Blog Archives

Greg Hamerton - The Tale of the Lifesong Series

9/30/2013

Riddler's Gift is the first in this series of books.   From the first page I was hooked. I got this one free off amazon, and as soon as I was done it I was buying the second.

I will be looking for more books by this author.   He provides clarity in his writing and just makes you want to know what happens next.   His bad guys are very bad and his good guys are decently good. Very realistic.

This book is a fantasy, set on a fictitious planet. The Gyre has set up a protected area called Eyri.   In this book you'll find a struggle between the good guys (lightgifters) and the bad guys (shadowcasters). Who will win?   Well.. you gotta read the book to find that out.

The Riddler aims to help in this struggle by helping Tabitha become a wizard.   He is not allowed to provide direct assistance, but is only able to answer questions which he tends to do in the form of riddles (hence the name the riddler).

It is a fascinating book that held me spellbound and I read it as quickly as I could because I wanted to know how it all turned out. :)   And then of course I went out to get the second book.

Second Sight continues the story where the first one takes off.   At first i thought it was not going to be as good as Tabitha seemed to be beaten down by the world.   The King seemed lost to darkness and oh...it just seemed so depressing... but it picked up.   I wanted to know what the solution would be.
Would the goddess be saved?   Would the bad guys be stopped?   What would happen with the king? (this question was never answered and I'm hoping there will be a third book).   What ultimately would happen with the king's son? (this question also was not answered .... hence again the need for a third book).

In this book Tabitha and her comrades leave Eyri for Oldenworld where life is all mixed up. Chaos has badly scarred the world and people live in fear of wildfire that can change or kill them ever so quickly.

Well written, draws you in, a classic good guy against bad guy book. Just a wonderful fantasy that if you like fantasy you should read.   Great book.

Irresistible Irish Soda bread.

9/30/2013

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325

Mix together the following.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

In separate bowl combine

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 cups buttermilk

Mix wet and dry ingredients together until just moistened. add.

1/4 cup butter, melted

Pour into prepared pan. (greased 9 x 5 bread pan)

Cook for 65-70 minutes.

Let rest before eating.

This is a much lighter loaf than the earlier one.

Irish Brown Soda Bread

9/30/2013

Ingredients

4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp brown sugar.

Mix well.

Add 2.5 cups of buttermilk (or in our case add 2.5 cups of kefir).

Add 3 oz of melted butter (no substitutes).

Mix well.

Knead lightly.
Divide into quarters. shape into round ball shape. Cut an "x" in the top.

Bake in 425 oven(preheated) for 30-40 minutes.

Let sit for a spell before munching on. Soda breads prefer to set a spell before being used.

then enjoy with whatever toppings you like.

How about worms and frogs mom?

9/29/2013

Continuing the questions from last night. The lad also wanted to confirm how fish mate, frogs breed and worms... just how to do worms figure this out mom?

So worms. The picture below comes from Nature Store (I THINK).

From Ehow I learned this: "Worms are relatively simple creatures, meaning that they don't have a bunch of special parts used in the mating process. While this may be true, they certainly have some unique parts that aren't found on other animals or insects. Located about 1/3 of the way down a worm's body is a soft fleshy ring that is thicker than the rest of the body. This ring is called the clitellum, and it is very important in the mating process of a worm. When a worm is ready to mate, the clitellum changes colors. Normally a fleshy pink color like the rest of the worm, it will turn red-orange in color when the worm is looking to mate. Two worms with this dark colored clitellum will find each other and then begin to go through the lengthy process of reproduction until they are ready to give birth."

From Hubpages this: "Each worm has four pair of setae, these are like bristles on a hairbrush and can be extended out or retracted into the worm body. The third set of setae is used in the mating process. They are used to hold the earthworms together while mating. These setae actually penetrate the mate’s body during the mating act. Once they are in position, sperm from each worm passes to the other and is collected and stored in special sacks. The process lasts 2 to 3 hours! The earthworms separate and go back to their tunnels. "

Which is also where the picture below is from.

Pretty neat huh?

And now on to frogs. The lad caught LOTS of frogs on vacation this summer.

The male frog fertilizes the eggs as they are laid. :) I knew this but needed to confirm it for the lad who can't for the life of him understand why the male frog would need to sit on the female frog if he isn't putting his sperm inside of her. I explained to him that he grabs her so that he is the the right place to fertilize them when they come out. Frogs are different than mammals in how they make their babies.

All about frogs helps explain it. :)

And this video below doesn't do a great job of showing the results of mating, but it gives a general idea.

Mom.... How do Barnacles breed?

9/29/2013

Right now at night we are reading through a book on coastal waters.    Last night we learned a bit about barnacles. Barnacles TEND to spend their lives attached to an object, but before they do that they float through the water and are attracted to other barnacles (my guess is through smell in the water?)   That's just a guess though, I'll need to do more research on it.

ANYWAYS, the lad asked .. MOM.. how do barnacles breed?

I said "I THINK, they release their eggs and sperm into the water, kinda like other fishy type critters do...but I'd have to look it up to be sure".   This led of course to other questions about how animals breed... such as frogs, worms, and such like.    I told him I"d look it all up, make a blog post of it so that it was all right at hand for him in the morning.

So... JUST HOW do barnacles breed?   Well here's a video of them doing it.... No sound, just barnacles breeding.

From Science Daily we learn " Compelled to mate, yet firmly attached to the rock, barnacles have evolved the longest penis of any animal for their size - up to 8 times their body length - so they can find and fertilize distant neighbours."

From Washington Ed, this fascinating fact. "To be successful barnacles must have a strong stretchable penis. This means that all barnacles are hermaphrodites; both male and female at the same time. After mating season the penis is thrown away, and a new one is developed the next year. The eggs and sperm are stored in separate cavities months before fertilization. After fertilization occurs, the eggs hatch and the larvae stay with the mother until there is enough plankton in the spring."

Other interesting places to learn about barnacles
Animal Discovery.
Museum Victoria.
Barnacles of British Columbia.
Marine Bio.

I also learned the answer to another question the lad had. If you take a barnacle off mom, can it get back again? The answer is no. Once removed from whatever surface it is on, it cannot reattach itself.

and here's a short video on what barnacles look like when feeding.

The flood

9/26/2013

Had a flood on the weekend in our basement.

Therefore we've been working hard cleaning it up.

The lad's schooling has consisted of learning what even three inches of water can do and the amount of damage it can cause.

He's learning that spiders don't swim well but they do climb well.
He's learning that cats don't much like jumping into water (at least ours don't).
He's learning how to whittle a sharp point on a stick to make a spear.
He's learning it's harder to catch bugs for his captive spiders when the weather is cold.
He's appreciating our hot weather this week and spends most of his days outside with his toads, sticks and bugs, except when I call him in to help me with something.
He started KIDS club this week.

I am so pleased that he's a willing and helpful worker. :)
I am very pleased he's able to entertain himself with actual activity and doesn't want to be glued to the TV.

I am pleased that I am gaining headway on the work of cleaning up. I'm using it as an opportunity to rearrange the basement as well. :) It's a big job but one day at a time and I'll get her done. :) When I get things done, perhaps I'll take pics to show off the finished work. :)

Cheers... I simply MUST get back to work. :)

Things bundled together waiting for dry floors and new places to be put (or dumped).

International Plowing Match

9/25/2013

Together with another friend (homeschooling family) we took in the International Plowing Match on Sept. 18. By pre-arranging our visit it only cost us $30 to get in. That's over 50% off the normal price of admission.

learning our balance on the wagon.

seeing various farm critters. They had a well made up model farm.

Lots of fun playing with soybeans. :) My friend made the comment that people from third world countries would be horrified at the waste of food here. It's just so easy here to see the fun and not just the food....

The lad was impressed with the differences in the hides of beaver with and without their guard hairs.

having lunch with others is always more fun... especially if you can show off your drawings. (the lad is, you just can't see him.) :)

The bees were fascinating. They were drawn to the light so we got to watch the caretakers put up a heavy curtain to encourage them to move around in the enclosure more.

Friends having fun. :) Dinosaurs are rather cool you know. :)

watching the snow birds go through their paces was just an added bonus. The children were quite impressed at how close they could get to each other without crashing.

It was a great day at the IPM. So glad it was close this year. :) It was great to go along with someone else as well. Just added to the enjoyment of the day.

Review: Tokens of Promise

9/25/2013

I was given this book by Bookcrash in order that I might read it and then give you my thoughts on it.   I was not compensated in any other way.

This book is an easy read, I got it finished in less than two hours while waiting for my son at his club meeting.   It is one book, divided into two books. 25 chapters in all. 222 pages, followed by notes of the author's research as well as discussion guide.

I did NOT like this book.   I have a hard time reading booked based in biblical fact that are then fictionalized. This particular story is based on Genesis 38, the story of Tamar and Judah.    I have a hard time separating the "but you don't know if that was how these folks were, you don't know if they said that, you don't know if ....".   And when I perceive that the truth is being stretched I end up wanting to have nothing to do with it.   I had this too often with this book and it totally turned me off of it. But I read it through as I promised I would.

Overall the writing style is engaging, you do want to know what happens, you do get a good feel for the characters in the story, you do learn more about the practices of the day and how patriarchal the society was. There are GOOD things about this book.   There really are. :)

I'm kinda glad that I persevered as I thoroughly enjoyed going through the author's research notes.   I was also appreciative of the discussion guide, it's good to think more on books and I am happy the author gave that opportunity.

Is that enough to sway my overall opinion of this book? NO. I do not recommend you read this book. But if you do, remember this..... it is a work of fiction.

Disclosure of Material: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookCrash.com book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Heat Convection and Transference

9/20/2013

We read in this house, it's what we do.   And I like to read not only works of fiction, but works that teach.   Over 1000 fantastic science facts is our new "fact" book that we read after breakfast in the morning.

The other day our selection was entitled "When Science is Hot".   This section talked about the different ways that heat moves.

1. Conduction
2. Thermal Radiation
3. Combustion

We also learned about using a thermometer to measure heat and about convection (how heat moves through liquids and gases).

The lad didn't understand some of this so I worked at helping him understand Conduction.

We took three identical mugs, three metal spoons and three plastic cutlery.

We put chocolate milk in one, hot lemonade in another (since I can't have chocolate) and hot chocolate in another and then let them sit.

The lad then touched the handles of each.

MOM!   The spoon is hot!
Why don't the plastic ones get hot mom?

It is good to have the ability to quickly heat liquids up in order to help a boy understand conduction eh? :)

The added bonus is that then one gets to drink a favourite hot drink (and some cold as well). We used the cold as a control. Sometime I think I'd like to freeze some chocolate milk as well so the lad can see conduction (or lack thereof) in the three different temperatures extremes. That takes longer to prepare though.

if you want to buy the book you can at the link below. I got my copy at Costco for $7.

Review: Biff and Becka's Stupendous Vacation

9/20/2013

I am doing this review on the behalf of booksneeze.com. They give me a book, I read it and tell you what I think. :) This particular book, since it's a children's book, I read with my eight year old son.

Product information
Biff and Becka's Stupendous Vacation (I had the ebook version)
By Elaine Beachy
Published by WestBow Press

Story synopsis: Biff and Becca are brother and sister rabbits who have planned to go on a vacation, but plans get waylaid and their summer vacation proceeds in an unexpected way. The children learn important truths in life along the way.

My son's reaction: He LOVED this book. He asked every night if we could read just one more chapter. But mom, was the frequent cry, I have to know what happened!

My reaction: This is a good children's story. Has a strong Christian slant which I appreciate. It has a good story line that is quite believable and is suitable for oh.. 5-9 year olds? I struggled with the overly descriptive phrases, I ran into them too often. I love good description.. don't get me wrong, but describing things just because you can, that doesn't advance the story... That gets annoying after a while and it happened frequently enough that it bugged me.

I also found it annoying that before every chapter was the warning "thanks for reviewing and not copying". I much prefer to have my copy given to me in the same manner that ANYONE would get it. If every copy has that warning "to not copy" it would turn buyers off.

Overall, good book, would suit the target audience quite nicely. Chapters are short and easily read as a bedtime story. Good cliffhangers in it too.. just draws a child in. :)