First posted 2010.
The book: Math Mammoth Light Blue Grade 3B, unit on measurement, lesson on "Milliliters and Liters."
The props: 250 ml measuring cup, 1 liter measuring cup, 1.2 ml measure (also known as a quarter teaspoon), several bottles and packages from the cupboard, several cups and mugs, water, towel.
Purpose of the lesson: to introduce the idea of volume, using the metric system. We have done linear measurement, first in imperial and then in metric units; we've weighed things, first in imperial and then in metric units; and now we're onto volume. I'm deliberately switching the order this time, since although we use lots of teaspoons and cups in cooking here (I cannot wrap my brain around cooking without my teaspoons and tablespoons), we don't hear as much about pints, quarts and gallons. So today's lesson focused on metric volume.
What we did: I put several bottles, jars and packages from the cupboard and fridge on the table, and asked Crayons to sort them into the ones that were marked g or kg (labelled by weight) and the ones that were marked ml or L (labelled by volume). The cereal and baking soda went to one side; the vanilla extract and juice went to the other. What was the difference? Crayons figured out quickly that the dry foods were mostly sold by weight, and the liquids were sold by volume. (Honey is an exception--I still don't know why it's sold by weight instead of volume.)
I showed Crayons how much a liter is (as big as our big measuring cup), and how much a milliliter is (about as small as the quarter-teaspoon measure which also shows 1.2 ml).
Then I had her do an activity from the worksheet: measuring the volume of cups, glasses, jars, or other small containers. We poured water into the cups and then poured it back into measuring containers. The Apprentice's giant tea cup holds 500 ml (2 cups for you Americans); an average coffee mug holds 300 ml; a small drinking glass holds 200 ml; and a tiny doll cup holds 5 ml. (We had to measure that one with a spoon.)
We skipped several of the calculating activities on the sheet--I'll probably have her go back over some of them tomorrow. Instead, we skipped to the end of the lesson, where there were three word problems. "One shampoo bottle contains 1 liter of shampoo. Another one contains 478 ml. How much more does the bigger one contain?" The other two problems were about drink bottles and juice in a pitcher.
And after all that we were very thirsty.
I told Crayons that if she wants a homework assignment, she should go ask The Apprentice if she can examine her stash of cosmetics, lotions, potions etc. and see which ones are packaged by weight and which are packaged by volume. I just thought of another fun homework assignment: figuring out how much toothpaste and shampoo you can fit in a zipper bag to get through airport security without going over the milliliter limit. See, grownups have to know about this stuff too.
Sunday, March 15, 2020
From the archives: How to be a mensch (or a womensch)
First posted 2015; slightly edited.
The post at Life Without Pants refers to a book by Bruna (not Brenda) Martinuzzi, The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow.
So what does that have to do with homeschooling parents? The attributes listed in the above poster, which are summarized from Martinuzzi's book on leadership, can be taken as characteristics of good teachers, and also of good parents. I won't paste the explanations as given on Life Without Pants, but here are my own (homeschooling) takes on the list.
1. Give people gifts other than those that you buy. LWP mentions the gift of "A reason to care," among other things. We invite, we offer, we give; we don't invade or impose.
2. Become a talent hunter. See #5.
3. Share ideas and information that can enrich. Don't keep all your good ideas to
yourself. Homeschooling parents seem to understand this naturally...hence the existence of support groups and the publication of many "how we did it" books and magazines, not to mention the Carnival of Homeschooling. And of course it applies as well to what we actually teach. One way we frequently start our day here is with our homeschool "principal" (Mr Fixit), who tunes in closely to current events of all kinds and who is usually good for a "weekday update."
4. Spend more time in the “beginner’s mind.” Put yourself in the student's place. What would you want to know about a topic? What would be a good way to communicate a particular idea? What points should you explain first, and which ones does your student need to discover for him or herself?
5. Don’t tell people what they can’t (aren't able to) do. Marva Collins is a prime example of ignoring "can'ts," and so are John Holt and John Mighton.
6. Minimize the space you take up. LWP interprets this as referring to focus and lack of clutter, but I actually see another meaning in it: what Charlotte Mason calls Masterly Inactivity. That is, the focus is put on the student, rather than on the teacher. The student gets to ask the questions instead of just answer them.
7. Become a relationship anthropologist. It means we have to work at listening to and understanding each other.
8. Be happy for others. At the L'Harmas retreat one year, we heard about a boy attending a small school, who had a particular set of special needs and who was also hypersensitive to noise. On one occasion, when he demonstrated how far he had come by doing some kind of classroom presentation, the rest of the students all clapped for him...quietly.
9. Get rid of grudges. Allow second, third, fourth chances. Don't let past tensions spoil a good learning opportunity.
10. "Help others caress the rainbow," which means "Inspire hopefulness." One way to do this: include books that inspire in your homeschool curriculum: poetry, fiction, biography.
11. Make people feel better about themselves. No matter where they come from, no matter what's happened before. Give them opportunities to succeed, and let them know they're smart.
12. View promises as unpaid debt. And don't promise what you can't follow through on."How do you become the kind of person others want to follow? By being a person that people trust." (LWP)
"If it be not goodness, the will is virtue, in the etymological sense of that word; it is manliness." -- Charlotte Mason, Ourselves (Volume 4)In other words: Menschliness.
The post at Life Without Pants refers to a book by Bruna (not Brenda) Martinuzzi, The Leader as a Mensch: Become the Kind of Person Others Want to Follow.
So what does that have to do with homeschooling parents? The attributes listed in the above poster, which are summarized from Martinuzzi's book on leadership, can be taken as characteristics of good teachers, and also of good parents. I won't paste the explanations as given on Life Without Pants, but here are my own (homeschooling) takes on the list.
1. Give people gifts other than those that you buy. LWP mentions the gift of "A reason to care," among other things. We invite, we offer, we give; we don't invade or impose.
yourself. Homeschooling parents seem to understand this naturally...hence the existence of support groups and the publication of many "how we did it" books and magazines, not to mention the Carnival of Homeschooling. And of course it applies as well to what we actually teach. One way we frequently start our day here is with our homeschool "principal" (Mr Fixit), who tunes in closely to current events of all kinds and who is usually good for a "weekday update."
4. Spend more time in the “beginner’s mind.” Put yourself in the student's place. What would you want to know about a topic? What would be a good way to communicate a particular idea? What points should you explain first, and which ones does your student need to discover for him or herself?
7. Become a relationship anthropologist. It means we have to work at listening to and understanding each other.
8. Be happy for others. At the L'Harmas retreat one year, we heard about a boy attending a small school, who had a particular set of special needs and who was also hypersensitive to noise. On one occasion, when he demonstrated how far he had come by doing some kind of classroom presentation, the rest of the students all clapped for him...quietly.
9. Get rid of grudges. Allow second, third, fourth chances. Don't let past tensions spoil a good learning opportunity.
Saturday, March 14, 2020
From the archives: Homeschooling with what's on hand
First published 2012. Over two decades of homeschooling, I wrote many articles like this. This one seemed worth reposting right now.
The why of frugal homeschooling is the easier of the two to answer. The why is that you (if you're frugal-homeschooling) have limited funds, your family is probably living on one income, or at least less than two full-time incomes, so that somebody can be home to homeschool.
Or maybe you just like a challenge.
The short answer of "how" is "don't spend much money." But since that's also a silly answer, I'll try to expand that into something more useful.
1. Use what you have.
2. Use what you have creatively.
3. This is the hardest part to explain: stay aware of your "big picture." Unless you're naturally serene about letting the unschooling chips fall where they may, you need to keep evaluating, planning, trying to keep in mind whatever educational goals or philosophy you steer by. Plus whatever family circumstances, special needs, etc. you have to deal with.
4. In other words, you can use what you have, or what comes your way, as long as it fits into your overall education plan.
In Lloyd Alexander's book Taran Wanderer, the main character Taran meets Llonio, a father who supports his family by taking hold of anything that fate throws in his net--literally. The family never knows from one day to the next what will float down the river, but they cheerfully take whatever comes, and eat it or wear it or use it. As Taran stays with Llonio's family, he appreciates their generosity and their creativity, but he also eventually realizes that their way of life is not exactly for him. He wants to do a little more purposeful seeking, instead of just catching what comes his way.
I think there's room for both, even in a frugal lifestyle and in frugal homeschooling. When I wanted to make a particular doll from a particular pattern, I kept my eyes open for certain colours and fabrics. I never did get to the outlet store that sells rug yarn, but I found something pretty close that also worked. When I crocheted monkeys last Christmas, I bought yarn in the right colours. On the other hand, I've sometimes started with a piece of fabric or a ball of yarn, and asked "what could this be? How big is it, how much of it is there, is there enough for this or that? What else would it work with? And what do we need right now, who still needs a Christmas gift?"
The same principles apply to menu planning. What's available? What's the weather like? What sort of meals does your family eat? What do you need to add to the shopping list to turn wieners and cauliflower into a meal? What's still a favourite, what's getting old, and what new things have you been wanting to try? Sometimes you go shopping intending to buy chicken thighs, because somebody gave you a new recipe, and that is what you bring home. Or you look in the freezer, and that's what's there. Or it could happen that chicken is too expensive, so you buy something else.
One useful exercise to strengthen frugal homeschool muscles is to pretend you are (or maybe you really are) in a situation where, for whatever reason, you are suddenly limited to a few books and resources. It could be a Bible, dictionary, telephone book kind of thing; or you can go with a more random choice, like the stack of books you just brought home from the library. From very loose planning ("read the book"), to more structured copywork and dictation, notebooking, dramatizations, or complete unit studies, how many ways can you think of to get the most out of this resource? If it's a map, are there ways you could add tags or markings to illustrate something you're studying? If it's a math activity book, which activities can you honestly imagine doing, and (just as important), which ones will provide the strongest learning experiences for your children?
If it's a book of poems, how will you get the most of out of it? Have any of the poems been set to music? Have any actors recorded them? (Check out any vintage stuff you can find by the First Poetry Quartet) Are there possibilities for acting them out? (Never underestimate the potential for this--I still remember the Apprentice dramatizing Blake's "A Poison Tree," including the enemy's death throes.) Can you use any of Ruth Beechick's suggestions, such as turning verse into prose? Or can you use a poem as a jumping-off point for something original? Or you can just read a poem slowly and carefully, maybe taking turns on stanzas, copying or memorizing favourite lines. It's also educational, or just entertaining, to group certain poems together, maybe in combination with art, music, or other readings. Our church music director once did this as part of a holiday program: several people of different ages read winter-themed poems by Robert Frost. Can your students plan a "poetry concert," just for your family or for others as well? You can see where I'm running away with this...but that's the point, that you can take any worthwhile book as far as you like, use it as far as you can, and it won't cost you any extra.
The why of frugal homeschooling is the easier of the two to answer. The why is that you (if you're frugal-homeschooling) have limited funds, your family is probably living on one income, or at least less than two full-time incomes, so that somebody can be home to homeschool.
Or maybe you just like a challenge.
The short answer of "how" is "don't spend much money." But since that's also a silly answer, I'll try to expand that into something more useful.
1. Use what you have.
2. Use what you have creatively.
3. This is the hardest part to explain: stay aware of your "big picture." Unless you're naturally serene about letting the unschooling chips fall where they may, you need to keep evaluating, planning, trying to keep in mind whatever educational goals or philosophy you steer by. Plus whatever family circumstances, special needs, etc. you have to deal with.
4. In other words, you can use what you have, or what comes your way, as long as it fits into your overall education plan.
In Lloyd Alexander's book Taran Wanderer, the main character Taran meets Llonio, a father who supports his family by taking hold of anything that fate throws in his net--literally. The family never knows from one day to the next what will float down the river, but they cheerfully take whatever comes, and eat it or wear it or use it. As Taran stays with Llonio's family, he appreciates their generosity and their creativity, but he also eventually realizes that their way of life is not exactly for him. He wants to do a little more purposeful seeking, instead of just catching what comes his way.
I think there's room for both, even in a frugal lifestyle and in frugal homeschooling. When I wanted to make a particular doll from a particular pattern, I kept my eyes open for certain colours and fabrics. I never did get to the outlet store that sells rug yarn, but I found something pretty close that also worked. When I crocheted monkeys last Christmas, I bought yarn in the right colours. On the other hand, I've sometimes started with a piece of fabric or a ball of yarn, and asked "what could this be? How big is it, how much of it is there, is there enough for this or that? What else would it work with? And what do we need right now, who still needs a Christmas gift?"
The same principles apply to menu planning. What's available? What's the weather like? What sort of meals does your family eat? What do you need to add to the shopping list to turn wieners and cauliflower into a meal? What's still a favourite, what's getting old, and what new things have you been wanting to try? Sometimes you go shopping intending to buy chicken thighs, because somebody gave you a new recipe, and that is what you bring home. Or you look in the freezer, and that's what's there. Or it could happen that chicken is too expensive, so you buy something else.
One useful exercise to strengthen frugal homeschool muscles is to pretend you are (or maybe you really are) in a situation where, for whatever reason, you are suddenly limited to a few books and resources. It could be a Bible, dictionary, telephone book kind of thing; or you can go with a more random choice, like the stack of books you just brought home from the library. From very loose planning ("read the book"), to more structured copywork and dictation, notebooking, dramatizations, or complete unit studies, how many ways can you think of to get the most out of this resource? If it's a map, are there ways you could add tags or markings to illustrate something you're studying? If it's a math activity book, which activities can you honestly imagine doing, and (just as important), which ones will provide the strongest learning experiences for your children?
If it's a book of poems, how will you get the most of out of it? Have any of the poems been set to music? Have any actors recorded them? (Check out any vintage stuff you can find by the First Poetry Quartet) Are there possibilities for acting them out? (Never underestimate the potential for this--I still remember the Apprentice dramatizing Blake's "A Poison Tree," including the enemy's death throes.) Can you use any of Ruth Beechick's suggestions, such as turning verse into prose? Or can you use a poem as a jumping-off point for something original? Or you can just read a poem slowly and carefully, maybe taking turns on stanzas, copying or memorizing favourite lines. It's also educational, or just entertaining, to group certain poems together, maybe in combination with art, music, or other readings. Our church music director once did this as part of a holiday program: several people of different ages read winter-themed poems by Robert Frost. Can your students plan a "poetry concert," just for your family or for others as well? You can see where I'm running away with this...but that's the point, that you can take any worthwhile book as far as you like, use it as far as you can, and it won't cost you any extra.
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Quote for the Day: Food and Cheer and Song
"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." ~~ Thorin Oakenshield, as quoted by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
Friday, February 14, 2020
Wardrobe Update: All In Your Head
Spring here is a mythical season that's gone before you're sure it's arrived. It was way-minus on Valentine's Day, but we'll be getting out the summer clothes by Victoria Day in May. For the time in between, I've included everything from cowlneck sweaters to lightweight t-shirts.
Janice at The Vivienne Files used Salvador Dalí's Head of a Woman to create a wardrobe with a bit of pink, three years ago. I combined some of those ideas with her how-to-do-it post here, to find my own version.
Head of a Woman
Head of a Woman
Head of a Wardrobe
Interesting, maybe-vintage jacket I just thrifted
Thursday, February 06, 2020
That white sweater, or, how do you start thinking you want something?
If you get it in your head that you want something, have you really come up with that idea yourself, or did you let someone plant it in your mind? And is that necessarily a bad thing, if the thing you want is useful and fills a need? Charlotte Mason did a lot of thinking about that.
This winter I seem to have majored on sweaters, which is fine. There was a point a few years ago when I didn't have even one cardigan sweater, mostly because they were making me feel old. I've thrifted a few knit and sweatshirt-type cardigans here and there, cycled them in and out. This winter I found a grey belted cardigan I like (it's a few posts back), and there are one or two others in my closet that I wear sometimes.
Recently I've been thinking about lighter colours, though. I was at an outlet store a few weeks ago, and I bought an off-white cotton mock-neck pullover (after not allowing the saleslady to push me into a pink one. I like pink, but I needed a plain colour that would Go With Things. I was channelling my inner Charlotte Mason that day for sure). The Vivienne Files did a story about ways that someone could wear an ivory cardigan. I also found this 2019 post by Style Bee about her investment-quality cardigan. I liked the idea of something buttoned-up and light-coloured, even though white cardigans (especially fuzzy ones) made me think of my great-grandma. But okay: v-neck, about five buttons, medium weight. I started keeping my eyes open on our thrift-store touring, but I didn't find much besides much-washed acrylic. Then I was doing a thrift shift, and had a few minutes to shop afterwards. Here's what I found: an off-white cotton cardigan, v-neck, five buttons, in like-new condition. It's not organic or lifetime-quality, but it's not dollar-discount-store either.
So far I've worn it with a denim shirt (that doesn't get worn enough) and light-coloured cotton pants, and a white t-shirt (kind of copying Style Bee) and grey jeans.
The question might be, whose idea was it that I wanted/needed a sweater-that-wasn't-a-pullover? Is it like looking at a blank space in the stairway, and mentally matching it up with a pair of pictures while you're walking past the art rack at Value Village? I don't think it's about trying to be something I'm not (ahem, I'm not Style Bee); I just wanted/needed something that filled in that gap, that didn't cost too much money, and that fit into a Conscious Closet. (I did buy the white t-shirt at Walmart, so I needed to balance things out.)
How do you trace out your ideas?
The long blog catch-up
So, yes, hello February. Like the groundhog, I'm coming out of our hole.
I think this is the longest blog hiatus I've ever taken in...fifteen years. (We started here in February 2005.) Although I don't have a 9 to 5 job, I do work at this and that, and the this and that seemed to wipe out blogging for the last while.
I finished my Adult Ed courses early in December.
Then (aside from making cookies and stuff), I spent most of December working on a book project.
The current "other man" in my life is Pompey, as in Plutarch's Life Of. He's one of the few characters to earn a whole two terms of study in Charlotte Mason's schools (most just get one). Writing study notes for Pompey is like eating a foot-long sub instead of my usual six-inch. (We're Canadians. We still do not order subs in metric. Why's that?)
And then there has been thrift-store volunteering, books to read, places to go, and winter things. Not much snow shovelling here, though...at our former Treehouse, the driveway was a team effort and could take hours (depending on how much the city plow had added to nature's abundant gifts). Our townhouse has snow-clearing services, but occasionally you do want to clear off your space yourself.
Mr. Fixit and I have visited a few more antique markets and thrift stores around town than we usually do. This is partly so he can scout out electronics to fix, but also just for the fun of it, looking for household things, sometimes music or books. Or clothes.
One day we went to an antiques place that had a vintage booth, and I left with a cowlneck sweater.
Purse from the Salvation Army store.
Artwork from Value Village.
Sweater and pants from the MCC store.
This white sweater is going to get a post of its own.
So what's new with you?
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Mama Squirrel's Want-to-read List for 2020
I did not get to all the books on my 2019 wish-list (do I ever?), so there is some overlap. I don't have any required textbooks this year, but I do have some leftover education books I picked up, and one (Biesta) that I'd like to track down and read.
Earlier this year, Malcolm Guite published a list of five poets he recommends, and representative works for each, so I've included those even though I don't own any of those books.
Education
Biesta, Gert J.J.
The Beautiful Risk of Education
Gardner, Howard
Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet
Glass, Karen
In Vital Harmony
Katz, Steven
Intentional Interruption: Breaking Down Learning Barriers to Transform Professional Practice
Kohn, Alfie
The Schools Our Children Deserve
Mumaw, Stefan, and Wendy Lee Oldfield
Caffeine for the Creative Team: 150 Exercises to Inspire Group Innovation
Palmer, Parker J.
The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life
Words and Ideas
Greenfield, Susan A
Tomorrow's People: How 21st-Century Technology is Changing the Way We Think and Feel
Boyle, Mark
The Way Home: Tales from a Life Without Technology
Levitin, Daniel J.
The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload
Adler, Mortimer J.
How to Think about the Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western Civilization
Ruined by Reading: A Life in Books
Schwartz, Lynne Sharon
Piper, John
Think!: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God
Lewis, C.S.
Fern-seed and Elephants, and Other Essays on Christianity
Armstrong, Chris R.
Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians: Finding Authentic Faith in a Forgotten Age with C. S. Lewis
Lindvall, Terry
Surprised by Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis
Shaw, Luci
The Crime of Living Cautiously: Hearing God's Call to Adventure
O'Connor, Flannery
Spiritual Writings
O'Connor, Flannery
The Habit of Being (Letters)
Murray, Donald
Writing for your Readers
Jauss, David
Words Overflown by Stars: Creative Writing Instruction and Insight from the Vermont College Mfa Program
Guite, Malcolm
Mariner: A Voyage with Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Oliver, Mary
A Poetry Handbook
Eagleton, Terry
How to Read a Poem
Behn, Robin
The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises From Poets Who Teach
Koch, Kenneth
I Never Told Anybody: Teaching Poetry Writing in a Nursing Home
Fiction
Buechner, Frederick
Lion Country
Haruf, Kent
Plainsong (Plainsong, #1)
Tolkien, J.R.R.
Tree and Leaf, Smith of Wootton Major, The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth
Biography
Chesterton, G.K.
St. Thomas Aquinas / St. Francis of Assisi
Lawson, Dorie McCullough
Posterity: Letters of Great Americans to their Children
Poetry
Cairns, Scott
Idiot Psalms
Di Cesare, Mario A. (ed.)
George Herbert and the Seventeenth-Century Religious Poets
Eliot, T.S.
Inventions of the March Hare: Poems 1909-1917
Heaney, Seamus
Opened Ground: Selected Poems 1966-1996
Hill, Geoffrey
Tenebrae
Lewis, Gwyneth
Zero Gravity: A Space Requiem
Shaw, Luci
Harvesting Fog
Shaw, Luci
Polishing the Petoskey Stone: Selected Poems
Williams, William Carlos
Imaginations
Wordsworth, William
Selected Poems
Miscellaneous
Macfarlane, Robert
The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot
Aird, Paul Leet
Loon Laughter
Lawrence, Gale
The Beginning Naturalist: Weekly Encounters with the Natural World
Lochnan, Katharine A.
The Earthly Paradise: Arts and Crafts by William Morris and His Circle from Canadian Collections
Collingwood, R.G.
The Principles of Art
Cline, Elizabeth L.
The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good
Carver, Courtney
Project 333: The Minimalist Fashion Challenge That Proves Less Really Is So Much More
Minter, Adam
Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale
Earlier this year, Malcolm Guite published a list of five poets he recommends, and representative works for each, so I've included those even though I don't own any of those books.
Education
Biesta, Gert J.J.
The Beautiful Risk of Education
Gardner, Howard
Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet
Glass, Karen
In Vital Harmony
Katz, Steven
Intentional Interruption: Breaking Down Learning Barriers to Transform Professional Practice
Kohn, Alfie
The Schools Our Children Deserve
Mumaw, Stefan, and Wendy Lee Oldfield
Caffeine for the Creative Team: 150 Exercises to Inspire Group Innovation
Palmer, Parker J.
The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher's Life
Words and Ideas
Greenfield, Susan A
Tomorrow's People: How 21st-Century Technology is Changing the Way We Think and Feel
Boyle, Mark
The Way Home: Tales from a Life Without Technology
Levitin, Daniel J.
The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload
Adler, Mortimer J.
How to Think about the Great Ideas: From the Great Books of Western Civilization
Ruined by Reading: A Life in Books
Schwartz, Lynne Sharon
Piper, John
Think!: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God
Lewis, C.S.
Fern-seed and Elephants, and Other Essays on Christianity
Armstrong, Chris R.
Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians: Finding Authentic Faith in a Forgotten Age with C. S. Lewis
Lindvall, Terry
Surprised by Laughter: The Comic World of C.S. Lewis
Shaw, Luci
The Crime of Living Cautiously: Hearing God's Call to Adventure
O'Connor, Flannery
Spiritual Writings
O'Connor, Flannery
The Habit of Being (Letters)
Murray, Donald
Writing for your Readers
Jauss, David
Words Overflown by Stars: Creative Writing Instruction and Insight from the Vermont College Mfa Program
Guite, Malcolm
Mariner: A Voyage with Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Oliver, Mary
A Poetry Handbook
Eagleton, Terry
How to Read a Poem
Behn, Robin
The Practice of Poetry: Writing Exercises From Poets Who Teach
Koch, Kenneth
I Never Told Anybody: Teaching Poetry Writing in a Nursing Home
Fiction
Buechner, Frederick
Lion Country
Haruf, Kent
Plainsong (Plainsong, #1)
Tolkien, J.R.R.
Tree and Leaf, Smith of Wootton Major, The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth
Biography
Chesterton, G.K.
St. Thomas Aquinas / St. Francis of Assisi
Lawson, Dorie McCullough
Posterity: Letters of Great Americans to their Children
Poetry
Cairns, Scott
Idiot Psalms
Di Cesare, Mario A. (ed.)
George Herbert and the Seventeenth-Century Religious Poets
Eliot, T.S.
Inventions of the March Hare: Poems 1909-1917
Heaney, Seamus
Opened Ground: Selected Poems 1966-1996
Hill, Geoffrey
Tenebrae
Lewis, Gwyneth
Zero Gravity: A Space Requiem
Shaw, Luci
Harvesting Fog
Shaw, Luci
Polishing the Petoskey Stone: Selected Poems
Williams, William Carlos
Imaginations
Wordsworth, William
Selected Poems
Miscellaneous
Macfarlane, Robert
The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot
Aird, Paul Leet
Loon Laughter
Lawrence, Gale
The Beginning Naturalist: Weekly Encounters with the Natural World
Lochnan, Katharine A.
The Earthly Paradise: Arts and Crafts by William Morris and His Circle from Canadian Collections
Collingwood, R.G.
The Principles of Art
Cline, Elizabeth L.
The Conscious Closet: The Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good
Carver, Courtney
Project 333: The Minimalist Fashion Challenge That Proves Less Really Is So Much More
Minter, Adam
Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale
Friday, December 13, 2019
Mama Squirrel's List of Books Read in 2019
It has been an interesting year, and the books seemed to go in chunks. There were several books I really wanted to read but didn't have time or opportunity for, so they're going on next year's list.
As always, just because I read it doesn't mean I recommend it!
Maybe the book that influenced me the most this year
McKeown, Greg
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
A novel about researchers that unexpectedly helped me get through a course about research
Willis, Connie
Bellwether
Better in hardcover:
Karon, Jan
Patches of Godlight: Father Tim's Favorite Quotes
A book I was coerced into reading
Young, William Paul
The Shack
Another book I read quickly but didn't like as much as I wanted to
Magsamen, Sandra
Living Artfully: Create the Life You Imagine
Things I read for Adult Education and related term papers
Garvin, David A.
Learning in Action: A Guide to Putting the Learning Organization to Work
Gostick, Adrian
The Best Team Wins: The New Science of High Performance
Illeris, Knud
The Fundamentals of Workplace Learning: Understanding How People Learn in Working Life
Merriam, Sharan B.
Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation
Prior, Karen Swallow
On Reading Well
Raelin, Joseph A.
Work-Based Learning
Wolf, Maryanne
Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World
Things I read for Charlotte Mason-related pursuits
Kingsley, Charles
Madam How and Lady Why (re-read)
Mason, Charlotte M.
Formation of Character (Original Homeschooling #5) (re-read)
Mason, Charlotte M.
Parents and Children (Original Homeschooling #2) (re-read)
Salloum, J E
Our World-God's Visible Language: Visible Creation as Testimony to an Invisible Creator
Poetry and Kindred Thoughtfulness
Berry, Wendell
Our Only World: Ten Essays
Bestvater, Laurie
Studying to be Quiet: One Hundred Days of Keeping
Buechner, Frederick
A Crazy, Holy Grace: The Healing Power of Pain and Memory
Buechner, Frederick
Now and Then: A Memoir of Vocation
Buechner, Frederick
Telling Secrets
Rumer Godden (translator), Carmen Bernos De Gasztold
Prayers from the Ark (re-read)
Guite, Malcolm
After Prayer: New sonnets and other poems
How to suddenly move and have to rethink your space
Bauwens, Liz
Country in the City: Relaxed Style for Modern Living
Becker, Joshua
The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life
Boyle, Erin
Simple Matters: Living with Less and Ending Up with More (re-read)
Florke, Randy
Restore. Recycle. Repurpose.: Create a Beautiful Home
Michaels, Melissa
Love the Home You Have
Mitchell, Ryan
Tiny House Living: Ideas for Building & Living Well in Less than 400 Square Feet
Postel-Vinay, Danielle
Home Sweet Maison: The French Art of Making a Home
Smith, Myquillyn
Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff
White, Dana K.
Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff (re-read)
White, Dana K.
How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind: Dealing with Your House's Dirty Little Secrets
How to kill time in the midst of moving
Maffini, Mary Jane
Organize Your Corpses (A Charlotte Adams Mystery, #1)
Maffini, Mary Jane
The Cluttered Corpse (A Charlotte Adams Mystery #2)
Maffini, Mary Jane
Death Loves a Messy Desk (A Charlotte Adams Mystery #3)
Maffini, Mary Jane
Closet Confidential (A Charlotte Adams Mystery #4) (re-read)
Maffini, Mary Jane
The Busy Woman's Guide to Murder (A Charlotte Adams Mystery #5)
Books about money, clothes, and sustainability stuff
Button, Tara
A Life Less Throwaway: The Lost Art of Buying for Life
Heti, Sheila
Women in Clothes
Imhoff, Daniel
Paper or Plastic
Jackson, Carole
Color Me Beautiful: Discover Your Natural Beauty Through the Colors That Make You Look Great and Feel Fabulous! (old book, re-read)
Linett, Andrea
The Cool Factor: A Guide to Achieving Effortless Style, with Secrets from the Women Who Have It
Long, Charles K.
How to Survive Without a Salary: Living the Conserver Lifestyle (old book, re-read)
McCallum, Will
How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time
Rees, Anuschka
Beyond Beautiful: A Practical Guide to Being Happy, Confident, and You in a Looks-Obsessed World
Simpson, Lee
My Year of Buying Nothing
Soukup, Ruth
Unstuffed: Decluttering Your Home, Mind and Soul
White, Betz
Sewing Green: Projects and Ideas for Stitching with Organic, Repurposed, and Recycled Fabrics
Miscellaneous fiction
Aldrich, Bess Streeter
Miss Bishop
Alexander, Lloyd
The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha
Christie, Agatha
They Do It with Mirrors (Miss Marple, #6) (re-read)
Goudge, Elizabeth
Pilgrim's Inn (Eliots of Damerosehay, #2) (re-read)
Goudge, Elizabeth
The Scent of Water
Goudge, Elizabeth
The Sister of the Angels
Graham, Winston
Ross Poldark (Poldark #1)
Grimes, Martha
The Old Fox Deceiv'd (Richard Jury, #2) (I think this was a re-read. I read several from this series back in the 1990's, but I'm not sure which ones.)
Grimes, Martha
The Anodyne Necklace (Richard Jury, #3)
Grimes, Martha
The Dirty Duck (Richard Jury, #4)
Hill, Grace Livingston
Not Under the Law (re-read)
Karon, Jan
Home to Holly Springs (Mitford Years, #10) (re-read)
Karon, Jan
To Be Where You Are (Mitford Years, #14) (re-read)
Penny, Louise
Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #1)
A Miscellany
Brandeis, Madeline
Little Anne of Canada
Michael, Chester P.
Prayer and Temperament
Newport, Cal
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World
Westley, Frances R.
Getting to Maybe: How the World Is Changed
As always, just because I read it doesn't mean I recommend it!
Maybe the book that influenced me the most this year
McKeown, Greg
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
A novel about researchers that unexpectedly helped me get through a course about research
Willis, Connie
Bellwether
Better in hardcover:
Karon, Jan
Patches of Godlight: Father Tim's Favorite Quotes
A book I was coerced into reading
Young, William Paul
The Shack
Another book I read quickly but didn't like as much as I wanted to
Magsamen, Sandra
Living Artfully: Create the Life You Imagine
Things I read for Adult Education and related term papers
Garvin, David A.
Learning in Action: A Guide to Putting the Learning Organization to Work
Gostick, Adrian
The Best Team Wins: The New Science of High Performance
Illeris, Knud
The Fundamentals of Workplace Learning: Understanding How People Learn in Working Life
Merriam, Sharan B.
Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation
Prior, Karen Swallow
On Reading Well
Raelin, Joseph A.
Work-Based Learning
Wolf, Maryanne
Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World
Things I read for Charlotte Mason-related pursuits
Kingsley, Charles
Madam How and Lady Why (re-read)
Mason, Charlotte M.
Formation of Character (Original Homeschooling #5) (re-read)
Mason, Charlotte M.
Parents and Children (Original Homeschooling #2) (re-read)
Salloum, J E
Our World-God's Visible Language: Visible Creation as Testimony to an Invisible Creator
Poetry and Kindred Thoughtfulness
Berry, Wendell
Our Only World: Ten Essays
Bestvater, Laurie
Studying to be Quiet: One Hundred Days of Keeping
Buechner, Frederick
A Crazy, Holy Grace: The Healing Power of Pain and Memory
Buechner, Frederick
Now and Then: A Memoir of Vocation
Buechner, Frederick
Telling Secrets
Rumer Godden (translator), Carmen Bernos De Gasztold
Prayers from the Ark (re-read)
Guite, Malcolm
After Prayer: New sonnets and other poems
How to suddenly move and have to rethink your space
Bauwens, Liz
Country in the City: Relaxed Style for Modern Living
Becker, Joshua
The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life
Boyle, Erin
Simple Matters: Living with Less and Ending Up with More (re-read)
Florke, Randy
Restore. Recycle. Repurpose.: Create a Beautiful Home
Michaels, Melissa
Love the Home You Have
Mitchell, Ryan
Tiny House Living: Ideas for Building & Living Well in Less than 400 Square Feet
Postel-Vinay, Danielle
Home Sweet Maison: The French Art of Making a Home
Smith, Myquillyn
Cozy Minimalist Home: More Style, Less Stuff
White, Dana K.
Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff (re-read)
White, Dana K.
How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind: Dealing with Your House's Dirty Little Secrets
How to kill time in the midst of moving
Maffini, Mary Jane
Organize Your Corpses (A Charlotte Adams Mystery, #1)
Maffini, Mary Jane
The Cluttered Corpse (A Charlotte Adams Mystery #2)
Maffini, Mary Jane
Death Loves a Messy Desk (A Charlotte Adams Mystery #3)
Maffini, Mary Jane
Closet Confidential (A Charlotte Adams Mystery #4) (re-read)
Maffini, Mary Jane
The Busy Woman's Guide to Murder (A Charlotte Adams Mystery #5)
Books about money, clothes, and sustainability stuff
Button, Tara
A Life Less Throwaway: The Lost Art of Buying for Life
Heti, Sheila
Women in Clothes
Imhoff, Daniel
Paper or Plastic
Jackson, Carole
Color Me Beautiful: Discover Your Natural Beauty Through the Colors That Make You Look Great and Feel Fabulous! (old book, re-read)
Linett, Andrea
The Cool Factor: A Guide to Achieving Effortless Style, with Secrets from the Women Who Have It
Long, Charles K.
How to Survive Without a Salary: Living the Conserver Lifestyle (old book, re-read)
McCallum, Will
How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time
Rees, Anuschka
Beyond Beautiful: A Practical Guide to Being Happy, Confident, and You in a Looks-Obsessed World
Simpson, Lee
My Year of Buying Nothing
Soukup, Ruth
Unstuffed: Decluttering Your Home, Mind and Soul
White, Betz
Sewing Green: Projects and Ideas for Stitching with Organic, Repurposed, and Recycled Fabrics
Miscellaneous fiction
Aldrich, Bess Streeter
Miss Bishop
Alexander, Lloyd
The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha
Christie, Agatha
They Do It with Mirrors (Miss Marple, #6) (re-read)
Goudge, Elizabeth
Pilgrim's Inn (Eliots of Damerosehay, #2) (re-read)
Goudge, Elizabeth
The Scent of Water
Goudge, Elizabeth
The Sister of the Angels
Graham, Winston
Ross Poldark (Poldark #1)
Grimes, Martha
The Old Fox Deceiv'd (Richard Jury, #2) (I think this was a re-read. I read several from this series back in the 1990's, but I'm not sure which ones.)
Grimes, Martha
The Anodyne Necklace (Richard Jury, #3)
Grimes, Martha
The Dirty Duck (Richard Jury, #4)
Hill, Grace Livingston
Not Under the Law (re-read)
Karon, Jan
Home to Holly Springs (Mitford Years, #10) (re-read)
Karon, Jan
To Be Where You Are (Mitford Years, #14) (re-read)
Penny, Louise
Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #1)
A Miscellany
Brandeis, Madeline
Little Anne of Canada
Michael, Chester P.
Prayer and Temperament
Newport, Cal
Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World
Westley, Frances R.
Getting to Maybe: How the World Is Changed
Friday, November 22, 2019
Time for a winter wardrobe: Sonatinas and Snow
Season: November 2019 through February 2020
I was originally going to go a lot brighter this winter. More green, more purple. But somehow all that colour was more than I could take on right now.
Then I thought about the poster we bought this fall on a flea-market trip. Yes, that would work.
Clothes
2 Navy print long-sleeved top
Read the rest of the page here.
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Frugal Finds and Fixes in Fall
I haven't blogged here much this fall, for a couple of reasons. One is that I've been kind of swamped with course work and other writing projects. Another is that I have an IG account, and sometimes it's quicker to post snapshots there , even if only a few people can see them.
But here are some frugal and fixing updates.
Our front hall closet had a heavy bi-fold door that was awkward to open. Mr. Fixit realized that it was also almost ready to fall off its hinges, and it couldn't be easily fixed. He replaced it with an accordion door from the home store.
He also got some LED shop-fixture lights for the garage (on sale). Good ceiling lights mean he can work on things out there when it's too cold to have the door open for light.
We spent an interesting morning at a flea market, and picked up a framed poster to go in a spot between the living room and dining room spaces.
One of the volunteers at the thrift store introduced me to West German vintage pottery with this jug (or vase, whatever). We're gradually adding things that make our new space feel like home.
Thrifted clothes: yes, I've added some new things. This teal faux-leather jacket lit up all my "where have you been hiding" sensors. It's a bit more green than it appears in the photo. Now I'm hoping the weather doesn't get too bad too fast, so I'll maybe get to wear it a few times before it's completely snow-coats and mittens.
I also found a navy silk shirt that I liked because it wasn't too heavy or too dark.
I got my hair cut at the walk-in place inside Walmart. They're usually pretty good, and inexpensive. I think I've only had one really bad cut there, and even that time the manager gave me a free do-what-we-can-to-fix-it job.
I don't usually wear bracelets--they clunk around and get in the way. But I had noticed some I liked online, made of multicoloured beads. Last week we went to a community "art walk," and an artist we know was selling similar handmade bracelets to support World Vision. So I got my bracelet, and everybody benefited.
Thrifted books: also more than pictured here, but you get the idea. I have wanted to read The Scent of Water for years, but never saw a copy until today.
Some frugality is about saying no...or later...or again, just no. I found a pair of black zippered boots, and looked at having them re-soled. One of them has a small hole, so they would need the full (expensive) treatment. What I've noticed, though, aside from the soles, is that they are just a bit higher than the ankle booties I usually wear, and they hit my legs at an uncomfortable spot. So, okay, lesson learned--that pair will be going back to the thrift store.
And a lot of frugality is about buying nothing new (or used) at all. Making do and using it up. Reading the books that are waiting on the shelf. We have been using the same dinner plates for the past twenty years, and our cutlery for almost thirty. Also most of our pots and pans (wedding presents). Grandma's kitchen table was in our apartment kitchen, but now it's in Mr. Fixit's workroom. We have a blow-dryer that's years and years old, still going.
(But we do need a new Christmas tree!)
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Wear Away
What to take on a three-day weekend trip? This is what Janice at The Vivienne Files calls a six-pack. You wear three things and pack the other six.
One backpack
One tote bag
One coat
Two tops
One dress
One skirt, one pair of jeans
One flannel shirt
Two pullovers
One blazer
Two scarves
One belt
One pair of shoes
One pair of boots
Jewelry
And the boring bits like tights and pajamas and a hairbrush. And a re-useable coffee mug.
(Almost everything pictured, except for the boots, the backpack, and some of the jewelry, came from the MCC Thrift Store. One sweater was consignment. Oh, and the plaid shirt was from Giant Tiger.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)