This morning I went blackberry picking before it got too hot. Yesterday I had to work many hours in my website designing business and felt so un-domestic, so out of touch with my home and children. I just had to get out and do something domestic. There are tons of blackberries around here in the woods, so I’m hoping to go picking every day. I want to stock our freezer for blackberry cobblers, muffins, and more for the upcoming year. I also have a friend who’s going to teach me how to make jams. I’m so looking forward to that! I’m so thankful that God provided this home for us in the woods, with such a kind landlord. Often I have thought that we would never have a home like this, a home of my dreams. How God loves to surprise His children! How gracious He is!

Last month was a very hard month for my family. There was a burglary and robbery in the family (not us). The robbery has effected my family deeply and permanently. You never know how it effects you until it happens to you. My dad got me a shotgun and taught me how to shoot it. I feel so much safer. I can defend us if need be and can also kill snakes or rabid animals. We all laughed as my father, sitting in my rocking chair on the porch, relayed the story of how his mother toted a shotgun when she felt danger nearby. She would sling it over her shoulder like a soldier. One time some convicts got loose from a road detail, and the authorities came by to tell her. She told them plainly she wasn’t scared. When she had to make a trip to the outhouse that night, she peppered it good with her shotgun, just in case. My Dad said the next morning, when he and his brothers used the privy, daylight streamed in from all the holes in the walls!:) I love hearing about my grandmothers. I’m told often that I’m much like my Dad’s mother.

May was also heartbreaking because my Beloved’s dear mother was very ill most of the month and then went on to be with Jesus. It was terribly hard for me to be so far away from my dearest Tim during this time. I cried so many tears for him and for his mother. I prayed so often, all during the day, for them. I prayed so often that I’d be a blessing and a comfort to Tim. I have not lost my mother, so I did not know how he felt. The Lord did answer and helped me to know what to say. It is comforting for us to know that she is in Heaven, with no more pain and no more problems.

We are year-round homeschoolers, which makes it easier for me during the school year. I can take off anytime I need to. I arrange our schedule to accommodate all the birthdays we have going on in the summer, along with holidays and VBS. The last couple of weeks we have done “light schooling” so that I can get some things caught up around here. I have a list that is 1 1/2 pages long! Things on my list include reformatting the girls’ computer (done), put away paper piles (one pile a day so I don’t get overwhelmed), make homemade cards, organize attic, clean and organize kitchen (started), make phone calls, make CD’s of purchased music, plant flowers (done), and plant seeds. There are many more things on my list. As I look over it, I see I have much more accomplished than I realized!

The children have been swimming in the afternoons, which gives me some much-needed quiet time. We have an above-ground pool that we purchased used from a friend for only $50. She upgraded to a larger one. This is our second summer using it, and we are so thankful for it. Sometimes the chemicals are a strain for me to purchase, but they really are not too high in cost. God truly provides!

We started a family newsletter like the Pickwick Papers in Little Women. We mailed it to family members and close friends. Two stories were about a murder on our street (my dad killed a snake) and a girl buried alive (like one buries another at the beach leaving the head and feet exposed). Our newsletter went over so well and extracted so much laughter and joy from the readers. I have had folks asking about the next edition, which is on my list to do. The girls are honing their writing skills and enjoying making notes like reporters on possible stories. They love, love, love the old tv series The Incredible Hulk, so they enjoy playing the role of Jack McGee.:)

Monday I received our subscription to The Girlhood Home Companion along with The Gift of Family Writing by Jill Novak. They came only a day or so after I ordered them, which really surprised me and thrilled me. I did not realize that the magazine was for Moms too and have just delighted in looking through them. I am reading The Gift of Family Writing and am just loving it. I have always loved diaries, journals, and writing. I have novels that I wrote as a teenager. I have always been fascinated with writers like John Boy Walton and Jo March. The Gift of Family Writing is just wonderful and reaffirms me in my love of writing.

I had quit keeping my journal regularly over the years while raising little ones, and felt because I didn’t write everyday, that I couldn’t write at all (my perfectionism showing itself). While reading Carrie Bender Amish books (that a dear friend shipped to me in a huge box one Christmas!), I started writing again. Carrie Bender books are written in journal form and include little quotes, poems, and recipes with each entry. Sometimes days or weeks or missed, and then the entries pick back up. They are such a joy to read and encourage me in my spiritual life, in homemaking and mothering, and in writing. I purchased some pretty pens and stickers and try to write in my journal after my devotions in the mornings on the porch. I don’t write every day, but I try to write regularly. If I write an email or blog post like this that is newsy, I will print it out and paste it inside. I add Bible verses often and sometimes other quotes and poems. I even keep perfume samples from magazines inside to make it smell nice. I believe future generations depend on us keeping track of history now. My girls have just delighted reading my diary when I was a girl and a teenager. There were a lot of good laughs and a lot of remembrances. I wish my mother and grandmothers had kept diaries!

When we first moved here, our landlord told us that we could not fish in the pond. Undoubtedly he has had people take advantage. Last week he up and told me that we could go fishing anytime we wanted because we have been such good renters. My girls love fishing and were so delighted. While looking at the pond, my dad has often drooled, so he was thrilled to hear the news. He took the girls fishing, and they caught 20 something fish. They were all bream, with one catfish. We had a delicious fish fry at my folks house. How good it feels to eat something that cost nothing, that you got from nature!

We have been watching a family of tufted titmice every day. There are 3 babies who are just about as big as their folks. They fluff their wings nearly constantly and cry for food as they follow their folks around. They try to do what their folks do with humorous results.:)

One day I saw a fox in the edge of the woods, and so we rushed outside to follow him. We lost sight of him, but heard the birds carrying on in a nearby thicket. We got to the thicket, then waited. We heard crashing about, and I told the girls to watch. Foxy came out, looked right at us, then trotted into the woods. What a special gift God gave us to allow us to see him so close up! I just wish I had brought my camera!:(

Wilbur our guinea pig has had to go back and forth to the veterinarian due to a skin infection. We pray that she will get well soon. She has an excellent doctor who keeps in close contact. He loves Miss Wilbur.:)

Our cat Autumn brought home a little baby bunny, which my oldest daughter and I rescued. We kept him for a little while, then released him over prayers that he would be safe. State law says we could not keep him.:(

A Scared Little Fella

A Sleepy Baby

Bunny Buns!

Posted under Book Reviews, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Life at Hidden Pines, Recommended Reading, Simplicity
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Wildflowers in a Tin Can on a Windowsill

“After Laura and Mary had washed and wiped the dishes, swept the floor, made their bed, and dusted, they settled down with their books. But the house was so cosy and pretty that Laura kept looking up at it.

“The black stove was polished till it gleamed. A kettle of beans was bubbling on its top and bread was baking in the oven. Sunshine slanted through the shining windows between the pink-edged curtains. The red-checked cloth was on the table. Beside the clock on its shelf stood Carrie’s brown-and-white-dog, and Laura’s sweet jewel-box. And the little pink-and-white shepherdess stood smiling on the wood-brown bracket.

“Ma had brought her mending-basket to her rocking-chair by the window, and Carrie sat on the footstool by her knee. While Ma rocked and mended, she heard Carrie say her letters in the primer. Carrie told big A and little a, big B and little b, then she laughed and talked and looked at the pictures. She was still so little that she did not have to keep quiet and study.”

“The clock struck twelve. Laura watched its pendulum wagging, and the black hands moving on the round white face. It was time for Pa to come home. The beans were cooked, the bread was baked. Everything was ready for Pa’s dinner.”

On the Banks of Plum Creek, p. 301-302
by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Posted under Encouraging Quotes, Homemaking, Homeschooling, Recommended Reading
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“Every morning Laura and Mary studied their books and worked sums on the slate. Every afternoon Ma heard their lessons. She said they were good little scholars, and she was sure that when they went to school again they would find they had kept up with their classes.”

~~~*~~~

“In the mornings after the chores and the housework were done, Laura and Mary studied their books. In the afternoons Ma heard their lessons. Then they might play or sew their seams, till time to meet the herd and bring Spot and her calf home. Then came chores again and supper and the supper dishes and bedtime.”

~~~*~~~

“It was pleasant in the warm house. Laura and Mary did their lessons, then Pa played the fiddle while Ma rocked and knitted, and the bean soup simmered on the stove.”

~~~*~~~

“Ma cooked and cleaned and mended and helped Mary and Laura with their lessons. They did the dishes, made their bed, and swept the floors, kept their hands and faces clean and neatly braided their hair. They studied their books and played with Carrie and Jack. They drew pictures on their slate, and taught Carrie to make her A B C’s.”

~~~*~~~

“Even though the sunny day was not Monday, Ma washed the clothes and hung them on the clothes-line to freeze dry. That day their were no lessons. Laura and Mary and Carrie, bundled stiff in thick wraps, could play outdoors in the sunshine.”

~~~*~~~

“While Laura was dusting, Mary combed Carrie’s hair and put the red-checked cloth on the table, and got out the school-books and the slate.”

~~~*~~~

Quotes from On the Banks of Plum Creek
by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Posted under Encouraging Quotes, Homeschooling, Recommended Reading
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On February 28, a judge issued a ruling that has endangered the homeschooling and parental rights of parents in California. We all need to pray about this issue and do what we can to fight this ruling. Not only is homeschooling in danger, parental rights are in danger. Whether you homeschool or not, whether you are a Christian or not, you should be very concerned. I am including links that will be helpful and will add other resources as I have time. If you have anything to add, please leave a comment. Thank you!

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Judge orders homeschoolers into government education- Court: Family’s religious beliefs ‘no evidence’ of 1st Amendment violation

This is the article that broke the story to the world.

“Nor did the family’s religious beliefs matter to the court.

Their ’sincerely held religious beliefs’ are ‘not the quality of evidence that permits us to say that application of California’s compulsory public school education law to them violates their First Amendment rights.’

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SIGN THE PETITION!

PLEASE sign the petition at the Home School Legal Defense Association, whether you homeschool your children or not. Many parents don’t think they would ever homeschool, but then circumstances change, and homeschooling becomes a hope, a lifeline, and a blessing. Parental rights are also under attack, whether you homeschool your children or not, whether you are a Christian parent or not. There are several helpful links on this site, too.

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Reclaim your children

“On that basis, Albert Einstein couldn’t teach math. Leonardo Da Vinci couldn’t teach art. William Shakespeare couldn’t teach literature. George Washington couldn’t teach about the Revolutionary War and the founding of our country. Martin Luther King, Jr. couldn’t teach about the civil rights movement.”

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Buried Treasure Blog

Carmon at Buried Treasure blog lives in CA and is keeping everyone updated. Please take the time to read. She has many great posts and great links!

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A Bolt From the Blue — A Homeschooling Decision in California by Dr. Albert Mohler

Read Dr. Mohler’s blog entry.
Hear the interview with Michael Farris of the Home School Legal Defense Association

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Overt Hostility toward Homeschoolers by Dr. Albert Mohler

“A similar level of hostility is evident in an article published at the Web site of the National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s largest teachers’ union. As the author asserts, the union demands that the teaching of children be left to ‘professionals,’ not parents:

‘So, why would some parents assume they know enough about every academic subject to home-school their children? You would think that they might leave this — the shaping of their children’s minds, careers, and futures — to trained professionals. That is, to those who have worked steadily at their profession for 10, 20, 30 years! Teachers!’

The article’s author, Dave Arnold, suggests that parents are ‘gullible’ and ‘well-meaning amateurs’ who simply have no business educating their own children.”

Bro. Mohler discussed this extensively in the introduction to today’s show. (Dr. Mohler discusses news events before starting the show topic.) He pointed out that the author of the above-mentioned article is a school janitor, not a teacher. And he has the expertise to have his opinion voiced on the NEA website?

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California Call-to-Action by Attorney Jesse Paine

Jesse explains the case and offers several suggestions as to what we can do.

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Christian Home Educators Association of California

This website has many informative updates, including Gov. Schwarzenegger’s statement on the issue.

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Homeschoolers’ setback sends shock waves through state

This article at the San Fransisco Chronicle has over 1300 comments as of this time (139 pages). Parents are voicing their opinions. Very worth the read and commenting on!

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In Defense of Home Schooling Radio Broadcast of Focus on the Family

“A California state appellate court ruled last week that it is illegal for parents in the Golden State to home school their children without the appropriate state teaching credentials. If this ruling stands, home-schooling parents could, in effect, become guilty of a criminal offense. Find out how you can oppose this chilling decision, which Dr. Dobson calls ‘an unprecedented assault’ on parental rights - one that could have nationwide consequences. Joining Dr. Dobson are public policy expert Carrie Gordon Earll, Michael Farris of the Home School Legal Defense Association and Roy Hanson of Family Protection Ministries. You’ll also hear from a California home-schooling mom whose right to make educational decisions for her children is now under attack.

‘At the heart of this case is a distrust of parents.’ - Michael Farris”

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ParentalRights.org

Sign the petition to protect parents and children from unreasonable government intrusion. There are also many updates on the CA court case on this site, as well as news on other stories of government interference in the lives of families.

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Time for a Texas-style round up! by Chuck Norris

“The reason government courts are nationally cracking down on private instruction has more to do with suppressing alternative education than assuring educational standards.

The rationale is quite simple, though rarely if ever stated. If one wants to control the future ebbs and flows of a country, one must have command over future generations. This is done by seizing parental and educational power, legislating preferred educational materials and limiting private educational options. It is so simple any socialist can understand it. As Joseph Stalin once stated, “Education is a weapon whose effects depend on who holds it in his hands and at whom it is aimed.”

Is it merely coincidental that homeschooling was outlawed by the Soviet State in 1919, by Hitler and Nazi Germany in 1938 and by Communist China in 1949? Will California be next? America? Will we yield control and our educational rights as parents? Such would not only be an American travesty but a human disgrace.”

Posted under Christianity, Current Events, Homeschooling, News, Recommended Listening, Recommended Reading, The Family, Urgent Action Needed
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Bro. Voddie Baucham has two posts up about Christians removing their children from public schools.

What About Single Moms?
Salt and Light

“I was raised by a single mother. I would never argue that single mothers are irrelevant, or that they should be ignored. Quite the contrary, part of our message is that churches need to do more to provide affordable educational alternatives for those who cannot afford conventional educational options.”

“I have asked before, and I will ask again, how far do they have to go? What do they have to do to our children before we will leave? Do they have to molest our children? They’ve done that. Do they have to beat, maim or kill our children? They’ve done that too. Do they have to fail to educate our children adequately? They’ve done that. Do they have to deny our God and his laws? They have done that too. Do they have to lead our children away from Christ and his Church in droves by indoctrinating them in Atheistic Secular Humanism? Check that one off too. When will enough be enough? When will our desire to raise our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4) outweigh our addiction to free daycare?”

Posted under Christianity, Current Events, Encouraging Quotes, Homeschooling, Recommended Reading, Single Mothers
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