me!”
“It should not!” Mrs. Forsythe was quickly growing ashamed of her daughter, and she was relieved that Mr. Mornay had left the room, and was not hearing Beatrice right now. Ariana’s eyebrows were raised and she was doing her best to act as though she had no part in the dialogue.
“But it does, mama!”
“Beatrice! You have already said far too much on this topic, which proves to me your great ignorance of the world.” She held up her hand for silence as Beatrice was about to protest; “Not another word! I shan’t have it, not another word.” Mrs. Forsythe turned her attention to her elder daughter.
“I think I will visit the Nursery to see how Nigel is faring. Do you mind?”
“Of course not! He will enjoy showing you his toys.” She smiled, while her mother rose to leave the room. “I’ll be up myself, shortly, to feed the baby.”
“Very good.” She nodded to her daughter, and then her eye fell upon Beatrice. “I think it would be wise if you said nothing more regarding a Season. In fact, I forbid you to mention it to Mr. Mornay again! Do you understand me?”
“I do, mama.” Beatrice was not happy but she recognized the tone of voice her mother was using. She considered, moreover, that it would be a simple matter to keep from mentioning her hopes to the man, for he evidently would not encourage her in them. But as for herself, she would continue to think of the Season in London. She would continue to hope; and some other day, when Ariana was in a good disposition, she would prevail upon her to sponsor her in London.
Beatrice did not want to seem disrespectful, but she knew that Mr. Mornay was quite in error regarding her. He did not know, for instance, that she was determined to make a good match, and recognized it as her lot in life. Every inch she saw of Aspindon just confirmed her sense that a rich life awaited her. She was born for it. And now all that was necessary was to meet her future husband—the man who could make it all happen. She had long prayed for just such a meeting, and knew that it was bound to occur. All she had to do was be properly outfitted, and in the proper company, for it to do so.
All she had to do was change her sister and brother-in-law’s mind on the matter. How difficult could that be?
This coming Monday begins month two of Spanish. How are you all doing? Feeling more confident with your pronunciation? I hope so!
In the coming month, we’ll be learning the verbs read, speak, see, and one version of the state-of-being verb “are.”
(To start Nature’s Language School from the beginning, click here)
For advanced or older students, we will be working on la hora,time this month.
This week’s optional material is:
¿Que hora es? What time is it? Literally—What hour is?
Note: Upside down question marks and exclamation points are used at the beginning of Spanish interrogative sentences. When I was a kid, I remember thinking how fun they were to write. I still think they’re cool! And practical.
Monday
Review: (Yo) escribo con el lápiz en el papel
Bible reading: This will be a great opportunity to practice sounding out and saying a variety of Spanish words. In case you don’t have a Spanish Bible, here’s a passage listed for you. Be on the lookout for words you might know! Have the kids identify every word they can before looking this up in your English Bible. There might also be variations of words you've learned (such as “escrito” in this passage). See if you can figure out what they mean.
Apocalipsis (Rev.)20:12 Vi también a los muertos, grandes y pequeños, de pie delante del trono. Se abrieron unos libros, y luego otro, que es el libro de la vida. Los muertos fueron juzgados según lo que habían hecho, conforme a lo que estaba escrito en los libros.
Revisit this passage throughout the week as you practice reading Spanish.
Tuesday
Review: Como la fruta con mi tenedor.
New Material: 1) Sentence 9—Tengo un/el libro, I have a book. 2) seis, siete—six, seven
Activity Suggestion:
Write the following lists and have kids see how fast they draw lines to match English with Spanish.
Section 1 el tenedor the book el lápiz the paper el libro the fork la fruta the pencil el papel the fruit
Section 2 (I threw a new one in this section. They’ll learn it tomorrow!) como I have leo I eat tengo I read escribo I write
Section 3 es the con my la with mi the el a/an un/una is yo I
Wednesday
Review: All colors learned.
New Material: 1) Add a new color or two. 2) Leo—I read.
Sentence 10—Leo el libro (insert color). I read the (insert color) book.
Note: This week, we’re introducing more adjectives. If you haven’t discussed it already, now is a good time to point out that in Spanish, adjectives are placed after the noun they describe. You’ll find that after a few weeks of Spanish adjectives, it will become less of a thought process and more a of habit.
Basic list of colors. naranja--orange rojo—red amarillo—yellow azul—blue verde—green blanco—white negro—black rosa—pink púrpura—purple
Note: Often colors are made plural along with the noun they describe. If the color ends in a vowel, simply add an “s” to make it plural. If it ends in a consonant add “es” (ie. azules).
Suggested Activity:
During Spanish time today, have each of the kids actually hold an open book in front of them and repeat the sentence. Change out several times with different colored books. The act of doing and saying together make all the difference in memory retention. For the rest of the week, every time your kids sit down to read, as often as you remember, have them recall today’s sentence.
Thursday
Review: Alphabet and flashcards. For reviewing the alphabet, check out this webpage: http://www.123teachme.com/learn_spanish/spanish_for_kids_26
New material: pequeño—small; grande—big/large
Today’s focus: Sentence 11—Mi libro es pequeño/grande. My book is small/large.
Flashcards:
To add to this week’s flash cards: el libro.
Activity Suggestion:
Gather a stack of books, small and large and of the different colors you’ve learned. Give a book description to each child and have them pick the correct one. “Pick dos libros azules. Pick el libro grande y blanco. Pick tres libros blancos.” Once they’ve picked the correct one, have them say sentence # 11 with the accurate descriptor words “Leo el libro grande y blanco.”
Friday
Review: sentences 9, 10, and 11
Notes See what new sentences you can create with different combinations of all the words you know.
Handwriting practice: As neatly as possible, have those students old enough write the three sentences they’ve learned this week. To Sentences 11 and 12 add the descriptors of your child’s choosing.
Notebook:
Words to add this week—
Under “objects”—el libro
Under “colors”—new colors learned
Under “numbers”—seis, siete
Under “action words”--leo
Recap: Sentences learned so far. 1. Yo tengo un lápiz.2. Yo escribo con mi/el lapis.
3. Yo tengo un papel.
4. El papel es blanco.
5. (Yo) escribo con el lápiz sobre el papel.
6. Tengo un tenedor.
7. Como con el tenedor
8. Como la fruta con mi tenedor.
9. Tengo un/el libro.
10. Leo el libro (insert color).
11. Mi libro es pequeño/grande.
Doesn't this look great? It was. Perfect more like. You know what Alton's shortcake reminded me of? Scones. And don't we all love those?
Actually, the shortcake was so good, I found the strawberries were extraneous. (I gotta use those big, rarely used words every now and then, being a writer and all.)
It's a great recipe and one I'll repeat, but wanna know a little secret? Don't bother with the half-and-half. Whole milk was perfect.
The following article is from Randy Ingermanson'sAdvanced Fiction Writing E-zine, but it's content applies to anyone who feels overwhelmed with all they've got to do. I did the little exercise at the beginning and already feel better! There's something to be said about seeing your to-do list in black and white, as opposed to having it bumping around in your brain and getting nowhere.
Happy organizing!
Organizing: Your Hopes and Dreams File by Randy Ingermanson
Want to get really, really, REALLY depressed?
Take five minutes to do this exercise right now:
* Take out a piece of paper or open your word processor
* Write down everything that's on your plate.
Everything. Your meeting with Joe at 11:30 tomorrow.
That oil change you still haven't done on your car. The
light bulb in the kitchen you need to change. That idea
for a novel you want to write. The T-rex that needs to
be milked at 5 AM. EVERYTHING.
You have exactly five minutes, so go do it now . . .
* * *
Well? How'd that work out for you? Are you good and
depressed?
I was when I did this exercise a couple of months ago.
I've got a gigantic load of things that need doing and
I'm pretty sure you do too.
In the day to day battle of life, the things that
usually rise to the top and get done are the urgent
things and the concrete things -- the meeting with Joe,
the light bulb, the T-rex.
The things that get put off are the vague and squishy
things. Getting in shape. Saving money for retirement.
Writing a novel.
I've been reading a book lately, GETTING THINGS DONE,
by David Allen that talks about how to juggle all the
things on your plate.
Bottom line: it's really hard to get it all done. But
it's not that hard to keep track of what "it all" is.
And it's not that hard to make sure that the most
important of those "vague and squishy" things on your
list get done.
I can't summarize a whole book here, and I'd be crazy
to try. If you want the whole book, then go buy it.
It's a good book and you'll find it very inspiring.
In this column, let's just talk about one small aspect
of getting things done -- managing your hopes and
dreams.
Your hopes and dreams are those vague and squishy
things that really matter to you. They're the kind of
thing you can't just knock off in a Saturday afternoon
of intense effort. Your hopes and dreams require
sustained effort to achieve.
Here are some steps you can take to see the most
important of your hopes and dreams come true:
* Take a look at that depressing list you just wrote
down. Ignore all the little diddly things like meetings
with Joe and changing light bulbs and milking Rex. Look
at the big things, your hopes and dreams. Write down
each one on a separate sheet of paper and put them in a
stack.
* Sort the stack into piles of similar things. Put each
stack in a manila file folder and label it. Some of my
folders are labeled "Pending House," "Pending Novels,"
"Pending Office," "Pending Products," "Pending Math,"
and "Pending Yard."
* Store the files in a safe place (it's traditional to
use a filing cabinet, but a desk drawer or a bookshelf
works just fine). This is your "Hopes and Dreams" file
and it represents all the really meaningful things you
want to do in your life.
* Make it a point to review your "Hopes and Dreams"
file regularly. I review mine weekly, on Friday
afternoon, at 4:30 PM. There's a note in my online
calendar to do this review. During the review, I ask
the same question about each sheet of paper in each
file folder: "Is now a good time to start work on
this?" In most cases, the answer is no. You simply
can't do everything at once.
* If the answer is yes, then I transfer the sheet of
paper to a different file, which I review daily. It's
no longer a "pending" project, now it's a "current"
project. That means that I've committed to doing the
project. It also means that I have to define exactly
what it is I want to achieve. I write this on the sheet
of paper. Now it's no longer vague and squishy.
* Every morning, I look at my file folder of "current"
projects. For each piece of paper, I ask whether I want
to work on it today. Often the answer is no. As I said,
you can't do everything at once.
* If the answer is yes, then I ask what's the next
action I could take to move the project forward. Then I
put that on the list to do today, somewhere between the
light-bulb changing and the milking chores.
This procedure won't magically clear your plate. It
won't make all your hopes and dreams come true. It
won't make you taller, thinner, sexier, or smarter.
What it will do is make you focus on the 20% of the
hopes and dreams in your life that will give you 80% of
the satisfaction.
All of the above is awfully primitive. You can do a lot
better if you're willing to get more sophisticated. But
I'm not going to cover that here, because that's really
a book's worth of material, and David Allen already
wrote that book.
Why be depressed about all those things on your plate,
when you can do something about it?
Award-winning novelist Randy Ingermanson, "the
Snowflake Guy," publishes the Advanced Fiction Writing
E-zine, with more than 19,000 readers, every month. If
you want to learn the craft and marketing of fiction,
AND make your writing more valuable to editors, AND
have FUN doing it, visit http://www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com.
Download your free Special Report on Tiger Marketing
and get a free 5-Day Course in How To Publish a Novel.
Everywhere we look the birds are pairing up. In our backyard we have two sets. The mockingbirds stick to the right side...
...while the brown thrashers stick to the left. When they meet in the middle, it isn't pretty. We're rooting for the brown thrashers, as they're the Georgia State Bird. They're also less common around our neighborhood, and they're quite brave dashing around our yard in front of us like little road runners.
When we learned that our little friends were brown thrashers (we couldn't identify them, at first), Seth literally did a happy dance. This winter, in co-op, he's learned all about Georgia and thinks it's super cool we have our very own Georgia State Birds. We're on the hunt for their nest and will be keeping progress of their little family!
I believe I might have seen my first hummingbird of the year, today, but the sun was in my eyes and it was hard to tell. We're not sure when to expect them. Does anyone know when they come through Georgia? Also, after the hundreds of robins we had come through our yard just recently and not getting a single decent picture, I finally got one of the single robin that visited us this evening. He was such plump, happy bird. But not nearly as happy as our glorious song birds, the brown thrashers!
Florida red peppers are at their peak and on sale in supermarkets. What better time to practice the old chop and slice?
I had a plan to chop and freeze a few pounds. What I hadn't counted on was how much fun it was.
Figure out how to chop properly and what used to be a chore becomes a breeze. It's so true that a knife works best when going two directions at once--down and forward, like a train's wheels. Great tip, Mr. Brown!
And who needs that waxy inner layer?! Not Alton. Honestly, I don't know what difference it makes, but I felt very professional slicing it off. And doesn't it look better? (before--above left; after--above right)
My little man was the photographer today, and I have to brag. Not a single picture was blurry! Thanks, Buddy!
While cleaning out our shed last week, I found an old wasps nest on the ground. It had obviously fallen off the wall. I brought it in for the kids to see then set it aside to talk about during school today.
(Aren't those freckles adorable?!)
First, the kids made their own wasp nests out of playdough. We took a very close look and figured out exactly what steps the wasp took to build her nest. You could actually see layer upon layer of mud as she built up, then out. The kids duplicated this process as they built their own. I thought they might find it tedious but they enjoyed it so much, I actually had to stop them after a while so we could move on.
You'll notice one of the segments of the nest isn't open. We were enthralled by this mystery and a bit nervous. Morgan wanted to get a fly swatter and Seth ran for the bug spray...just in case. I assured them that whatever was inside was probably still inside, but also more than likely dead since this was last year's nest. Still, I have to admitt I was a little apprehensive myself.
We cracked it open and were surprised to find a bundle of legs and bodies all crammed together. They were so closely compacted it was hard to tell at first what they were. We carefully picked them apart and since the legs were in groups of four, we decided spiders. How many was hard to tell (8? 10?), but there was one large set and the rest were rather small (although the small ones were of varying sizes).
(You can see the larger set at the top right corner. The oblong reddish object was a wasp egg casing from one of the already opened segments of the nest.)
We did a little research and found that spider wasps capture spiders and put them (still alive) in the nests of their young for the baby wasps to feed on when they hatch. Makes sense then, to find spider legs in the nest, but why so many in one segment?
We wondered if the large spider was carrying a sac of eggs. Maybe the spider eggs hatched before the wasp did and fed on the wasp instead of the other way around? Of course, the spiders couldn't get out the way a wasp could, so they all ended up dying. The spider babies wouldn't have all died at once. The stronger ones would have killed and eaten the smaller ones, until the last died of starvation--thus the differing sizes of small spider bodies.
Of course, this is all conjecture--our imaginations running wild. There could be a perfectly scientific explanation for this find. If you happen to know one, do tell! We'd love to know why so many spiders would be in one little wasp pod with no wasp in it.
So ends this year's first backyard science discovery. As spring approaches, we hope to have many more!
It's March and time for a little Alice and her crazy Wonderland!
To add a bit of spice to our week, I thought we'd have a drawing. For a chance to win a copy of next month's classic, "Old Yeller", complete the following sentence from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland."
"Curiouser and curiouser!" cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English) "Now, I'm opening out like __ ________ ________ that ever was!"
Post your answer below and you'll be entered into the contest.
"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." ~C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
2Corinthians 12: 9 And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
It’s another week of Spanish! This week, you and the kids will learn one action work, two more objects, another color, and two more numbers. You’ll also be practicing combining all the words you know. Each week you and the kids will have more combination possibilities, and you’ll be that much closer to being fluent!
Have fun this week!
(To start Nature’s Language School from the beginning, click here)
For advanced or older students, we will be working on greetings this month.
This week’s optional material is: Estoy bien, gracias. I am well, thank you.
Monday
Review: Tengo un lapiz de color naranja (and all other colors you know)
Bible reading: This will be a great opportunity to practice sounding out and saying a variety of Spanish words. In case you don’t have a Spanish Bible, here’s a passage listed for you. Be on the lookout for words you might know! Have the kids identify every word they can before looking this up in your English Bible. Hechos (Acts) 3:6 Mas Pedro dijo: No tengo plata ni oro, pero lo que tengo te doy; en el nombre de Jesucristo de Nazaret, levántate y anda.
Revisit this passage throughout the week as you practice reading Spanish.
Tuesday
Review: Sentence 4--El papel es blanco
New Material: Sentence 6—Tengo un tenedor, I have a fork.
Activity suggestion:
Collect these objects from around the house. 1 fork, several strips of different colored papers, and several colored pencils. Put two objects behind your back, one in each hand. Have the children take turns picking a hand. Give them the object in the hand they chose. In order for the child to “keep” the object, they must say in Spanish what they have. The child at the end with more objects wins. Have them use their numbers and colors too!
Wednesday
Review: Sentence 5 (Yo) escribo con el lápiz sobre el papel, I write with the pencil on the paper.
New Material: Como—I eat. Note: The word “como” is also the word “how”. Look for context to know which is which.
Sentence 7—Como con el tenedor. I eat with the fork.
Suggested Activity:
For the rest of the week, every time your kids sit down to eat, as often as you remember, have them recall today’s sentence.
Thursday
Review: Alphabet
New material: la fruta—the fruit; cuatro, cinco—four, five
Also, choose 1 new color to learn.
Notes: Basic list of colors. naranja--orange rojo—red amarillo—yellow azul—blue verde—green blanco—white negro—black pink—rosa púrpura—purple
Today’s focus: Sentence 8--Como la fruta con mi tenedor. I eat the fruit with my fork.
Flashcards:
Words to add to this week’s flash cards are: la fruta, el tenedor.
Activity Suggestion:
Have various colored fruits, chopped and in a bowl placed where all can reach it. As each person chooses a fruit, say the appropriate phrase. “Como la fruta roja con mi tenedor,” as you choose a slice of strawberry. Stack several grapes on your fork as you say, “Como cuatro frutas verdes.” Mix up the fruit and your Spanish, and enjoy the snack!
Friday
Review: sentences 6, 7, and 8
New material: See what new sentences you can create with different combinations of all the words you know.
Handwriting practice: As neatly as possible, have those students old enough write the two sentences they’ve learned this week. To Sentence 7, add the color of your child’s chosing.
Notebook:
Words to add this week—
Under “objects”—el tenedor,
Under “colors”—new color learned
Under “numbers”—cuatro, cinco
Under “action words”--como
Recap: Sentences learned in month one.
1. Yo tengo un lápiz.
2. Yo escribo con mi/el lápiz..
3. Yo tengo un papel.
4. El papel es blanco.
5. (Yo) escribo con el lápiz sobre el papel.
6. Tengo un tenedor.
7. Como con el tenedor
8. Como la fruta con mi tenedor
Eight months until publication! Seems like an eternity, and yet it’s not long enough. I’ll never be ready in time, or so it feels. But at last, I’m seeing the first couple of steps toward the big day! Well, the first few official steps.
978-0-9819896-4-8 Recognize this number? Well, you shouldn’t because it’s new, and it’s all mine! Actually, it belongs to “Wounded Spirits”. Today, this number represents my success (thanks to the Good Lord) and never were thirteen digits so beautiful. In years to come (when I live a life of notoriety as a Pulitzer prize winning author), I might snicker at my excitement over getting my first ISBN. Well, Future April can scoff all she wants. Today, I’m livin’ it up!
Another recent development in the book department is that the cover image is in the works! I have an idea of what it might end up looking like, but…only time will tell. How much time? Well, only time will tell that too. But I can promise as soon as I have the cover image, you will too!
Fish isn’t my favorite. I think it’s the flavor of…well, fish. Today’s AB dish—Fish Meuniére—was anything but “fishy”. Thank goodness.
Searching for this recipe’s “software” wasn’t as easy as I would have thought. Even my adored Publix doesn’t have good, fresh seafood. Having grown up in Spain--land of awesome seafood--I realize I have high expectation, but come on, Publix. You can do better.
I resorted to the freezer section for my skin-on sockeye salmon fillets.
A few quick flips in my cast-iron, a toss of lemon, capers, and butter, and you’re talking serious yummy goodness.
It took less than ten minutes to make and is loaded with those highly sought after omega threes.
The only downfall is the price of the salmon, but for a special occasion, it’s perfect!
Thanks, Alton! Another confirmed, Good Eats.
What did I learn? My local supermarkets’ fresh seafood stinks…literally.
Americans are surround by an overwhelming number of choices every day. It's no wonder we fall into the "gotta have it" trap so often. All too soon, those "gotta have it" things lose their "new toy thrill", and end up on dusty shelves, deep in forgotten cabinets, and hidden in the depths of infamous and ever-present "junk drawers".
There's something about spring that gets us in the mood to clear away some of the grime and clutter in our lives. Suzanne Woods Fisher, author of Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World (a GREAT book, by the way!) has taken it upon herself to encourage us to do just that. Every Monday in March she'll be focusing on spring cleaning and de-cluttering our lives. I look forward to it, as I'm sure it'll be great.
Here's a peek into yesterday's post:
March Spring Cleaning--De-clutter Your Life!
by Suzanne Woods Fisher
I'm a big advocate of keeping life simple.
Easier to say than to do, I know! And what's simple for me may not be the same thing as what's simple for you. But one thing I really believe we all need to do, regardless of the size of your house or your bank account, is to live with less.
One of the reasons I not only "preach it but practice it" is because I grew up in a home that was really, really, REALLY messy. All of the time. Read More...
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(a GREAT book, by the way!) has taken it upon herself to encourage us to do just that. Every Monday in March she'll be focusing on spring cleaning and de-cluttering our lives. I look forward to it, as I'm sure it'll be great.
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