Blog Archives

Canada's Birds

2/27/2015

My son liked this book. we read one chapter a night and he would ask "mom, please, one more chapter?"   I always said "No" because we read lots of books at night.

He would frequently ask good questions and make good conversation.
The birds we learned about are: Black-capped chickadee, Great horned owl, Downy woodpecker killdeer, ruby-throated hummingbird, northern shoveler, osprey, ruffed grouse, yellow warbler and the raven.

The video below shows how silly and smart ravens can be.

The chapter on the yellow warbler provoked a great deal of conversation, especially since they talked about how the cowbird would often lay eggs in their nests and how often the warblers babies would die because the big cowbird baby would push them out.

The chickadee chapter reminded him of how we've fed them at the Pinery. The beak of the shoveler just made him laugh and the put put put purr of the ruffed grouse had him walking around pretending to be a ruffed grouse. :)

It's an easy read book. Easy for children to read themselves if they would be so inclined, and it is filled with enough interesting facts to intrigue adults as well. A good introductory book for birds in Canada.

Canada's Birds is written by Susan Hughes. Published by Scholastic Canada. It is 52 pages long. It is part of a series called Canada Close Up.

Making supper... with the help of a lad

2/27/2015

My son, darling lad that he is, is a touch of a picky eater.   He is GETTING better, but it seems that getting him to eat new things is always a long process. I've also been wanting to teach him some cooking skills so I thought why not kill two birds with one stone. ALMOST every week (most likely on Wednesdays) I plan to make one entire meal with the lad's help.   We will discuss it together and make something as a unit that we might ALL enjoy.. or at least have the fun of learning how to make it. The rule will be everyone has to try everything that we make.

This week the menu was
Bacon, Buns, Mashed Potatoes and Spaghetti Squash.

My hubby's response was BACON??? That's not meat.   I said for this week bacon is meat. :) It's a start at least.

So here we are working on making our supper.

We started the buns right after lunch as rising time takes well.... TIME.   We used this recipe for sweet rolls off all-recipes. It was a bit fussy to make but that's a good thing for my creative lad.   We used it as an opportunity to do some fractions.   He needed to do all the reading as well.

Here's the recipe for those interested.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45degrees C)
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions:
1. Place water, milk, egg, 1/3 cup butter, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough/Knead and First Rise Cycle; press Start.
2. When cycle finishes, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 12 inch circle, spread 1/4 cup softened butter over entire round. Cut each circle into 8 wedges. Roll wedges starting at wide end; roll gently but tightly. Place point side down on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover with clean kitchen towel and put in a warm place, let rise 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden.

can you see my smiling face?

We made the spaghetti squash. The lad started to help me cut it in half but found it too hard to do so I assisted him with it. He did a good job of cleaning out his half but disliked touching the slimy bits so asked if he could scoop and I could collect the seeds.   We feed them to the rabbits as they are a natural anti-coccidiant. :)

Put in a 400 oven for 1/2 hour it was pretty near done.   Another five minutes gave us time to heat up the water for the potatoes.   We did mashed potatoes from a bag (yes I know it's cheating) but they are easy and the lad really really likes them.

The bacon started to cook while the squash was in the oven (we cook raw bacon in the oven when we have it as it means it doesn't burn on me). Normally we get the precooked stuff for exactly the same reason. I am FAR to distractable to cook bacon well. Normally hubby cooks it when we camp. He pays attention. :)

The end result of our meal?
"Yum!   We can make this again right mom?"

"Yup.. but not next week. Then we have to do something different." I have to admit that got me a sad face but next week he'll be ready for something new. :)

Have you made a meal lately that turned out well with your children? What was it?

Review: The Appleseed Journal

2/27/2015

I have to admit, this is a bit of a tough review to do.   I came into it with some preconceived ideas of who Johnny Appleseed was. I was taught as a youngster that he was a Christian pastor with a passion for planting apple trees and seeds across the country as it expanded.

Imagine my chagrin as I read his very own words and discovered that what I believed was not true!   The Appleseed Journal is a journal of Johnny Appleseed's words from his own journal from the year 1843.   An manuscript was found from John Chapman (Appleseed) that with some editing has been presented in this book The Appleseed Journal.

What then did I learn through the 92 pages of this journal?

Was it true that Johnny Appleseed had a passion for planting apple seeds and trees? Indeed. He also had a passion for herbs and natural ways of healing oneself from various conditions.

BUT was he a Christian pastor?   Well...not really, at least not as in following the God of the Bible.   He was a strong believer in the work of Emanuel Swedenborg. Swedenborg was the founder of the Church of New Jerusalem.

While I cannot agree with the doctrine contained within the journal I can agree with a few things.

1. John Chapman made good friends. He worked at keeping them.
2. He was true to his calling in life. He felt best out in the woodlands tending to the things of the natural world.   He freely gave and sold apple trees and seeds to anyone he met. He bought or leased land so that he could plant his apple trees or seedlings as the land expanded.
3. He was an evangelist. Once he learned about Swedenborg he talked about him and his writings every chance he had.   He continually sought to turn conversation around to the man and his writings and called him a great man.   I have to admire the fervency and wish I had a bit more of it in my life.
4. He helped folks out whenever he could. Teaching them what herbs to grow or where to find them in the woods. He taught folk how to use hem as well.
5. He acted as a go-between for the natives and the white people.

It was an interesting read. It didn't take me long to go through it. Below is a truism from the book. :)   It is one of the things that Johnny Appleseed and I could agree on... GOD is the one who does the work.

So the cruncher... would I recommend this as a book to read?
Well.. yes and no.   Yes in that it teaches you more about Johnny Appleseed and some of the things he thought about. He unabashedly tells you he's a confirmed bachelor as the life he was called to was not conducive to having a wife. He happily tells you that less is more and having too many trapping hanging on to you just slows you down. He expounds on the greatness of Swedenborg.

It would be a great book to read with a highschooler and ask them to point out to you, with reasoning, why some of the doctrine that Johnny held to was wrong. AND if Johnny got anything right in his understanding of God and his relationship with us. It gives a good glimpse into some of the history of that time period and shows how Swedenborg's writings were received.

Would I give to a youngster just learning to formulate his own belief in God and say read it without any input? NO. It's an easy enough read that my lad could read it, but it's not a book I want him to read until his reasoning and understanding skills have improved.

Is it a good background book to read for doing a lesson on Johnny Appleseed?   For sure? I learned a lot reading this book. :)

Book Details:
Author: Dr. Steward Bitkoff
Publisher: Abandoned Ladder
Pages: 92
Reviewed for: Ascot Media.

Author of six published books on spirituality, Stewart Bitkoff, holds a doctorate in education and has served as a faculty member for multiple college and universities throughout the US. Dr. Bitkoff is a spiritual traveler and advocate for Sufi mysticism. Additionally, he specializes in therapeutic recreation, psychiatric rehabilitation and mental health treatment. Dr. Bitkoff is a regular contributor to online media outlets such as: Philadelphia Spirituality Examiner, Wisdom Magazine, New Age Journal, and Mystic Living Today.

Plant and Animal Cells - edible experiment

2/26/2015

Last week my lad and I were doing a unit on cells with Visual Learning Systems. A full review is coming up soon, but I thought doing a post on what we did was a good way to show off some of what we are learning.

Plant and animal cells have similarities and differences so we thought we'd do one of each.

The animal cell

click image to go to source

The plant cell

click image to go to source

The cells we made were to be completely edible, well I must say that made for an interesting experiment all on it's own.

The recipe called for clear gelatin but it was WAY more expensive than yellow so we went with yellow. :)    We had fun trying to figure out how to add the floating bits that are part of the cytoplasm. We tried adding fuzz bombs...you know those candies that pop in your mouth and make your head feel weird.   That was cool to watch but a no go. The lad hit upon the idea of crushing up some candies and seeing if that would work... crushed mallow balls worked best!   Various powdery ones were a bust as well.

An ear made a good nucleus, and we tried a lollipop for the other but it melted on us. :( Twizzlers cut up well for making the long strands and jelly beans were a happy and easy addition.    It was funky afterwards... licorice turn pasty in jello (ick). Jelly beans lose their sugar coating and the inside become waxy slime (double ick).   Chocolate bits STAY chocolate unless they are small and then they make great puddles of chocolate flavoured lime jello. :) (actually tasted great).   The ear stayed an ear except for the outside edges.   The teeth made "sweet sugar" pickets and the lifesavers (gummy style) thinned drastically.

It was FASCINATING.

I do advise making your own edible cells and see what happens with the candies that you use. They may horrify and amaze you. :) You made end up like us a going NOPE not eating that!!!! (son's reaction)... and just scooping off the top layer is jello and being good with it (my reaction). :)

Giveaway for Disaster Strikes Series. :)

2/23/2015

This giveaway is open for Canadians only. 18 years of age and up.
The giveaway is part of the round up post on favourite Canadian Books.

Entry -Form

Review: The Trouble with Patience

2/22/2015

The Old West.   A new enterprise. Hard working woman. Troubled man.

Cattle rustling, murder, suspicion, parental issues, love, ambition, an explosive situation that could blow the town apart.

In this book by Maggie Brendan it all collides.

What will be the end result???

Patience is the name of a young woman who is working hard to turn a dilapidated boarding house into a well run business.   Through the help of strangers passing through and new found friendships, her life in the gold rush town on Nevada City blossoms.

Jed is the local sheriff with a vigilante past and a desire to do right by the town and it's people as he upholds the law.

These lead characters clash and then learn to work together. The supporting cast of players is equally intriguing with lessons about life to learn and a desire to be true community with each other.

In this book the theme of forgiveness and truthfulness shines through. Forgiveness of one's self for past deeds, forgiveness for hurtful things others have done, and ability to see the truth of one's own and others action truly are all about.

Love blooms in a variety of ways.

It was a good read overall, more of an historically based romance than a mystery, I enjoyed the author's note at the end which told what was true, what was not. I find it very interesting to learn what inspired different aspects of the books that people write.    It was a curiousity to me learn that Vigilante groups were at one point sanctioned as a way to bring lawlessness under control. It was a shock to me that people sometimes survived hanging!

I would have no problem reading another book by Maggie Brendan. They are a simple fun read with historical accuracy and good detail.   Her characters are well-rounded and not boring. :)

Product Details.
Received: Softcover book.
Reviewed for: Nuts about Books.
Author: Maggie Brendan
Series: Virtues and Vices of the Old West
Pages: 316
Publisher: Revell

Wordless Wednesday: my Baby Bunnies

2/19/2015

They start here. Quiet and content. Anything is good as long as they are warm.

And gradually make their way here Eyes open, the world is big and scary, let's stay put and let's stay together.

And before you know it, they are at the "we won't stop moving stage" where much patience is needed to take a picture. Patience being the key here.

Until they reach the "okay, we'll sit still for two minutes" stage

Over time, they do mature into "okay, sitting still is good."

But.... sometimes exploring is still the best thing.

Review: The Perils of Pauline

2/15/2015

Peril s of Pauline, I was asked to review this book, it sounded fun so I thought I'd give it a shot. Collette Yvonne is a new to me author and I suspect I'll be looking for additional books by her. :)

This book is a fun, easy read.

Pauline is a normal everyday woman. Has a job she doesn't mind, looking forward to further career advancement, good family, decent hubby and life seems great.

Then disaster strikes.

And so we walk into Pauline's world as she navigates her life through all these disasters.    I can't say I like how she handles it all, but she manages to come out all right in the end.    Ending up with a marriage that works, developing new family relationships and discovering a new business opportunity.

As a Christian some of the actions Pauline takes show how easy it is to make assumptions, fall into sin and the need to make reparation for our actions. I couldn't read the book without thinking some of that through.

But the book.. well-written, a clear telling of how hard it is to make good decisions, to be a good parent when things in life are hard and how hard it is to be kind to your spouse when things are not as they should be.   I admire her going back to school to further improve herself and then to take on a new business opportunity and to learn to work with her family and all it's extensions even when it is tough to do so. Her whole family ended up pulling together and I loved reading about it.

This is a good fun read with just the right amount of humour and seriousness intertwined.   I will be alert to other books that Ms. Yvonne writes.

Oh, I should mention how I appreciated the military introductions to each chapter. They just added an nice "extra" to the book that I enjoyed.

Collette Yvonne has written two books, and lives in Ontario! Woot woot! I read a Canadian author. :)   Sorry, as a Canadian myself I think it's cool. You can learn more about Collette Yvonne at her website.

Book Details:
Reviewed for:Astor + Blue.
Author: Collette Yvonne
Book: The Perils of Pauline
Received: Soft cover edition
Pages: 294

Review: The Crimson Cord

2/14/2015

Have you ever chosen a book to read and then wondered... why did I choose this book? I had that when I got "the Crimson Cord" by Jill Eileen Smith in the mail. Why? Why did I pick this book? I don't tend to like fictionalized account of bible characters. This is Ms. Smith thoughts on who Rahab was.

But you know what? I am SO glad that I read this book. I am. :)

Jill Eileen Smith writes a fictionalized story about the life of Rahab. Yes.. that Rahab, the prostitute, part of the lineage of Christ. There are events guessed at as not much is written in scripture about Rahab (and those verses are included in the book) but the book is well-written. Showing how life may have been for Rahab.

Throughout this book God in action is shown.   How God protected Rahab, allowing her the space and limited freedom to protect the Israelite spies when they came to Jericho.   Giving a possibly way for her to meet Salmon, also part of the lineage of Christ.   Rahab, married to a foolish man, enslaved to a greedy man, freedom gained through the Israelites, redemption found through faith with God, Marriage given with Salmon despite their initial lack of trust or respect for each other).

A book that speaks to how we can't always understand God but God forgives us. God loves us. None of us is exempt of living in sin.   God calls us to repent of our sin and to not judge others more harshly than we would ourselves. This book very much shows the redemptive power of God.

Now.. is this book perfect?   Does it add details that I wonder at?    For sure, afterall it's a work of fiction. :)   But it does give us a glimpse into what life would have been life for Old Testament women.   We learn the details of some of the Old Testament laws (such as captive bride) and how they would play out.

This is indeed a beautifully written story. I am so pleased that I read it through.

Book Details

Received: Softcover edition
Pages: 356
Published by: Revell
Author: Jill Eileen Smith
Series: Daughters of the Promised Land
Reviewed for : Nuts about Books

Five Minute Friday: When

2/13/2015

Five minute Friday is a weekly call to write that Kate organizes on Fridays.

The rules are simple. Write for five minutes on the given prompt word. This week the word is When. Some weeks are easier to write on then others and some just as soon as you sit down and look. Some come after you start writing and you end up surprised where it took you. THAT is what makes it fun.

Words can be such a surprise.

Then you link up. And most importantly don't forget the step of being an encouragement to others. Encourage the person who linked up before. Takes but a couple minutes and why not be a blessing to others. :)

So all that said 3,2,1 GO

I asked my nine year, since I was struggling with this week's word. "What does the word When mean to you?"

He started rhyming off words that rhyme with when such as then, hen, den, etc... and so I said...and when you get past that.

"Oh.. well When is a word that I use a lot. Like when I say     Mom, when can I ______?   Dad, when will I be allowed to ________?"

When is so often something pointed to in the future.

We want to know WHEN something will occur.   And sometimes it's a worry. But as I write these words I'm drawn to remember the when's of the past.

When God so richly blessed me with not being in an accident.
When God gave my boy a reason to be thankful and therefore gave him a thing to be thankful for that stopped him from worrying.
When God moved in my heart to so something kind and unexpected.
When my hubby was sweet to me even when I didn't deserve it.
When my lad made my bed for me because I forgot to and he chose it to be his helpful thing of the day.

So I'm reminded that the when's in life aren't just a looking toward something, but also a looking back to something.

When can give us hope, fill us with remembrance, bring pain or help us look forward to a brighter future. Can be so filled with hope of a good thing, or the promise of a hard thing passed.

Depends so much on one's perspective doesn't it?

Lately I think on the song "when we all get to heaven... what a day of rejoicing that will be. When we all....See Jesus We'll sing and shout the victory."

Now isn't that a when worth looking at?