out_of_the_ordinary

Doing puzzles is a favorite activity at my house (way before 2020). We stick with White Mountain and Cobble Hill brands, as we think those 2 are the best made ones. Cobble Hill puzzles are really neat in that they have unique puzzle piece shapes. Worse than the run on TP was the run on puzzles....and the prices some places still reflect that! I'm glad I had "bought ahead" (gifts for DD).

Little Sister, I am so very sorry for your loss. I'm praying for you.

for everyone to get their power back on. Stay safe!

Oh, my!

Live Black Bear Cam in PA https://hdontap.com/index.php/video/stream/pennsylvania-bear-den-live-cam?utm_source=pgc.pa.gov&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=cam+pgc+bearden This is neat. There's Mama and 3 cubs. DD and I were excited to be able to see the 3 cubs move around this afternoon. It is very kind of the homeowners to allow the PA Game Commission to put a camera there. The "den" is under their porch! I wouldn't be excited to have a mama bear and cubs under my porch!

I avoid fluff "twaddle" mostly. Isn't that a great term for children's fluff books? I came across it reading about Charlotte Mason homeschool methods. For children's books, bookstores are mostly full of twaddle. But the other term is "real books" and "living books"....written by an author about something they are knowledgeable and passionate about. What I'm reading right now...with the brain fog, I'm just not following deep or how-to. I'm trying to read before sleeping to help me unwind. So not too exciting, but interesting so I don't think about my health stuff and stress stuff, and chapters that don't leave me hanging. I NEED sleep and I know sometimes putting a book down is a challenge. I don't typically read dark stuff, except for history. So here's my current list: Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart. Each chapter is a letter the author wrote to her former employer after she moved to Wyoming in 1909 to homestead. She also wrote Letters of an Elk Hunt by a Woman Homesteader, but I don't have that one. Journey into Christmas and Other Stories by Bess Streeter Aldrich. So far, everything of hers I've read, I've liked very much! Get Your Hopes Up! by Joyce Meyer. I'm not sure what else is up there in the pile. Buying for a library would be so much fun! I like the shopping for/researching books. I can't use the library or do used books or books printed overseas due to my allergies and sensitivities, so that limits things. I like having our home library, so I can "shop the shelves" here for reading for me and for homeschooling. Last year's book buying budget faced cuts. I'm going over my lists right now trying to decide what I need to make sure we have and what simply has to stay on the wishlists for now. Decisons, decisions. We always have a family read aloud going. From what I've read in books, families used to do that before TV. Now I don't think many families even watch TV together...everyone doing there own things on their own screens.

Welcome!

Sometimes I think I could could cover geography for DD just by us tracking where our packages travel. Sometimes just before they get to our state, they take a major detour. I'm trying to rest. Overdid it trying to organize. I'm hoping that is it and it is not me moving backwards healthwise again. I ordered a bookshelf. It will be a few months 'til it is in. The furniture stores were deemed "non-essential" in my state last spring, so this helps support a small business, too. Been trying to figure out what other books (for homeschool purposes and otherwise) that I want to make sure I get. I've been holding off, $$ wise on ordering books. Making my lists and reviewing and cutting and reviewing some more. for you all.

Mother, any thoughts on these Dr. Chrisopher books? I don't have anything of his. https://www.christopherpublications.com/snhsyllabus.html My "gut" is telling me to fill in holes/add to in our home library. Saw this on some site somewhere and wrote it down and it hangs on our fridge. DD thinks it is hilarious: "Ordinary people have big TVs. Extraordinary people have big libraries." -Robin Sharma

MtRider I hope you are feeling better soon.

Happy Birthday, GoFish!

I didn't know about Reciept books, Mother. I haven't heard of Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management, either. Will have to look into both.

Right now I'm reading Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart. It is good! Each chapter is a letter the author wrote to her former employer after she moved to Wyoming in 1909 to homestead. I'm just a couple chapters in. I haven't gleaned much info on homesteading that would apply to my family, but it a very interesting and entertaining look at the place and time period, if that makes sense.

Thanks, Dee. I'll have to put those on my list to look at.

Thanks, Mother. I was able to read enough on the site you linked to see that I would enjoy it.

Has anyone read Hannah Fowler or any other Janice Holt Giles books? I have not, just wondering if anyone else has.

Happy Birthday, Kappy!

We're supposed to get a snowstorm. The birds sure know--lots of activity at the feeders today. I'm glad you're feeling better, MtRider. One square foot at at time is how I need to do the rest of our organizing for awhile. House is back in shape. Several little places to sort through/organize here, but it is much more manageable. DH had to go to several thrift stores to be able to donate our items...everyone must have "cleaned out" while stuck at home, not had yard sales, so several of the thrift stores were "full " and weren't accepting donations.

Mother, Have you read Spring Came On Forever by Bess Streeter Aldrich? https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/bison-books/9780803259072/ I don't have that one and keep debating it. I very much like everything of hers that I've read, but I guess the story line on this one has me wondering if I'd like it.

Catching up here and I'm assuming I'm not the only one hungry for turkey now? Jeepers, do you think the mask is giving you problems while shopping? I've had to wear it for doc appts. I get extra lightheaded and weak. Outside in the parking lot, after getting some fresh, maskless air in me, I start feeling a bit better. Happy Anniversary, Little Sister! for you and your DH. Hang in there. We2, I'm sorry for your losses. I'm looking forward to hearing about your trip, Miki! Now I'm thinking about the train scenes from the White Christmas movie. Walking around the house with a yardstick turned into a huge project! Yanno how you have to make a bigger mess than you started with to reorganize/sort several rooms at once? But it's all worth it when it's all put back together, because it is organized and tidy and better than before?? Well, we might be getting close to that point. I've been doing better healthwise to be able to do all we've done these past 3 days. Day 3 hit hard so now I'm resting today. Day 3 involved a great deal of book-moving: the emptying of our biggest bookcase so it could be moved. And then the reloading of it. I was feeling like it should be bedtime before suppertime yesterday. So Day 4 will involve DH dropping off items to donate. Actually, that will help a great deal as it will get all of that out of the way. The good news: we can fit another bookcase in! I'll order it later this week. The furniture store has everything custom-made, so I'm still figuring up exactly how wide I can go. Even another couple inches makes room for more books. I thought we would have been moved by now, and I would have sorted/reorganized, ect. when packing. And then 2020 happened. So doing this now helps a great deal in case we are stuck here longer than we wanted to be. And if God's plan is for us to move sooner, it'll be less to sort through then.

Midnightmom, I have The 5000 Year Leap book and it is EXCELLENT. One of the authors of God’s Hand in the Building of America appears to also be the author of I Love America, a resource I've been using for homeschooling lessons. Please let us know if we have to do the zoom thing to watch later on.

Strolling around the house with a yardstick. Trying to figure out where I could fit another bookcase in.

Dr. David Brownstein's new book is available, A Holistic Approach to Viruses. https://cube-blackbird-rjba.squarespace.com/shop/p/a-holistic-approach-to-viruses Did we talk about Dr. Brownstein here before? He's one of the good ones.

Happy Birthday, Mother!

I save the same type of things, but I toss them in the stock pot when I'm making broth/stock. It looks like I'm simmering trash, but it smells wonderful!