Stories Left Behind

I posted pictures of our wonderful camping/hiking overnighter a few days ago. Those were from my camera. Yesterday my 13-year-old daughter downloaded her pictures; and while we had many of the same photos, she also had some that gave a completely different perspective of our hike.

We didn't see any bears or a "bee nest," but we appreciated the warning.

Someone's discarded clothes.

Lovers' trees. Or as my mother would say, "Fools names and fools faces often appear in public places."

A single grave marker in the middle of the woods, off the trail. We came up with all kinds of possible stories about Jennifer.

I love how my daughter captures this other perspective: the woods whispering not just with waterfall and squirrels, but with the stories other people leave behind.

Linked on Outdoor Wednesday, Parenting by Dummies, 5 Minutes for Mom

Carnival of Homeschooling: Celebrating Autumn Edition

Welcome to the October 12 edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling! I know I'm not alone in calling autumn my favorite season, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some of the beauty here in the Smoky Mountains while showcasing some fantastic posts from around the homeschooling world.

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.
Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.
The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy,
while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.
~John Muir

How can you build your child up and help him become the best person he can be? Vicki suggests various ways in her post Building a Child Up at High on Homeschool.

Katherine sings the library card blues at No Fighting, No Biting! After all, she says, shouldn't homeschoolers should get special treatment at the library and be able to check out many more than a measly 30 books per card?

Carolyn at Guilt-Free Homeschooling lists the Bottom 10 Worst Parts of Homeschooling. But rather than just telling you the bad news and leave you hanging, she includes valuable coping strategies for each point, based on how this real-life family survived their own "darker days of homeschooling." This is a fantastic post, filled with practical ideas!

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.
~Albert Camus

Calling all Sonlight lovers! Lips That Speak Knowledge has a Sonlight Showcase for users of Sonlight curriculum to link up, showcasing some way they’ve supplemented the curriculum or work their child has done using Sonlight. This particular Showcase also features a handwriting curriculum giveaway.

This week in her homeschool co-op blogging class, Denise presents ways to make reading posts easy and fun in Week 5: Reader-Friendly Editing and Format posted at Blogging 2 Learn.

Elena LaVictoire presents Why my family decided on College Plus posted at My Domestic Church.

Do you have a child about to head for college? Henry explores just Where Does All the Money Go on Why Homeschool.

Cristina writes about her family's growing pains as their oldest starts college in If All the Other Kids Go to College.... posted at Home Spun Juggling.

I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house.

So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air.
- Nathaniel Hawthorne

While homeschooling gives us some immunity to what is planned for public schooled children, what about the zero to five ages? With changes planned for the youngest we need to educate ourselves now on the proposed changes. Heather Laurie presents Reform a nation by starting young! posted at Special Needs Homeschooling.

Rational Jenn has mixed feelings about her homeschooled kids' first experience with homework and the trophy-reward system at On Homework posted at Rational Jenn.

e-Mom discusses the importance of the arts in education in Arts & Culture: Does Art Matter? posted at C h r y s a l i s ?.

Denise of Let's Play Math! presents math puzzles called soriteses or polysyllogisms in Lewis Carroll’s Logic Challenges.

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one autumnal face.
~John Donne

Illinois public school authorities have some misconceptions about homeschooling rights. Susan Ryan provides some explanations in Regarding Learning Time posted at Corn and Oil.

In her post Wish You Were Paid to Homeschool Your Children?, Barbara Frank of Barbara Frank Online says that while there's a government that pays parents to homeschool their children, you should also consider the downside.

Finally, if you're looking for some resources and activities for celebrating autumn, check out my recent post here on SmallWorld. And then consider hopping over to The Homeschool Classroom to read my post Biting Into Apples. I hope you'll spend some time enjoying this season!

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird
I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
~George Eliot

I hope you've enjoyed this edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling. As always, thanks to Henry Cate at Why Homeschool for running the carnival. Tune in next week at Homeschool Buzz for another great carnival. Anyone can submit an article. Just pick one of your favorite homeschooling posts and fill out the submission form by Monday at 6 p.m!

Biting Into Apples

Apples speak “autumn” to me like nothing else. We have had apple orchards in our family for six generations (that’s my brother and me in the picture above), and I can’t let an autumn pass without apple pies, apple sauce, and a trip to an orchard. In this post are all kinds of activities, recipes, rhymes, books, and other resources that can enhance your knowledge of apples. This is a great time to take a break from your regular studies and delve into autumn—and apples! These activities are geared toward preschool-6th grade, but you can adjust to fit your own students.…

Come on over to The Homeschool Classroom for the rest of the post!

And be sure to visit me tomorrow; I'll be hosting The Carnival of Homeschooling right here on SmallWorld! You can submit your homeschooling-related post here until 6 p.m.!

Celebrating Autumn: Books and Other Resources (repost)

(I wrote this post a couple of years ago, but as the leaves are just starting to turn a tiny bit today, I thought I'd repost. Enjoy!)

Autumn is definitely here in East Tennessee, in spite of temperatures in the 80s. The driveway is covered with leaves and the first hints of fall color are showing up in the trees. Because the Smokies get tons of visitors in autumn, the question is always: what kind of fall color will we have this year? The happy fact is that even in years, like last year, when the prediction is that we'll have a "low color" year, autumn is gorgeous around here.

In celebration of this perfect season, I thought I'd share some of my favorite resources for fall. Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins is by far our favorite leaf book. After a brief discussion about leaf characteristics and why leaves change color, Robbins shows the reader leaf colors from trees across the country, with close-up photographs of leaves as well as photos of whole trees for easy identification. This book spans several ages. The text is simple enough for preschoolers but not too simplistic for middle readers. I think it's just a great guide book.

For preschoolers and early elementary children, Lois Elhert's Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf is an explosion of beautiful, rich color. The book traces the life of a sugar maple from seed to sapling. Kids will want to get out craft supplies and make leaf collages after reading this one.

The Let's Read and Find Out Science series has a good resource book, Why Do Leaves Change Colors? for young readers (preschool/early elementary). It's simple, with good detailed illustrations of leaves and a couple of easy craft ideas.

I've always loved authors Gail Gibbons and Anne Rockwell for probably ages 3-6. Both authors have a voice I appreciate; they don't talk down to children or dumb down their explanations. Gibbons The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree, which takes the reader through the changes in an apple tree though the seasons, was one of our favorite autumn books. We also enjoyed Rockwell's colorful Apples and Pumpkins. Perhaps my favorite preschool pumpkin book, however, is Jeanne Titherington's Pumpkin Pumpkin. I bought this books at a lovely toy store called The Pumpkin Patch in Ames, Iowa, where we lived when Jesse was a preschooler. I love the gentle colored pencil drawings and the little boy who looked so much like my own child.

Here are a few more books that look wonderful. I'll be looking for at least a couple of these at our library:
Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic
It's Fall
Fall Is Here!
I Know It's Autumn
When Autumn Comes

You can do a search for "fall crafts" or "autumn crafts" and get tons of ideas for various age levels. My younger children are 7 and 11, so we have moved away from coloring pages and handprint crafts for the most part. This year we'll be doing:
Nature Luminary Candle Holders
Melted Crayon Stained Glass Windows
Leaf Rubbings

The sites below have lots of great activities and ideas for enjoying autumn. I especially love the ideas at Easy Fun School.• Easy Fun School:
• Autumn Science
• Autumn unit study at Seven Pillars Book Nook
• Lots of great fall activities at Enchanted Learning
• Fall Leaf Guide is an easy guide to identifying trees by the color and shape of foliage; the chemistry, physics and geometry of fall color; and more. Sounds complicated, but the explanations are very short and sweet. This guide highlights Tennessee trees but can be used wherever seasons change.
Of course, most importantly, get out and play in the leaves!

R&R in the Smokies

Blue skies…


Quiet campsite…


Perfect hike—not too short, not too long…



Roar of water, wind through the trees…


Restoration.


This year everything worked together so that we could actually take a camping trip during Randy's fall break. Seems like we always have other commitments and we never end up doing anything while he's on break, but this time we made ourselves go away. It was so much needed. (For those of you who are always looking for new places to go in the Smokies, we highly recommend Cosby. Check out more details on Randy's blog, 900 Miles.)

On the way home, we stopped at an apple orchard in Cosby, TN that I'd read about.



I really liked their pretty pink sign…


And their display of apples.

But not being able to U-pick pretty much defeats the whole purpose of an apple orchard for me. If you are a regular reader, you know how I feel about apples. If you're new, read this post on apple picking and this post on being a fruit snob and you'll understand.

But I really did like their pretty pink sign. We bought two bags of apples, a gallon of cider, and some apple butter. We also tried their apple fritters and fried apple pie, which internet reviewers claimed one "can't miss."


They were tasty but not terribly exciting. I am a curmudgeon, aren't I? Still, I was glad to visit an apple orchard if only just to smell apples and be reminded of the countless days of my childhood I spent surrounded by apples, trees, and my family men in workboots and leather gloves, smelling faintly of tractors.

Linked up on Outdoor Wednesday and Just for the Joy of It

Tuesday Miscellany

* You know what I'm really happy about? We're going camping tomorrow. I am going off the grid. We'll be having no drama other than perhaps some bickering between the kids and maybe a bear will wander into camp. Somehow that seems mild. I'm looking forward to a blazing campfire, s'mores, and a quiet hike.

* I wish we could go for longer, but our city has a big 3-day fall festival each year. Our church is right across the street from the main concerts, and providing parking in our church lot is our youth group's main fundraiser each year. We'll be coming back to help with that, plus Jesse is coming home for the weekend. He wants to see Lynard Skynard!

* I have to make myself blog lately. Somehow in the face of greater things, blogging can all seem so inconsequential. From dealing with petty teen angst to real tragedy, I am weary. And yet I love the process of stringing words together and figuring out where I am while doing so. Always have. Writing is my safe haven, my city of refuge.

* You know what really irritates me? That big-mouthed dog of ours and her sharp, ear-shattering bark. Why do we have a dog, anyway?

* The end. Dr. H. is home, cookies are finishing up in the oven, and we have a Cub Scout pack meeting to get ready for.

* This is pretty much as close as I get to whining. Sorry about that, but I've heard so much adult whining lately, both reasonable and unreasonable, that I wanted to add some of my own. When I come home from camping, I hope to have taken a few very big breaths and be back to my cheery self.

On the Menu, with Lemon Bar recipe

I just had a big bowl of leftover Chicken and Rice Soup for lunch, and I'm telling you: if you haven't tried this soup yet, please do not wait any longer! It is sooooo amazingly good and easy, and you absolutely must have it on a chilly, damp autumn day. By the way, I left out the green peppers, celery, and pimentos because we didn't have any of those, and Dr. H. liked it much better.

This week is one of those weird hit-or-miss supper weeks. We have a pack meeting one night, which means Dr. H. won't eat; we're going camping another night, which means camping food; and this weekend is our county's huge fall festival, which means we'll be parking cars at our church. But I'm making out a menu anyway, anticipating that we'll at least have a few normal meals at home.

I'm going to be bold and try this Chicken with Olives on Pioneer Woman Cooks. This will be a bit of a risk in our house because: 1) Dr. H. doesn't like olives; 2) Dr. H. doesn't like chicken on the bone; and 3) Dr. H. doesn't like chunks of cooked tomato. But he did say, "I'll try it," so we'll see how this goes. The good news is that this is served on a bed of linguine, so all picky eaters can just eat linguine. I might be eating a lot of chicken and olives this week.

I found another one at Pioneer Woman that I have to try this week: Pasta with Tomato-Blue Cheese Sauce. If you need more heavy cream and butter in your life, Pioneer Woman is always the best place to go. Serving up a side of PW's Buttery Bread will greatly enrich any pasta experience.

The rest of the week will be old favorites. Our vegetarian college son will be coming home this weekend, and he's requested Lasagna and Baked Potato Soup (sans bacon). I'm also going to be crazy and make a pumpkin pie for him, even though it's not Thanksgiving. I don't know what's come over me.

I made the most delicious lemon bars yesterday. I can hardly stop eating them.

Lemon Bars

Cream together 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup butter, and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Spread in a greased 8 X 8 inch pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350.

While that's baking, mix together 2 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 3 TB lemon juice, 1/8 tsp. salt, and 2 TB flour. Pour over the crust when it's done baking. Return to oven and bake about 25 minutes at 350. Cool, then sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into bars.

These are ridiculously delicious and so easy to make, especially if you don't have anything else dessert-ish in your house.

And that's what we'll be eating at SmallWorld this week.

Linked to Menu Plan Monday and Tasty Tuesday

Saturday Morning

“I know who I am and who I may be, if I choose.”
—Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Clogged bathroom sink. Dog poop on the floor. Ant spray. Cats meowing outside the window, demanding their morning meal. A sink and counter full of dishes. A broken screen. Dining room table cluttered with junk. Noisy boys up too early. A sneezing, sniffling husband. A day ahead full of lesson plans.

Or.

A bowl of Cocoa Puffs and a cup of coffee. A favorite Psalm with my morning reading: "Let the rivers clap their hands in glee! Let the hills sing out their songs of joy before the Lord." Birdsong and chill coming through the open windows—fall really is here. A day ahead with nowhere to go and plenty of free time to get lesson plans done, do dishes, and straighten the house. Overnight friends for both of my kids: little boys giggling on the floor, teenaged girls still sleeping soundly. Cool weather for a morning run. Anticipation of waffles and sausages for brunch.

Every day is a choice. You pick.

The Rock

It's the perfect place to be, this rock. Surrounded by the woods, by thickets of rhododendron, all sounds muted by the rush of the waterfall. My husband stretches out on the rock and instantly relaxes—I can see it happening. Everything stressful drains out, and with enough time, you can stand up and somehow find you've gained new perspective and strength. We have other places likes this: a bench in our yard, a log along a trail, a boulder by the river. Where's your spot?

Linked to Outdoor Wednesday, Tuesday Unwrapped, Parenting By Dummies

On the Menu

I absolutely must get back on a regular menu plan. We've been lax the past several weeks, and sometimes my family actually has to eat leftovers because I don't have anything to fix. I forced myself to make a quick menu plan today because the good Dr. H. has to go to the store to buy more bottles of Drano for the stopped up dishwasher and kitchen and bathroom sinks. Trust me, you don't want to see my kitchen. We also need paper plates, since the dishwasher is filled up with dirty dishes and water that hasn't drained. Yep.

But I'm sure the Drano will eventually do its toxic job, so I'm forging ahead with a menu. And here it is:

Chicken with 40 Garlic Cloves
Rainy Monday Beef Stew (this truly means that fall is here!)
Chicken and Rice Soup (Pioneer Woman and so easy)
General Tso's Chicken
Baked Salmon
Chili

Like everyone else, I'm so happy to be able to rotate back in cool weather foods, even if we haven't had any cool weather yet. I'm ready to start adding in some new recipes, especially soups, so I'll be checking out Menu Plan Monday each week and perusing Pioneer Woman, Tasty Tuesday and the Food Network for some new ones. What are your favorite recipe sites?

Linked up on Tasty Tuesday and Menu Plan Monday