Apple Fritter Day

My friend Claudia said, the only way to measure how many Christmas cutout cookies you made is to weigh your children before and after you do the work. I would suggest you do the same when making apple fritters. Maybe weigh the adults, too. Especially the adults, judging by who was hungry for lunch and who wasn't. 

Coated with a cinnamon-y glaze, my sister Laura's still-warm apple fritters have this unbeatable crusty outside and beautifully soft inside. I think the gentle crustiness is what makes them so amazing. Possibly the only thing better than warm apple fritters are warm apple fritters shared with family and paired with coffee. The combination is heavenly. So is the aroma.

But wait. Laura? You say apple fritters weren't the main reason we gathered today? Trust me, I'd come to your house just for warm apple fritters. Call me anytime. But I get it. The fritters were the bait. Or, more accurately, fritters are a sweet tradition we have come to know and love on the day we make applesauce together. 

Fueled by fritters and coffee, we each cut up an apple or two hundred. Or more. However many it takes to make 163 quarts of applesauce. 

Some jars were sweetened with 
red hots to make cinnamon applesauce. The
red hot candies are dropped in just before
closing the jar and will be stirred in
when it is served. 

I suppose Some People might call it Applesauce Day, considering we annually can a year's worth of applesauce for 2 to 4 families. But Some People probably don't have a sister who wakes up before daybreak to make apple fritters and have them warm and ready when everyone arrives. If you don't have a sister like that, I'm sorry. 

Happy recipient of Aunt Laura's fritters

How I Read My Bible

A year ago, I walked to the bookstore next door and purchased the cheapest paperback chronological Bible they sold. My focus was not on chronology, nor even on the newer-than-KJV translation I selected. My goal for 2023 was to read the Word with specific themes in mind and mark each theme with a different color.

If you do this in your expensive leatherbound Bible, feel no judgment from me. I write in my nice Bible too, though without the freedom and voracity with which I’m marking my paperback. I think the opaque paper (as opposed to vellum-like pages) is more conducive to note making. Also, since this is a cheaper printing, not expected to last a lifetime, I’m not afraid that someday I’ll regret my notes. I wanted to be able to use this Bible as an interactive Bible study. 

Part of the inspiration for purchasing a paperback Bible to protect my gilt-edged Bible from a prolific pen; the rest of my inspiration came from C. T. Studd, a missionary. I was told he purchased a new Bible every year. He liked to mark up his Bibles but didn’t want those markings to permanently influence what he read. He began each year with an unmarked Book to allow the Spirit of God to speak to him afresh, without already-marked verses to distract him. I thought, what a great idea. And, eleven months later, I'm still happy with my decision. 

Before I began reading, I spent a couple weeks considering the themes I wanted to focus on and settled on these:

--Names of God

--Character-qualities or attributes of God

--Promises of God

--Prophecies foretold/fulfilled

--People’s response to God

--Who I am in Christ

The names and character qualities of God have been my favorites. Stories change in meaning according to what you focus on as you read. If you are reading the story of Abraham looking for human qualities of trust and obedience, you’ll find them. If you read the same story searching to see God and His character traits, you will find Him. These two themes have brought my Bible to life in a glorious, hands-raised-to-heaven way. 

Partway through the year, I heard a message on gossip. At the pastor’s recommendation, I read the book of Proverbs in an afternoon, and marked all the verses that pertain to the tongue and speech. I added that theme to my list, considering speech is one area that repeatedly gets me into trouble. The tongue/speech theme brought my total to seven, their color code easily kept track of on an index card I use as a bookmark.

The Bible is meant to be studied and enjoyed, and I have found this thematic method to be an engaging way to do that. I recommend it to you.

Buy a cheap paperback Bible you won’t mind marking up. Go for a chronological, especially if you haven’t already read the Story in the order it occurred. The positive of a chronological Bible, of course, is that verses and chapters are organized in the order they happened. David’s psalms, for example, follow the story that inspired them. The negative part of a chronological Bible is that sometimes you feel like you are rereading the same passage. In Samuel, you read the list of David’s mighty men, then in the next paragraph, you read the same list from Chronicles. But reading the Story in the order events took place makes up for any repetition.

Mine is a one-year Bible, a price-driven purchase. In the past, I’ve fallen hopelessly behind in Bible reading plans which always made me feel like I needed to do a reading marathon to catch up or live with guilt and discouragement for being behind. Neither response is life giving and both puts a damper on morning devotions. This year, with a baby on board, I knew I wouldn’t stay on target, but I didn’t let that discourage me. My ultimate goal is to read the Bible and learn more about these seven areas I’m highlighting. If it takes two years instead of one to finish the Book, my mission is still accomplished.

Choose your themes. In my experience, seven themes are too many. I’m far enough in the year to discontinue any now, but in the future, I will choose to have maybe 3-5. I have years ahead of me, Lord willing, which means I can read the Bible again and again while focusing on other themes. I don’t need to knock them all out in one sitting.

Make a color code for your themes and write it on an index card you can use as a bookmark. I also wrote mine on the flyleaf of my Bible in case the index card gets lost. A bookmark makes your life easy, especially when you have seven colors to keep track of.

Mark your Bible as you read. Underline, bracket, circle, or highlight verses or phrases that pertain to the themes you are taking note of. Fill margins with notes, ideas, inspiration, and thoughts. 

I’m using colored pens (LePen) so my underlines are brilliant. I had started the year using colored pencils but not every color showed up well enough to please me. I know LePen might eventually bleed through the pages, but since this isn’t my leatherbound Bible, I’m okay with that. So far, the worst is that the darkest colors can be seen on the back of the page, but it isn’t distinct enough for me to change my pen choice. 

Regardless of the method you use to read the Word, enjoy the Lord and your friendship with Him. He is worth all the time and effort you invest in your relationship.

Not a Plant Lady

 

The orchid on my windowsill pushed out its sixth bud, and the plant beside it is overgrowing its container. When I see them, I could almost forget that I am not a Plant Lady. I know my children haven’t forgotten because my son asked, “Mom, when that plant on your windowsill dies, could I have the stones at the bottom of the jar?”

The plant he referred to is alive. That was more than I could confidently say about the succulent I had purchased a year ago. The succulent wasn’t in my care for many moons until its health deteriorated significantly. I kept it gently moist and bathed in sunshine, but it gradually lost its vibrant color, fading from a rich emerald to a pale lime. Worse, it wasn’t growing. I hoped its stunted growth wasn’t a sign of imminent death. Maybe it was simply a stunned response to finding itself in my hands. A plant’s version of PTSD.

While my succulent crouched pale and unresponsive on my windowsill, I received an invitation to a ladies’ gathering at a greenhouse. We would eat a catered meal together (not harvested from the greenhouse) and listen to an inspirational topic. Afterwards, the ladies would participate in a houseplant exchange. This posed a problem.

At the time, I only had two houseplants: an orchid which was blooming profusely for the third year in a row, and a succulent that I knew not whether it was dead or alive. I couldn’t part with my orchid—my one houseplant success—and I didn’t suppose I could give away a sickly succulent, even though the invitation didn’t specify that we should bring living plants. In the end, I took none and decided it was best for plants and people if I simply didn’t participate in the exchange.

But when the plant exchange began, I found myself standing next to a Plant Lady who brought not just one but two healthy houseplants. She saw my empty hands, heard my confession, and offered me a snake plant. “I wasn’t sure why I brought two plants anyway. Here. You take this one. I’ve never seen a dead snake plant, so I’m sure it will grow for you.”

“You haven’t seen a dead one?” I asked, snickering. “Come visit me in a month or two.”

But a year later, the snake plant lives on. Unlike the beautiful palm that came to me as a gorgeous fountain of six dark green fronds in a gray ceramic pot. The palm looked so pretty in my living room window. But after a month of being in my care, brown crept up one of the fronds. Ah, the old exchanging for the new, I thought. But no. Hardly had the first dead leaf fallen when another frond was edged in brown. In the coming months, I watered the palm. I withheld water. I moved it to a new window, thinking more sunshine would revive it. I took it to a new room, hoping a change of scenery would stimulate hope and life. But like the lemmings who race each other to their demise, the remaining five fronds chased each other to their death. Eventually, my son carried the palm’s carcass to the garbage heap.

If my indoor plant failures weren’t enough to convince my children that their mom is Not a Plant Lady, the tulip story sealed my reputation. Someone gave me a bag of flower bulbs as a hostess gift. I admired the picture on the packet, feeling warmed because now our flowerbeds would have spring flowers like so many other homes in beautiful Lancaster County. And not just any spring flowers but fancy ones, according to the picture on the packet. I received the bulbs during the busy days of canning season, so I stowed them in the garage where they lay forgotten until spring.

“Mom, can I plant these?”

My daughter held a mound of flower bulbs in her cupped hands. Ah. My spring flowers. Tulips, if I recalled correctly. I couldn’t remember the picture on the long-gone packaging, but I knew it had especially pleased me. Were they miniature tulips? Ones with frilly edges? I couldn’t remember. I only recalled the warmth and happiness they brought because they weren’t ordinary flowers. She planted the bulbs and I willed them to grow.

Green poked through the soil. “Oh, look!” I said, enormously pleased. “Our tulips are growing!”

Leaves shot upwards—narrow leaves for tulips, but that was consistent with my memory of these flowers having unusual qualities.

And then, “Oh, look! My tulips are budding!”

My interest changed to alarm when every single bud drooped until it was parallel to the ground. Not being a Plant Lady, I didn't know what might have caused this. Were they diseased? Planted too shallow? Did bugs chew tunnels through the bulbs? I hated to break the news to my daughter, but I thought a fair warning was in order.

“I’m afraid there is something wrong with our tulips,” I told her. “The buds aren’t supposed to bend down like that. I don’t think they’ll bloom after all.”

But they did bloom. And they were daffodils. White daffodils with yellow centers and extra petals.

I am not a Plant Lady, but maybe there’s still hope for me. My lime green succulent pushed out new growth. I have a sparse and spindly—but living—snake plant. I have an orchid that bloomed four years in succession and a gloxinia that survived my son’s dark predictions of its death. I have even kept a new-to-me Chinese money plant alive, green, and growing for several months. It’s that money plant that I have my eye on. As soon as it produces cold hard cash, I’ll know I have finally become a bona fide Plant Lady.

Balloon Countdown to the Last Day of School

You know how those last few weeks of school are, right? Excitement builds because summer is coming. I like to countdown the final ten days with ten activities so our school year ends with fireworks (well, not literally, though that would be fun). Our creative journal also reflected our countdown.

Our miniature chalkboard was worth its $1.00 at Dollar Tree. But more fun than that were the 10 balloons, each holding a slip of paper. We popped one balloon per day and did the activity listed within.

DAY 10's Balloon: Eat an ice cream bar at 9:47
Creative Notebook entry: Make a large 10 out of paper. Glue it on your page. Write 10 states/countries and capitals you memorized this year.

DAY 9's Balloon: Do your subjects in alphabetical order

Creative Notebook entry: Glue on a large 9. Write 9 people you studied about in history this year. 

DAY 8's Balloon: Watch "How Things are Made"

Creative Journal entry: Make a large 8. Write the names of 8 friends you made at co-op.

DAY 7's Balloon: Estimate how many items are in the container. Closest guess wins a prize. (I also offered a 2nd and 3rd prize, which was perfect, considering I only have 3 children.)

Creative Journal entry: Glue on a large 7. Using colored pencils, write 7 fun things we did or places we went this school year. 

DAY 6's Balloon: Lollipop Treat!

Creative Journal entry: Make a 6 with Roman numerals. Write six things that distracted you out of our classroom window.

DAY 5's Balloon: Write on your desk day. (After I covered it with a long roll of paper.) They used the paper for math computations, spelling words, a few notes and doodles. 

Creative Journal entry: Draw a clock and set it to 5:00. Write 5 formulas you learned in math.

DAY 4's Balloon:  National Apple Pie Day! Go to McDonald's and get a hot apple pie. 

Creative Journal entry: Draw a 4 using unusual objects to form your number. Write 4 of your favorite subjects.

DAY 3's Balloon: Drink chocolate milk at 10:42

Creative Journal entry: Make a giant 3 and add fireworks. Write 3 occupations that might interest you when you are an adult.

DAY 2's Balloon: Color Tag! Play tag with your friends, using squeeze bottles full of colored cornstarch like that which is used in Color Runs. 

Creative Journal entry: Make a large and colorful 2. Write 2 things you might like to do this summer.

 

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! Break our 180-link paper chain and open your Last Day of School present. 

Creative Journal entry: Write the words finished, done, and the end in several languages. 

The ideas you just saw were for our 2021-2022 year. With a baby in our house this year, I was low on time and inspiration, so I reviewed that list and mimicked those ideas. Instead of National Apple Pie Day, it was National Orange Juice Day, so we drank orange juice while watching how it is made commercially. Our highlight wasn't a Color Run but a Mexican Party, complete with fish tacos, a pinata, and friends. 

Fish tacos, chips & salsa, pineapple, and soft drinks in 
glass bottles. 

And with that, school is out for another year! 

Waiting on Spring

March 2021. 

Earth stood calm and unresisting while winter spit sleet against her breast. Snow fell on snow, piling deep and cold. Ponds in her pastures solidified. Trees towered barren and brown. Against this onslaught, Earth offered no rebuttal. Winter’s denial couldn’t negate the truth that fueled her steady calm; she was pregnant with pulsating life, and the hope of spring.

The sun was on her side, fending off winter, melting snow, and preparing her nurseries. Then, when she could no longer restrain the life throbbing within, her children were born. Passersby stopped to admire her firstborn crocuses and to photograph floral siblings blooming on the dogwood tree. Earth dandled magnolias on her knees and smiled broadly at the tulips playing at her feet. They were her offspring, all of them richly colored and exceptionally beautiful.

Spring had come.

Like the earth, I waited. I was pregnant with hope, yes, but I lacked Earth’s certainty that my winter would end. And then our basement stank like wet dog—we had no dog—and on another day, Walmart’s produce department smelled fermented and sickening. My confidence rose. That metallic taste in my mouth? Hope lay thick upon hope.

But the days until I could take a test stretched out like months and the week like a year. I passed the time by pairing middle names with the girl’s name we already had chosen. I researched baby carriers, disliking the bulky knot on the famed Boba wrap and chatting with a Konny representative on whether their sash stays in place without constant adjustments. I fingered tiny onesies at the store and considered fun ways I could announce our pregnancy to my family.

I multitasked all week. That is, I dreamed wildly about birth and babies while carrying out mundane responsibilities. Each evening, I collapsed onto the recliner, unusually but happily tired. This kind of tiredness could only mean one thing.

My hands shook when I opened the pregnancy test package. By now I felt so pregnant that I supposed I could spit on the test and get a positive reading. Taking the test was mere formality.

I followed package instructions, then laid the test aside without even looking at the window where the confirmation would appear. It would be best, I decided, to wait to look until both lines were bold and bright. I washed my hands and combed back my hair. I picked around at facial blemishes—something I had plenty of, considering the way my complexion had deteriorated in the last week. I scrutinized my teeth, wondering if they were yellowing with age. I even groomed my eyebrows. But I didn’t look at the tantalizing test. I would wait all three minutes. No, four, just to be safe.

When the parallel lines had ample time to go from baby pink to screaming scarlet to booming brown, I turned and looked, barely breathing. The results were in. A single line in screaming scarlet.

The test was negative.

Barren branches of the sycamore waved to me from outside the bathroom window and tapped a sympathetic staccato on the metal porch roof. A nest clung tenaciously to its branches. It too was empty. Empty and cold.

Spring had not sprung for everyone. Maybe next month it would be here. A gauze of hope laid itself thinly across the raw earth of my heart.

Spring always comes.

Or does it?

April 2023. 

Spring has come. 

Celebrating Day 100

One of my favorite days to celebrate in our homeschool is nearly upon us--the 100th day of school. You might recognize some of the ideas listed below because they were posted here, hidden halfway down our list of Fun February Days. Others were used more recently.

Ways to Celebrate Day 100:

• Make a 100-link paper chain. (We kept the chain up for the rest of the year, adding five links every Friday. In the end, we had a 180-link chain. Very impressive.)
• Sit by the window and count 100 vehicles. In your creative journal, draw the 100th car that goes by. (One benefit of living along a busy road is that this took less than 10 minutes.)
• Write a 100-word story in your creative journal using as many words as possible that equal 100--century, dollar, centimeter, Ben Franklin ($100 bill).
• Choose an encyclopedia and write the entry words on page 100.
• Have our Traditional Day 100 Lunch of soft pretzels

• Build something using 100 LEGOs
• Put together 100-piece puzzles
• Draw a picture using 100 as the base

• Learn about America 100 years ago. Who was President? What did a new car cost? What was the price of gasoline? Record your answers in your creative journal.
• Run a 100-yard dash. (We did ours in snow and winter gear and broke no world record.)
• Estimate how long 100 inches is, then measure to see how accurately you estimated
• Write a special candy bar letter to your students. 
  
  
  
  
  

Finally, here is a link to 50 Ideas to Celebrate the 100th Day of School which is where I gleaned some of the ideas I used. One idea I love but haven't used is to visit a 100-year-old person and have them share memories of their childhood. 

What have you done to celebrate Day 100? Leave your ideas in the comments--especially if you don't mind me borrowing them. 

Celebrating Half Day

As a homeschooling mom, I try to keep my children from being eaten alive by monotonous school days. I certainly don't always succeed; many of our days look startlingly alike. But one way I fight boredom is by celebrating milestones. Tomorrow is Day 90 for us, or Half Day since we log 180 days per school year. In my opinion, the easiest way to honor Half Day is at lunch. Cut everything in half, serve half cups of juice, or have a half dozen grapes per person. My children are unaware that Half Day is upon us, so I'll surprise them tomorrow with Half Day Lunch, serving it on paper plates that have been cut in half, of course.

If you want more ideas on how to celebrate this milestone, here are, well, half of the ideas. The other half are the ones you come up with yourself. Just don't cut things in half like recess or rewards. 

1. Take a half mile walk
2. Use a half an hour segment of your day to play an educational game. Consider playing Memory, since you need to find the other half of each pair. 
3. Do half a dozen exercises
4. Skip half of the review questions in Arithmetic. (Provided they understand the concept and don't need the practice.)
5. Draw half of an object in your creative journal or cut an item in half and tape it in your creative journal. My twist on this will be to have my children glue or tape the other half of the object in their sibling's journal. 
6. Write half of a short story (like, two paragraphs long) and give it to someone else to write the second half. 

I updated this post to show you the lunch 
I made for my children. 

The Night I Took a Dead Horse to a Christmas Party

The ladies at our church gather once a month for an evening of inspiration. This being the final meeting of the year, we deviated from our more formal meeting pattern and gathered for food, fellowship, and games. The invitation said, "We would love if you could bring some of your favorite festive snacks for the evening, or anything you feel inspired to make!" 

Favorite festive snack. I couldn't think of a favorite, so I paged through an appetizer cookbook and stumbled onto an entire section of baked cheeses. Immediately, I remembered a heavenly baked Brie I made about ten years ago. I no longer had the recipe, but I knew it had been wrapped in crescent roll dough and eaten with crackers. The women helping small children go through the food line had tasted samples and had carried bites of Brie to their husbands so they too could have some before it was all gone. It was an amazing treat. Recalling it now, I decided that same Golden Baked Brie encased in crescent roll dough and served with crackers would be a fitting contribution to a festive buffet. 

But when I went to buy the ingredients, the only Brie Glenwood Foods carried that day was goat cheese. Being concerned that goat cheese might be stronger than I wanted, I searched the shelves and saw a round of Camembert cheese. I knew nothing of Camembert, except that it was the right size and shape. So standing beside the refrigerated cheese case, I did a quick Google search for "Can I substitute Camembert for Brie." 

The first thing I read was published by The Cheese Empire and printed in bold: "Brie and Camembert can be substituted for one another..." And, "They can be changed as required within recipes, baking on their own, or enjoying on a simple cheese board." The Spruce Eats said, "They can be interchangeable and are sometimes confused." On a list of The 5 Best Substitutes for Brie Cheese, Camembert was listed as number one. Perfect. 

Yes, foodies, I hear your groans. I bought Camembert with the good faith that I could replicate the unforgettable appetizer I baked ten years ago. Indeed, this too would be unforgettable but for an entirely different reason. 

I spread the round of cheese with jam, topped it with fresh raspberries, and wrapped it in crescent roll dough. Before I finished wrapping the dough, I broke an edge off the cheese and smelled it. It was strong. Pungent. Powerful enough that I hesitated, wondering if I should risk taking this to a party. But, really. Even though the Camembert packed a powerful punch, other cheeses I love can have a strong smell too. Grated Parmesan, for example, doesn't smell pleasant to me if I put my nose to the can, but it is delicious in a recipe. Thus quieted, I baked the Camembert. It came out of the oven golden brown and smelling wonderfully. Crescent roll dough can deceive you like that. 

That evening, I nestled my platter among festive cookie trays, tiny tartlets, tortilla rollups, cheesecake, snowman-shaped cheeseball, fancy party mixes, nuts, and all manner of delightful eats. It was a beautiful and impressive spread.

My back was turned to the food tables when someone cut into the Camembert. I knew immediately what had happened because an overpowering, sweaty-armpits-in-mid-July smell wafted over to me. Inwardly, I froze. If I had been smart, I would have slunk to the table, picked up the dead horse, and put it outside where it belonged. But I didn't. I suppose I hoped it would taste better than it smelled. Crescent roll dough, you know. 

Much later, I went to the food tables and searched for diabetic-friendly snacks, thanks to the gestational diabetes I was diagnosed with a month ago. I sadly passed up warm cinnamon rolls and darling tartlets and selected meat and cheeses. I took some cheeseball which I supposed wouldn't spike my finicky sugar levels if I ate it with only a couple of crackers. And then I came to it. Lying shoulder to shoulder with a platter of raspberry white chocolate scones was my odiferous dead horse. I needed to taste it, carbs or no. Perhaps the raspberries and crescent roll dough had worked their wonders on the cheese and would give this a better flavor profile than indicated by the smell.

I lifted a bite to my lips and knew immediately no miracle had occurred. No ingredient I can think of could possibly mask the strength of warm Camembert. I nearly ejected the bite--involuntarily, at that. The powerful flavor increased the longer I chewed. My second and final bite was worse. The scent lingered on my fingers and clung to my plate. This was no relative of the baked dish I lovingly recalled from ten years ago. This putrid dish belonged behind the barn to deter rodents from entering the granary, or beneath hoods of cars to prank your frenemies. Whatever it's many uses may be, a ladies' festive Christmas buffet is not one of them. 

At the end of the evening, I quietly picked up my reeking platter and slipped out the back door of the kitchen instead of carrying it through the crowd. I drove with the precision of a limousine driver to ensure that the cheese wouldn't slip off the platter and onto the carpet of the van. If that tragedy had occurred, I supposed the smell would permeate the carpet and render the vehicle unusable for the next decade. 

John met me at the door when I got home. Upon seeing him, I pinched my nose and held out the platter. "Smell it." 

He took a single whiff and looked at me sympathetically. I scooped molten Camembert onto a buttery cracker and fed it to him. John has an incredibly high tolerance for foods of all kinds. Rarely does he ever dislike something he eats. But this single bite maxed his tolerance. 

He chewed, and his face looked like mine had felt when I first popped the bite into my mouth. He swallowed courageously, then turned to the sink for gulps of water. He reached for a banana, for something, for anything that would help wash away the taste. 

"Is Camembert related to Limburger?" John asked. 

Limburger is notorious for being a strong, prank-worthy cheese. Another quick Google search brought up a list of The 10 Stinkiest Cheeses in the World. Limburger was ranked as #7. Camembert effortlessly beat that record by coming in at #2. 

Turns out I had asked Google the wrong question in the grocery store aisle. Asking "Does Camembert stink" gave this understated response from Whole Foods Market: "If you ever have trouble telling Camembert apart from its bloomy-rinded cousin Brie, one sniff should settle things. Camembert is distinguished by an aroma that's hard to miss: one part cabbage and one part barnyard, all wrapped up in that iconic wooden box." 

To any church friends reading this, particularly to the ones who braved a bite of Baked Camembert at the ladies' meeting, I offer my sympathies and apologies. I'd also like you to know that you can safely invite me to future parties. I might make a Raspberry Cream Cheese Braid from a tried-and-true recipe. Or maybe a hot dip to serve with tortilla chips. One thing I do know, I will not bring a crescent roll encrusted dead horse to your party. You have my word on that. 

710 Gulf Gulf

Someone recently asked, "How often does John take you flying?" 

With a few calculations, my answer surprised even John and me. "Once every seven years."

Our record wouldn't even look that good if our date plans this summer hadn't fallen through. To redeem the date, John gave me a ride in the plane he uses as a flight instructor. The plane is owned by the flight school. 

Tail number 710GG or 710 Gulf Gulf 
when talking to the tower

John gave me the pilot's seat and sat beside me like I was his student, offering me the opportunity to do some flying. I declined, but maybe I should have surprised him with a loop or a lazy eight or something impressive. 

Supposedly the plane has cool avionics. I wouldn't know.

I'm not sure who had the most fun. I loved seeing John in that part of his world, and he was grinning when he said, "It's fun to show off my skills sometimes." (Apparently his students don't cheer for him when he touches down without a bump?) 

No flight plans are scheduled in my immediate future, but I'm loving the memory of flying with John in 710 Gulf Gulf. 

Creative Journal Ideas

Summer was still in full swing when my children came to me asking, "Are we going to do another creative journal when school starts?" 

"Do you want to?"

"Definitely!" 

I was pleased. I learned about creative journals from Deana Swanson's blog, The Plain Professors. The journals are composition books that we fill with artsy things and fun writing projects. Nothing is graded and nearly everything is meant to be interesting and fun. Apparently, the fun factor is high if I get asked about creative journals during the summer. I've noticed that nobody asks if they can please memorize prepositions or do more story problems.

Creative Writing Journal with decorated cover

We started school this week. Each morning when I grade books and prepare assignments for the day, I write today's journal entry assignment at the top of their page. This works because I only have two students. I would write the day's assignment on the chalkboard if I taught a large classroom.

Several people were interested in the ideas we did in our journals this past school year. I tried to keep this list to original ideas, but I've been so inspired by my childhood and other people that the lines are foggy on what is original and what isn't. 

Incorporate Daily Life

1. List 6 memories of summer vacation. 
2. Write 3-5 sentences about yesterday, listing something positive and something negative.
3. Make a list of 12 things you might see when we go on our nature hike.
4. Draw and color a mushroom you saw on our hike.
5. It is raining today because of Hurricane Ida. Write 8 facts or descriptions of hurricanes. Look up the information if you need to.
6. Write a summary of our trip to SC.
7. Write a paragraph about the Frontier Culture Museum we visited.
8. Write a paragraph about Rough and Tumble.
9. Write 3-5 sentences about Fire Safety yesterday. Be sure to include something you learned. 
10. Draw a poster for fire safety. Include one sentence of advice. 
11. We visited Great-grandma Nolt last evening. Give some reasons why it could be fun for an old person in a nursing home to have visitors. 
12. It's my birthday! Draw and color a birthday cake with 39 candles! 
13. We just went to Lakewood as a family. Make an acrostic using the word LAKEWOOD.
14. Draw a map of Woodcrest's Journey to Bethlehem. Label each station. 
15. Draw and color a scene out of Pilgrim's Progress. Write a sentence to describe it. (They had been listening to Pilgrim's Progress.)
16. Write a memory from when we lived in Africa. Write a complete paragraph, neatly, and in good sentences.
17. Draw a map of Antarctica. Label the windiest spot and the coldest spot. (We were preparing to present Antarctica at a Geography Night.) 
18. Yesterday was our final day of co-op. Write a paragraph about co-op. Why do you like it? What was your favorite class? How did you like singing for the elderly? 
19. Write a poem about co-op.

Bring God and character-building opportunities into your school day

1. Write about a time God answered prayer for you or our family.
2. Write Philippians 4:4 from memory and illustrate it.
3. Write the books of the Old Testament from memory.
4. Wilma badly wanted a LEGO door for the house she was building. Her brother had a house with two doors, but it was already built with tall walls and a roof. Wilma accused him of not being kind, fair, or loving. What advice would you give Wilma?
5. What is one of the most important lessons you ever learned?
6. My friend Marlene Sue has many children. They live in Ukraine as missionaries. Write a prayer for them in this scary time when Russia is invading Ukraine.
7. What are good habits every person should develop?
8. Words are important! Write a list of encouraging phrases you can say to a sibling or a friend. 
9. Make a list of things to be thankful for. Do NOT include common things like food, family, friends, or health. Be creative. 
10. Choose any part of the story of Jesus' death and illustrate it. 

Random ideas

1. (Cut a picture out of a magazine and give it to them. Mine was a fancy birdhouse.) Glue this picture on your page and write a short advertisement to sell it. 
2. Give me a few reasons why granola is healthy.
3. Draw the World's Cutest Reptile and color it in fall colors.
4. Would you be happy to have someone teach you French if you moved to France? Why?
5. Create a recipe for chocolate cake.
6. Draw a picture of your mom dumpster diving.
7. Set a timer and work on a creative story for 8 minutes. 
8. Cut words out of a magazine or newspaper and use them to write a sentence.
9. (Give them a picture of two people or animals.) Glue this picture on the page and write an imaginary conversation they may be having. 
10. Draw the musical scale. Decorate each note.
11. Finish this story: 
    One blazing summer day, the geese laid hardboiled eggs and the old red rooster burned his feet on the wooden fence post. Suddenly...
12. (Cut out a picture from a magazine, one that includes a person.) Write a paragraph about this picture. Pretend you are the woman in the window, so write it in first person using I and my.  
13. Choose a car you see going past our house. Write a paragraph about who they are, where they are going, and what troubles or happiness they might be having. Include names and a conversation. 

Include entries for national holidays and special days

1. Today is National Taco Day! Build a taco by drawing each layer. Leave 1/4" space between each layer. 
2. Native American Day! Using the page of symbols I provided, copy and label them. 
3. Chinese New Year! Draw a map of China. Label its capital. 
4. National Popcorn Day! Look up popcorn in the encyclopedia and write several sentences about its history or any information about popcorn.
5. Letter P all Day. (This was one of our Fun February days in which activities and food started with the Letter P.) Write a short story using as many words starting with P as you can.
6. Robot Day. Draw a robot and write a sentence about him. 
7. Shark Day! On this page, take a chomp out of the edge of the page. You can color or decorate it if you want. 
8. (We do school on Tyler's birthday.) Draw 12 balloons. Inside each balloon, write a memory from your last year. 

Let them give you great ideas

1. Make a list of fun things you would like to do in December. 
2. Make a list of Fun Friday ideas. 
3. Give me ideas for Fun February. 
4. What would you like your summer to include? 
5. List 5 songs we should sing in family devotions. 
6. Where would you like to go on a field trip? 
7. What are some supper ideas you would like to have? Put a star beside the one you want to cook.

Ideas we repeat throughout the year (These are borrowed from Deana Swanson.)

1. What did you learn in Sunday school yesterday? 
2. What was the sermon about on Sunday? 
3. Illustrate a spelling word and use that word in a sentence. 
4. Draw something you are learning about in Science.

"Invisible: This is a giraffe walking past a window."

Count down to the last day of school

The last 10 pages in our journals were a countdown to the summer.

1. Day 10-- Cut a large 10 out of paper. Glue it on your page. All around it, write 10 countries and their capitals you memorized this year.
2. Day 9-- Make a large 9. Write 9 people you learned about this year. 
3. Day 8-- Make a large 8. Write the names of 8 friends you met at co-op.
4. Day 7--Glue on a large 7. List 7 fun places we went or fun things we did this year. 
5. Day 6-- Make a 6 using Roman numerals. Write 6 things that distracted you out our classroom window. 
6. Day 5-- Draw a clock. Set it to 5:00. Write the names of 5 bones you learned. 
7. Day 4-- Make a 4 out of unusual objects. List your 4 favorite subjects. 
8. Day 3-- Glue on a large 3. List 3 occupations that might interest you when you are an adult. 
9. Day 2-- Draw a large colorful 2. Write 2 things you would like to do this summer. 
10. LAST DAY! Write done, the end, and finished in several languages. 

The Pottery Works

I am not fond of city driving. Even downtown Lancaster pushes the envelope of my enjoyment, but I don't mind driving to The Pottery Works. It is located on Orange Street, directly across from a parking garage. The parking garage is a significant detail because not only can I drive to The Pottery Works without stress, I can park within seeing distance of my destination--not something I can say for many city excursions. 

The knowledgeable and friendly staff guides newbies through the steps of painting pottery and offers tips to those who ask. I'm not much of an artist or painter, but I feel like one when I sit at a table full of brushes and colors and possibilities.

Last fall, Sophia and I painted pottery with a friend of mine, Priscilla.

Everything looks better after it has been baked. However, even the kiln couldn't transform my little container into what I had originally envisioned. My succulent doesn't seem to mind; it has grown significantly in its little striped nest.

Recently, I spent an evening at The Pottery Works with my sister from Minnesota. We chose a table by the window where the light of the shop spilled onto the sidewalk and caused passersby to look in--longingly, I supposed. Maybe they wished they had a friend with whom they could share the experience. 

For me, that is the biggest drawing factor of The Pottery Works. It is a shop that provides the space, supplies, and clean up service for friends who want to create beautiful art and happy memories. 

Little Pine, the Place that {Almost} Redeemed Camping

After the mega camping fail of 2021 (read about that here), John wanted to take me to Little Pine State Park, a campground in the PA mountains that actually has trees and shade. Going to a beautiful location definitely held appeal. But still, I told John that I'm arming myself with the same mindset I had when entering our church's three-day fast: "This suffering will do good things for my soul." 

"You do know," John said, "that some people go camping because they actually enjoy it, right?" 

Right. But arming myself with the mindset that self-deprivation will be good for me felt like the prepared way to go.

Little Pine State Park is a beautiful campground, even to people who aren't naturally drawn to camping. Our tent was pitched on a carpet of pine needles within hearing distance of a small but dashing river. We were surrounded by the same trees John had camped beneath when he was a boy, adding a touch of nostalgia to the place. We didn't have electricity or cell phone coverage, but all of us agreed that only enhanced our weekend.

We grilled burgers over the fire for supper, toasted marshmallows for s'mores, and went to bed late. I felt rested when we unzipped the tent door in the morning. My immediate view was a green picnic area, towering pine trees, and the edges of a mountain. It was a gorgeous start to our day.

On previous camping trips, the children always had cousins with whom they could dodge off and play. But this time, our family unit stayed together, a super fun aspect of our weekend. We checked out the river and a lake. The views were breathtaking from the top of the dam. The hill leading to the dam was breathtaking too; someone is out of shape.

Tyler and John fished for the trout that swam tantalizingly around their feet. Tyler fished in knee-deep water long after his legs turned red from cold and the rest of us had lost interest. He tossed back everything he caught except a solitary 14" brown trout that we cooked over the fire and served with butter. 

While my men fished, I sat on a rock and watched my other children entertain themselves in a shallow creek. They had no manmade toys, but they were fully engaged for a couple of hours. They floated dandelions and sticks, built dams, stacked up rock towers, climbed rocks, played with a frog, and threw rocks into the creek. I watched them, amazed at the possibilities a child sees in rocks, sticks, and ankle-deep water.

Sophia used water and a stick to paint rocks.
Great idea because your canvases are endless
and your work area is mess-free.

On our way home, John asked what I thought of my Little Pine experience. I didn't know how to answer. In many ways, it was a wonderful weekend as a family. 

But the raw truth is that camping will always be camping with smoke in your eyes and biting bugs on your neck. Neighbors had moved in with a gigantic bloodhound whose indefatigable baying reverberated throughout the entire campground. They also brought a Lab that celebrated their arrival by leaping out of their grasp and peeing either on our camp chair leg or directly in front of it. Throughout the weekend, tiny worms fell from our canopy into my dishwater, dangled into our hair, and needed to be picked out of our food. On the way home while contemplating my answer to John's question, I was still finding worms on myself. You would think there would be easier ways of achieving family togetherness and quality time. 

But even with unregenerated dogs and the messiness of nature, I had more fun and fewer opportunities to remind my soul of its necessary and beneficial purification than I expected. And I loved spending time with my favorite people. 

My verdict? Don't sell the tent.

At least not yet.