 I love Christmas traditions and learning about them from around the world is great fun! Did you know it was the Germans who are responsible for many of the things we do today, such as decorate Christmas trees. They also make edible decorations to hang on the tree, such as cinnamon stars. These are also enjoyed in Switzerland. (See recipe below.)
I was thinking about my childhood Christmas and one of my fondest memories includes some elderly neighbors who lived down the street. They are long since passed away, I am sure. They were like second grandparents to me; a kind elderly woman and her elderly son. Nowadays, sadly, you would be hesitant to let your children befriend adult neighbors, but that was a different time. These people invited me and my friend into their home and shared Christmas treats and conversation with us. One of the things I have always remembered is how uniquely their Christmas tree was decorated. They adorned them with little red mushroom ornaments and explained that this was one of their German Christmas traditions. I am also reminded of another dear elderly friend, Wes, who has also passed away a few years back, who was enamored of all things German. He spoke German fluently and taught it as a university professor. To celebrate these dear ones in my life, I share this in their memory... an article about a German Christmas in Heidelberg. German-Swiss Zimtsterne (Be sure to enjoy some and save some to decorate your tree.) Ingredients: 3 t. butter or margarine 1-1/2 c. sugar 2 whole eggs 1 egg, separated 1 t. lemon juice 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour 2-1/2 t. baking powder 1-1/4 t. cinnamon 1/4 t. salt 1/4 t. nutmeg 1/2 c. finely chopped walnuts Directions: 1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. 2. Mix butter, sugar, 2 whole eggs, 1 egg yolk, and lemon juice until fluffy. 3. Measure flour. Stir dry ingredients together; blend into sugar mixture. Stir in nuts. 4. Divide dough into thirds. Roll out dough on a lightly floured board to 1/8" thickness. 5. Cut out with a 3 inch star cutter. 6. Brush tops of cookies with beaten egg white. 7. Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet 6 to 8 minutes. Makes 6 dozen.  Do you feel that Thanksgiving is brushed aside in our hurry to get to Christmas? I do. I like Christmas as much as the next person, but my family celebrates Thanksgiving for the whole week. We decorate in fall colors and fake leaves (you have to use fake in Phoenix). We burn spiced pumpkin candles, and eagerly wear our tan and orange sweaters and scarves the moment the temperature drops below 100 degrees!
In the frenzy to watch football and eat turkey, do we remember to be truly thankful for our blessings? Every day should be filled with Thanksgiving. It’s a sure anti-depressant. The Bible commands us to be thankful. “O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the people.” Psalm 105:1. Before you can thank the Lord for his blessings, you have to remember what they are and in our busy world, we can easily forget. To help you remember, I recommend making a blessing jar or bucket or some kind of container to store them in. For crafty types, this can be decorated and placed in a visible spot in your household. I would use small 3x5 index cards to write one blessing per card. A blessing could be an answered prayer as well. What size container should you use? How much do you expect the Lord to bless you? You might need a 33 gallon garbage can! Check out this cute blessing jar. Thanksgiving is a great time to take out these cards and read them aloud. On other days when you feel particularly discouraged or forgotten about (and we all have days like that), take them out and read them again. We all need reminders. While you’re at it, ask the Lord to show you more ways he has blessed you to add to your jar. “What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me?” Psalm 116:12  Epiphany - an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epiphany I am an early riser. If you or your children have ever noticed the time I submit feedback on assignments, you will often notice that it was submitted at 5:30 a.m. or 6:00 a.m. Not only am I an early riser, but my mind is on overdrive the moment I am conscious. This morning’s topic on my mind was an epiphany...that feeling that you truly “get” something. Charlotte Mason has long been my educational mentor and I have studied her ideas at great length. I have also adapted her approach in homeschooling my own children. Basically, she advocates a literary education. But what does this mean, exactly? I know she condemns “twaddle” her word for inferior literature and I condemn it as well. Why waste precious time on reading that is useless when there is so much loftier and uplifting material at hand? So this morning, my 5:00 a.m. epiphany centered on science. I still own some excellent science textbooks, however, that is just the point. They are textbooks, and no matter how good they are, they are not particularly inspiring. A literary science book, on the other hand is!!! I know this in the depths of my soul, but could never quite articulate it. When was the last time you heard someone say they were inspired by their textbook reading? This applies to other subjects as well of course. It is why my literature courses use classics, not literature textbooks. We read the whole book, not just a snippet or chapter and explore it in depth. Some examples of literary science books I have read and been inspired by are below. I have learned so much from them and far more than I would have learned by reading a textbook. But the most important thing is that I care! Charlotte Mason says... “The question is not, -- how much does the youth know? when he has finished his education-- but how much does he care? and about how many orders of things does he care? In fact, how large is the room in which he finds his feet set?and, therefore, how full is the life he has before him?" Charlotte Mason - 19th century educator [This post contains affiliate links for products I love. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.] I read Moths of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton Porter out of curiosity, not because I was particularly interested in moths. How did I come to read this book? Through literature! First, I read Porter’s book, Laddie, which I liked so much that I then read, Girl of the Limberlost. A biology textbook would tell me that moths are insects in the animal kingdom. Big deal. Who cares? But after reading Porter’s book on moths, I have gained knowledge and a real appreciation for these insects. Starlight in Time by Dr. Humphreys explains how light-years figure into a young Earth creation timeline. He also discusses black holes, white holes, and the expanding universe. These are just a small sample of literary science books. I have learned so much from them and far more than I would have learned by reading a textbook. You can learn most anything through the avenue of literature. Literature isn’t just novels.  Few people write thank-you notes these days, and fewer still give a verbal thank-you or even an acknowledgment. Nevertheless, we owe people that much if they do anything at all for us. It's part of a skill-set called, "good manners." What are manners, anyway? Simply, using good manners shows consideration for other people.
Those people who would like to write a thank you note are often at a loss as to what to say, so let me help you out. Think about what is in your heart and let that spill out. It doesn't have to be long. Here's a basic format:
Now...you write a thank-you because you are grateful for something, but there are benefits for you as well. First, you will have made someone else feel special, and they will think well of you. Secondly, you will have followed the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) Third, you set a good example. Fourth, if you like to do crafts such as rubber stamping or painting, you can apply those skills to the making of "Thank You" cards. Lastly, for your children, it teaches them all those things, plus it is good handwriting practice. Writing isn't only about writing essays. It's about communicating! So now...go teach this to your children.  Time management has always been a big deal to me. I want to squeeze every last drop out of life and I want to GET THINGS DONE! At the brink of this new school year, I hope this article offers something helpful for you. One thing I would add, though, is to write your daily list down on a sticky note. If it doesn't fit, what makes you think you could get it all done in one one day. This has helped me tremendously to focus on 3 or 4 main things for the day. I have set myself up for success because I usually can get those important things done. It's manageable. It's being realistic.
Where do all of my other tasks go? On a longer, running list of 'to do's and that is where I pull my daily "to dos" from.  [This post contains affiliate links for products I love. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.]
Once when I was teaching at a local co-op, a student made a comment about not being able to read a thank-you note I had sent. He had to have his mom read it. I was astonished because I have always had beautiful handwriting in both cursive and print. Later I learned that he could not read it because it was in cursive! This article explains the cognitive connection between handwriting and the ability to think and process information. This is important for adults, too, not just children. Obviously, I type. Here I am on the keyboard typing this post, and typing is convenient. But I also do a great deal of handwriting and most of my class notes I take by hand. I have found out the truth of the claim that information is processed better when hand-written. Surely, it does take longer, but when I want to comprehend and retain information, I do not type it. Kids will often complain about handwriting in the beginning. That is because their fine-motor skills are not yet developed. Their weak muscles get tired and will cramp. Just like your stomach muscles only get stronger through exercise, it is the same with our finger muscles. Charlotte Mason advocated handwriting through copywork. (Actually, in her time, there were no computers anyway.) Copywork is one of the main features of a Charlotte Mason style education, which I embrace and advocate. Not only do students develop their muscles and handwriting ability, but they learn sentence patterns and spelling. Keep instruction short and make it fun with Cursive Writing Handbook for Kids: Jokes and Riddles for Grades 3-5. For teens, why not learn a little U.S. Government at the same time as learning cursive? Learning Cursive: Handwriting Practice Workbook for Teens: With Declaration of Independence, United States Constitution & Bill of Rights Copybook.  Do you feel that Thanksgiving is brushed aside in our hurry to get to Christmas? I do. I like Christmas as much as the next person, but my family celebrates Thanksgiving for the whole week. We decorate in fall colors and fake leaves (you have to use fake in Phoenix). We burn spiced pumpkin candles, and eagerly wear our tan and orange sweaters and scarves the moment the temperature drops below 100 degrees!
In the frenzy to watch football and eat turkey, do we remember to be truly thankful for our blessings? Every day should be filled with Thanksgiving. It’s a sure anti-depressant. The Bible commands us to be thankful. “O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the people.” Psalm 105:1. Before you can thank the Lord for his blessings, you have to remember what they are and in our busy world, we can easily forget. To help you remember, I recommend making a blessing jar or bucket or some kind of container to store them in. For crafty types, this can be decorated and placed in a visible spot in your household. I would use small 3x5 index cards to write one blessing per card. A blessing could be an answered prayer as well. What size container should you use? How much do you expect the Lord to bless you? You might need a 33 gallon garbage can! Check out this cute blessing jar. Thanksgiving is a great time to take out these cards and read them aloud. On other days when you feel particularly discouraged or forgotten about (and we all have days like that), take them out and read them again. We all need reminders. While you’re at it, ask the Lord to show you more ways he has blessed you to add to your jar. “What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me?” Psalm 116:12  [This post contains affiliate links for products I love. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you.]
We all want to get things done, but it's important to get the right things done. Nothing is more equal than time; each of us has the same amount. Sadly, there is no store where we can purchase more of it and without some forethought and planning, time has a way of vanishing. To help out the harried homeschooler, I offer some perspective on how to take hold of your time to GTI. 1. Change it Up Whatever time management strategy you use, it will change because your needs change. For example, if you are a homeschool parent who follows a traditional school schedule with summer breaks, then you know how different summer looks at your house than during the fall and spring semesters. Create two schedules per year. Also, what works this year may not work next year or in five years. 2. Know Thyself Some people like a great deal of structure; others would wither under it. Create a schedule that has the level of structure that you feel comfortable with. If you need to write out every single thing you need to do in a day, minute by minute, then do it, otherwise, see tip #5 and chunk it. 3. Eat Like Mark Twain Just like we don't eat dessert before dinner, eat your frogs first. Thank you, Mark Twain, for the origin of this saying. Our "frogs" are the tasks that we find disagreeable so we procrastinate. By doing them right away, they don't pile up, nor do they hang over our heads all day or all week, burdening us. Do it and feel immediate satisfaction or relief. It's a sure way to GTI. 4. Make Appointments Schedule certain tasks on specific days. For instance, one of the biggest time savers for me was when I decided to make two days a week my errand days. Now, I don't run out the door every time I need something. This seems like a no-brainer but the shift in my thinking came for me when I realized that one errand day would not suffice. Another day is reserved as my "paper" day for paying bills, dealing with paper piles, and writing out birthday cards or other special occasions. 5. Think in Chunks This tip is especially helpful for those who don't like a tight structure. Chunk up the day into 1 or 2 hour blocks. Include a few 15 minute and 30 minute blocks. Write down what you need to do during those time frames. With this method, you'll have some wiggle room. Here is what this might look like: ( 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.) Clean a room; (10:00 a.m.-10:30) Read-aloud to children, etc... Writing it down is important because it will clearly show you the available time in a day. You won't be able to get it all done and you will be forced automatically to cull the unnecessary items. Those are a few simple tips to get you started and really, that's all you need for now. None of us can be effective trying to implement too many new things at once. There is more to time management than meets the eye. The second part of a system that helps you GTI is actually DOING it. First, comes the PLAN, then comes the ACTION. That's what motivation is all about. Coming soon in a future post!  It's coming! This fall 2019!
This summer, I have been sewing my little heart out and working on my favorite projects: historical period attire. While I was working I was thinking how satisfying and enjoyable it is to be able to sew whatever I want. Truly, I am most grateful for this skill. I reflected on the wonderful memories I have of how it all started and the influences in my life that allowed me to do it. Because of all of this, I have decided to offer sewing classes again in my sewing studio! My sewing class page will be available soon under "Classes" and you can find all the details, supplies, and sewing projects that you can learn. Although my sewing projects are fun in themselves, my emphasis is on the skills you will learn because skills, once gained, can apply across the board to many other projects. The more classes you sign up for, the more skills you will learn.  by Angela Jacobs "What do you do all day?" I have heard this question many times over the years. People who have never met a home-schooled child are always so curious and may have never heard of homeschooling before. Some have the mistaken impression that we sit behind a desk all day while our mother lectures us on all subjects as we fill out the corresponding worksheets. Others think that homeschooling means we attend an online classroom and our parents are rarely involved in the actual educating. Then there are some who think we do nothing more than goof around singing songs and painting pictures all day. While each of those types of homeschooling families definitely exist, they aren't what I have come to view as typical. What home-schoolers almost always have in common is not only the desire to provide their children with a better education, but to establish deeper connections with them as well. What better way to do that than to feed their hungry young minds? Home-schoolers realize that it's not how children learn that matters, but that they learn, and that their love of learning is not squelched. We combine whatever techniques work for our own children and, if we need to, make it up as we go. So what does homeschooling actually look like? It's riding your bike in the park for PE, and making a Home Depot kids' project for workshop. It's teaching your kids fractions as they measure the ingredients you need for dinner. It's using textbooks as a guideline, while taking every real-life situation as an opportunity to teach them new skills and reinforce old ones. Homeschooling looks different for every family because every family is different.  It looks like letter crafts at the kitchen table or literature on the couch with your favorite stuffed pigeon. It's seeing the planetarium exhibit when it comes to the local library and reading the history book out loud to your kids in a Starbucks.
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Renee MetcalfWhere will you find me when I am not teaching? For your reading pleasure!
December 2020
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