Never Too Late!

Every seven years we rest our garden spot!  So this past summer was our seventh year and I found myself with some extra time.  Of course there is the usual carting kids around to various events and planning for the next homeschool year, but I started surfing the net for some free online classes.  During our school year time is short and I felt that maybe I could squeeze in some study time while we were off.  I was NOT disappointed!  I ended up finding a really awesome Nutrition and Physical Activity class offered by Coursera.org.  It was free, but I opted to pay the $49 to receive a certificate of completion.  I LOVED IT!!  I have always loved school and learning so it was a great overall experience.  I would recommend it to anyone with time.

During that same time another website I follow that offers classes offered a 4 week freebie class to kind of whet your appetite for more!  Well, I ended up signing up for that class as well!  Now if I had lots of money, I would take EVERY ONE of the courses offered on this website!  I have to say I enjoyed it EVEN MORE than my Coursera class, but perhaps that is because the topic interests me even more!!

The website is Vintage Remedies Jessie and the folks over at Vintage Remedies have some of the BEST programs I have ever had the privilege of participating in.  I WILL be taking more of her classes as time and money allow.  Be sure you sign up for her newsletters too.  Great stuff!!!

A Time to Blog

So after being dormant for so long, I'm back!

I have missed blogging!  I went back through all my posts this last week and it was such a pleasant stroll through the past.  To me blogging is like a journal, simply keeping a chronicle of my fleeting life.

I noticed a couple of books on blogging on the new book shelf at our local library - EG Fisher Library - and I couldn't resist.  Check out:
                                                                                                                                      
Starting your Career as a Professional Blogger by Jacqueline Bodnar

Born to blog by Schaefer and Smith

Though I don't see myself making a career from blogging, these books have been an inspiration to me!

I'll be blogging again.  If for no other reason than to leave behind a legacy!

I'm looking forward to sharing highlights from My Humble Hootenanny!

Where have all the flowers gone?

It boggles my mind how the summer passes so quickly!  It has been so hot and dry in our area lately that I am afraid the flowers are pretty much done.  So sad!  I have enjoyed my sunflowers this year so much that next year I shall plant three times as many!!!

This time of year I grow antsy to start school.  I miss our usual school routine and long for it.  I cannot say that my children share my excitement.  They will have their last summer "hurrah" at their sister's this week, and when they return, Lord willing, we will begin our 2011-2012 school year.

I will don many hats this year - teaching kindergarten, seventh, and tenth grades!  But I look forward to it.  I have found a few "new to me" sites this year that I would like to share . . .

Erika over at Confessions of a Homeschooler.  She has really helped me with stepping back into kindergarten  mode!

Thanks to Christy F for showing me Knowledge Quest Maps.  I am really looking forward to using these in our Ancient Egypt study this year.

You know me always "a day late and a dollar short,"  I am planning to use the Workbox system this year with my two youngest.  We are incorporating some of the fun stuff that we usually miss.  There are actually several sites that I have frequented this summer studying about them . . .
Workbox systems with Erika
Workbox system with Sue Patrick 
Wayzley Academy
Workbox system on Squidoo

Some other fun things we are hoping to do this year . . .
Pick and Draw cards 

Scratch and Sketch pads -



And then because I cannot leave off my favorite part of the year . . . these are some of the books we will be reading this year in our morning time . . .

The Brendan Voyage

Autumn Across America

 Trial and Triumph

The Beginning of the Garden Bounty and FLOWERS!!!

Well, tonight was the first of the garden bounty . . . for dinner Swiss chard, fried zucchini, and fresh carrots!!  Where is my camera girl when I need her???  It was YUMMY!!

Spent the day with one of my bestest friends . . . we visited two local "FLOWER" places, Sunshine Hollow and Mouse Creek Perennial Nursery.   We had a wonderful time botanizing, walking, talking, buying flowers, and having our typical hootenanny together.  Before we ever left this morning, we had to pull her vehicle out of our very deep ditch!  My 15 passenger van, chains, her van and a couple of our children pushing strenuously . . . so strenuously that they cracked the plastic cover on the brake lights . . . HOOTENANNY!!!!  But oh, so much FUN!