Twenty years ago I traveled through India for three weeks, so when I heard Dena Moes interviewed about her family's eight month pilgrimage to India, I knew I wanted to read her travel memoir about that journey, The Buddha Sat Right Here. I thought it would be a fun to "see" India again through someone else's eyes, … Continue reading Book: The Buddha Sat Right Here
Every year since my eldest son was in Pre-K, I have written about our homeschool and the resources we use. Now he's in the 7th grade, and I'm still writing about it, but as I mentioned in my last post, while I love writing and sharing, I'm not in a position to put so much … Continue reading Our 7th Grade Homeschool Curriculum and Schedule
Happy New Year! I hope your new year has had a good start. Despite all the distressing news I read in the media, I am hopeful that 2020 will be a good year. I hope it will contain more good than bad. I believe that no matter how misguided some people may be, deep down … Continue reading January
It seems a bit crazy to think that exactly twenty years ago, I was ringing in a new century at the top of a sky scraper in India. I was spending a year in Japan teaching English as a participant of the JET Programme, and during the winter break, a friend of mine and I … Continue reading Twenty Years Ago
December, and especially the Winter Solstice, seems like a good time for reflection to me. With cooler temperatures, I want to stay home and curl up with a good book. Or write some poetry. I never get to do that, but it's nice dreaming about it. 😉 I know this time of year can be … Continue reading December
Looking back at my October post, I see that I promised to reveal the bird that my younger son was for Halloween. Well, here you go....he was a cardinal this year. I think this bird (his third bird costume and fourth Halloween being a bird) was inspired by a little cardinal friend we have. I'll … Continue reading November
You know how Amazon.com will make recommendations to you based on your previous purchases? Well, after buying some cello repertoire for my 10-year-old cellist, Amazon recommended the young adult novel Great Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill. After reading the about it, I decided to check it out from the library. At first my 10-year-old looked … Continue reading Giant Pumpkin Suite by Melanie Heuiser Hill
Recently I read The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason. It was published in 2002, and I think it was also turned into a movie, but I haven't seen that yet. I would recommend it for adults. I doubt I would have liked it as a teenager. It's set in 1886 and begins in London where … Continue reading The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason
Every once in a while, I will look around my house at all the dust and clutter (sometimes with amusement; sometimes with angst), and I wonder if I'll ever make it to the other side of homeschooling. And if I do make it, will there really be more free time? More time to clean and … Continue reading October
When Stacey O'Brien was introduced to a little barn owl chick that had nerve damage in his wing, making it impossible for him to return to the wild, she knew she was meant to become his caretaker. Wesley the Owl is a heartwarming memoir that I believe both mature teens or adults could enjoy. Stacey … Continue reading Wesley the Owl by Stacey O’Brien
