By Sun and Candlelight

Friday Photos & Newsy Nature Notes

Good morning, my friends. :)

I am sorry I have not been around much this week - things have been somewhat hectic here on my end. On top of all the "usual" hubbub, and all the house "work" we've been up to (cleaning/painting/flooring/etc.) Bill has been feeling rather unwell. For months now, he's been fighting an allergic reaction (to what, we're not sure) that affects his eyes, and now it seems, his sinuses as well. His eyes have been itchy, swollen, red and very painful for some time now - between high pollen levels and now our renovation work, he's just been miserable. When Bill's having an episode (because the reactions come and go) his undereye area gets all dark (like he's been socked in the nose!) and the skin all around his eyes gets puckery and wrinkled. Originally, he saw an opthamologist (who told him it had nothing to do with his eyes) and later a dermatologist, who prescribed creams and drops - which helped - but did not resolve the situation entirely. He's seeing his dermatologist again this week to address this current flare-up, but he is also seeing a nurse this morning because the sinus headache that came on yesterday was just awful. Honestly, I have never seen Bill so sick as when he walked in from work last night, and truly, I was considering a trip to the emergency room. Intense headaches and nausea are not something to fool with! Fortunately, the "Sinex" he took (a decongestant with pain reliever) as soon as he got home eased his pain within an hour. He also steamed his head (over peppermint-scented water) and applied ice where it hurt the most. Thankfully, by mid-evening he was feeling much better - the congestion had eased and the pain was completely gone.

All of this to say - if you would, please keep my Bill in your prayers, and if you have any home and/or natural remedies for sinus issues, I would appreciate suggestions. My mum gave Bill a neti pot, which, depending on what the nurse says this morning, he plans to try tonight. Although he had no fever I'm wondering if he might not have developed a sinus infection and possibly needs an antibiotic to clear things up. We're not big fans of antibiotics, but at times they are warranted. We'll see what he finds out today ... and later this week at his dermatology appointment.

Anyhoo! So I'm very glad it's the weekend, and though our plans were to install the wood flooring (we chose white oak - it's very nice) we may give ourselves a rest from "hard" labor and allergen-stirring activities. (Sawdust, sanding and paint fumes, etc.) I say all this like I'm working alongside Bill, lol, and I'm not - not really. I help move things and clear things out and take measurements and give my opinion. Otherwise I'm mostly on child duty (aka keeping kids out of the way!) and actually Bookworm - in all his teenage vitality - has been a huge help to his dad.

Speaking of kids, this post was meant to share photos taken by the boys last week. So without further ado, let me show you a few of their "summery" sights: 

This is a thunderhead heading our way. The storms that moved through on this evening (an evening I was heading out for coffee with friends, no less) were brief, but brutal! We had intense lightning, flash flooding, and when it was all said and done, a big and bright double rainbow. Amazing!

Bookworm caught this lovely little lace-winged bug in our house and before setting him free, he grabbed a few pictures. He thought it looked like a katydid, but after checking our field guide, we think it is the (aptly named) lacewing.

Now this odd looking insect (fly? bee? wasp?) spent all day on our deck. (And sadly, it perished there.) The boys gave it wide berth in case there was a stinger attached in any way, shape, or form. Any thoughts?

Yes, this hungry little (big!) fella came back. He seems to approve of our menu selection, lol - black oil, suet and peanuts. I should note, he is not actually baring his teeth at us in this photo - we just caught him in mid-chew!

Now, this picture takes a little explaining (as well as a good zoom - click on it to get a closer view). The birds you see here are a mother sparrow and two of her brood, however, if you look closely, the bird she is feeding in this shot is not actually a sparrow, but a baby cowbird ...

Have you ever heard of brood parasites? The cowbird is a species that uses the strong nesting instincts of other birds to its advantage. Basically, it drops its egg in another bird's nest (in this case, a sparrow's) and leaves its young to be hatched and fed by the "adoptive" parent. (Meanwhile it can move on and follow the food supply as it wishes.) We've actually seen this sparrow feeding two baby cowbirds at once! And they're very demanding, lol ... the poor mother sparrow can barely keep up!

Well, that's all we have for you this week. I hope you enjoyed a peek at our most recent nature photos. I've been lax on the upkeep of my nature notes column, but I can say, in our yard we've been watching that shy bunny, the cheerful chimpmunks and the feisty red squirrels. Along the wayside, the queen ann's lace, toadflax and goldenrod have started blooming ... and you should see the goldfinches visiting the spent lavender bed - they are so bright and lovely! Just like a Marjolein Bastin card come to life.

Ok, I'm off now, but first a quick update on Bill - I just spoke with him and the nurse confirmed a sinus infection (though she doesn't think it's connected with his eye allergy in any way). She started him on amoxocillin (blech, that stuff kills me!) and advised him to keep taking the decongestant. Thanks again in advance for any advice, your prayers, and as always thank you so much for stopping by!

Have a great weekend, everyone ...

:)

Nearly Wordless Wednesday*

*These were all taken by the boys yesterday. :)

Friday Photos

Sorry I haven't had much time to post this week! It certainly was a busy one, and I, for one, am really glad it's the weekend! :)

So ... any big plans for you and yours? Tomorrow we've got soccer playoffs (did I mention our team earned first place this year?!), a few errands to run and many to-do's to get done ... and then the next day is Pentecost Sunday. If it's a nice day (the forecast is iffy right now) we hope to cook-out. And I might be persuaded to bake something nice. :)

Here are a few pictures from the memory card this week:

Storms moved through just about dinnertime last night.

A slightly blurry, but beautiful, damselfly resting on our herb plants.

Bill spied this handsome brood as he pulled into his office parking lot yesterday.

A Friday task: neatening the pocketbook, readying it for running errands.

Our William Shakespeare rose bush.

Well, I'm off for now ... I hope you all had a nice week, and I also hope you enjoy a safe, happy weekend. See you all again very soon!

:)

Tea Break

I saw this neat project over at Snapshots Around the World.

Here's my take on this week's theme:

Thank you for the inspiration ~ Sue, Kim and Rebecca.

:)

Friday Photo by Crackerjack

"Hello there world, here I am!"

"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." ~ Dr. Seuss

Sometimes sharing ourselves takes a good bit of courage. It's revealing ourselves in hopes that someone finds encouragement and that nobody ever takes offense. It's a balance of give and get ...

We can't always predict what people will think of us, but we can always share honestly and sincerely. We can only ever be ourselves.

:)

Crackerjack has just discovered the joys of blogging and has decided, not surprisingly, most of his posts will be about Legos. He loves to create little stories surrounding Lego creations like the one above. I laughed out loud when I saw this picture on my camera this morning. Talk about risk and reward! That minifig may be in peril, but he sure looks like he's having fun!

***

Well, Happy Friday, everyone! Looks like we might be off to the doctor's today, as Crackerjack's cold has settled in his eyes. (Yikes!)

Never a dull moment, is there?

See you all again sometime soon ...

Best-Ever Belated Birthday Gift!

Yes, I have myself a brand new camera! :D

I knew it was coming, but Bill surprised me yesterday evening! He had run out to do some errands and came home with what you see above! (A local electronics shop is going out of business and he was able to get a great discount.)

Back on my birthday last month, he had given me "a picture" of a camera - he/we wanted to do some research to figure out just what to get before making such a big purchase. I'm very much a creature of habit (and comfort) so I've been using the same Sony Cybershot for five years now (as long as I've had my blog, more or less). It's been easy, dependable and the pictures it takes are pretty satisfying. 

Now I have this new camera to get used to ... it's very, very cool, and I'm very, very excited. It's a lot more complex than my old camera, so I do plan to read the instructions manual for this one, lol!

And happily, the old trusty Cybershot is still in perfect working order, so the boys will inherit that, while I get used to the Nex 5.

Here are the first few pictures I took on my new camera while we ate breakfast on this fine President's Day morning ...

 

(These are "Presidential Pancakes!" Blueberries inside, raspberry sauce outside, covered in whip cream and topped with a little flag heart. Yum!)

Well, I hope you all had - or are perhaps still having! - a great weekend. It's steadily snowing here this morning - a few inches have already settled on the ground. Those warm temps were nice last week but it feels very "February" again ...

Oh, and before we part, if you have a moment, could I ask you to please say a little prayer for our Earlybird? He's going in for his physical tomorrow, and though I'm sure all will go fine, after our experience last week (and the simple fact that doctor's appointments are never simple for EB) we could use a little help staying calm and mindful tomorrow.

Happy Monday, my friends ... and Happy President's Day, too! 

See you all again very soon ...

:)

Post-Christmas Picture Puppets

(Say that five times fast, lol.)

I just saw this project and had to share the link ... what a great idea for recycling all those Christmas picture-cards! 

Friday Photo

 

Evening Sky, May 27th, 2010

by Crackerjack

Light and Shadow at the End of the Day

I was thisclose to finishing my next "FCS Question of the Day" post but since the supper hour is upon me I think I will plan to wrap it up in the morning. I couldn't help but notice, though, as I sit here at my computer, how lovely the setting sun is today ... and how the light and shadow spreads through my house at this time of day ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now the light has moved on, slipping beneath the edge of the day. I am surrounded by a somber shade, whereas just moments ago the room was alive with playful shadow.

Have a wonderful winter evening, my friends.

Notes from my Blogging Meeting, Part 1

Last week I hosted my homeschool support group's monthly meeting, and as hostess I got to choose the topic of discussion. I chose the theme of blogging and, more specifically, how blogging can be used as a homeschooling tool. It was fun to explore the reasons - especially my reasons - for blogging and to share the ways I fit blogging into my life as a busy homeschooling mom. Here are the minutes (embellished with hindsight and reflection of course) from my meeting.*

(*Note: I decided to break this post up into two parts because Part 1 got entirely too long!)

The ladies who joined me last Thursday night are not currently blogging, but were familiar with blogs and are considering the endeavor for themselves. After some casual chat, and after filling up our cups and plates with some goodies, we sat down to start the meeting ...

What is a blog?

A blog is basically a type of website that provides a format for posting journal-style entries and photographs along with links to all kinds of things - other blogs, websites, book recommendations, etc. A blog can be private (password-protected) or public. It can be used for professional or personal purposes.

It seemed easiest to explore the general concept of blogging by explaining how I got into blogging myself. 

Blogging, yes or no?

About four years ago I found myself reading several blogs kept by some wonderful ladies I met at the 4Real Forums. I loved the format - and I loved reading what other homeschooling moms were doing with their families: how they were handling lessons and home life, how they were celebrating holidays and special events in their lives. The photos were wonderful, and so was the conversation. I started thinking about blogging myself ... but at the time I was a hardcore "paper" journalist. I have always kept journals - simple notebooks filled with notes, scraps of paper, clippings from magazines, this that and a little bit of everything. I am very much a paper kind of gal - technology tends to befuddle me - so I hesitated to blog ... but before long the tempation became too strong to resist. One afternoon, I just sat down at Typepad and within an hour I had myself a blog! 

Blogging platforms ...

I didn't have much information to share about other blogging platforms (Blogger/Blogspot, Wordpress, Homeschoolblogger) because I've always used Typepad. And since Typepad was (and is) so easy to use, I've stuck with it. I do use the Pro level account because I wanted to be able to create more than one blog and I also wanted greater design options. This means I pay for my blog - but I find it's worth it.

Why I blog ...

So I explained how I initially considered blogging ... but I went on to describe the appeal blogging held for me. In addition to journaling, another hobby I enjoyed (sort of) was scrapbooking. I say "sort of" because I could never seem to find the time or space to get my scrapbooks going ... I knew how important it was to keep track of our family memories, and I LOVED the look of scrapbooks - choosing colors and pictures and stickers, etc. - but no matter how many times I started an album, I would get sidetracked with "real life" and materials would get hastily put away and forgotten. As a "hobby" it was frequently more frustrating than enjoyable. Not to mention I felt foolish owning so many scrapbooking materials and having so little to show for it all. When I first considered blogging I could see it as a way to "virtually" scrapbook. I would have the ability to capture memories AND play around with design as I liked to do. And of course, I didn't need a large space or a lot of materials to make it work.

Also, in my pre-mommy life, I was a writer by profession and I missed writing for an "audience." Of course in the beginning I had no idea who would be reading my posts (if anyone!) but I found it gratifying to get my thoughts down while honing my rusty writing skills. I know a lot of perspective bloggers balk at the thought of writing for an audience, but I found the more I blogged, the quicker I found "my voice" and the more easily the words came to me. Of course it helps that I am by nature a very wordy person!

Another benefit of blogging (and this is where the homeschooling part comes in) is I have an excellent record of what we are doing each month as a homeschooling family. This is helpful to me when I report in to the school system at the end of the year, but it is also an great way of keeping family and friends - especially those who don't see us more than a couple of times a year - in the loop with our lifestyle. As long as we've been homeschooling (10 years now) and as popular as homeschooling has become - I know it's still a real mystery to lots of folks. I love dispelling myths and helping people understand how actively we homeschool. We're hardly sitting at home every day isolated from the world - if anything we're out there almost every day in one way or another. We take part in lots of classes and field trips and group activities. Sure, most of our curriculum is accomplished at home, with a one-on-one focus (which is the beauty of the home learning experience) but so much of our time is spent in social situations, learning how to get along with - and learn from - others. I relish the chance to show people all that homeschooling can be - all that it is for my family ...

And if you've been reading my blog over the years, you know I also relish the chance to share ideas, and this is where my myriad interests come into play. I guess you could say I like to hear myself talk lol, but I found as I grew as a blogger that I liked to write informative posts on a wide variety of subjects - children's books, nature, crafts, my Catholic faith, food, seasonal celebrations. So my blog became a real hodgepodge of information - eclectic you  might say - and to this day you never know what I'll be talking about next!

Through blogging I found myself another new hobby, one that has quickly become a real passion of mine. Photography was something I never really thought much about before - as a mother I owned a camera of course, and took pictures when I could - but nowadays I keep my camera close at hand at all times. The best part is I have lots of snapshots of our family life from the past year, but I find photography feeds me personally as well. Taking pictures makes me feel creative - like an artist almost. I would love to draw and paint as my mum does (beautifully, with natural God-given talent) but I don't have that gift. I would love to sew or knit or create in some tangible way, but these hobbies never clicked with me. With photography I find that I can cast a speculative eye on a subject - be it a bird or a landscape or a table setting - and find the best angle to present the image to my readers. It's fun to try and catch the light just right or to see if a tight zoom makes a difference to my shot. The world is my canvas, my camera is my tool of trade - and I never would have found this part of me if it were not for my foray into blogging.

But perhaps the biggest reward of blogging is that I now find myself looking at life with a different set of eyes - more watchful, more thoughtful, more appreciative. Little things I might have barely noticed before - a grasshopper perched on the mailbox, a startlingly bright moon, the sounds of a wren in the woods - pique one sense or another and make me itch to jot down a note or snap a picture, so as to celebrate that brief precious moment before it's gone. I'm grateful to have this sense of wonder - in every day there are so many gifts just there for the taking. I am glad my lifestyle allows me - and my children - to slow down and savor the world around us.

Well, I've kept you long enough for today, so I'll wrap things up for now ~ and if you've read this far I thank you! In Part 2 I will share the rest of my meeting notes, with information on: 

• Privacy issues (names, pictures, passwords)
• Finding an audience/connecting with other bloggers
• Maintaining a good attitude re blogging (i.e. the "grass is always greener" syndrome)
• Finding the TIME to blog
• Ideas on organizing a blog
• Making money with a blog
• Kids' blogs (more homeschool opportunities)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend - it's a long one for us (Bill has Monday off) and there's a lot of "to-do's" on my list. I'll be back again soon with part 2 ... in the meantime I would love to hear your thoughts on part 1, or any questions you might have for me. I will try my best to answer them as soon as I can.

Happy Blogging, Happy Reading, Happy Living! :)

First Pictures!

My new camera came yesterday - and I feel like I've recovered a lost limb, lol!

On my way down to grab the morning paper I took a few trial shots:

Clover glistening with dew.

Does anyone know if this is evening primrose?

Sedum, just starting to blush its autumn shade.

Did anyone see the Full Corn Moon last night? It was glorious!

(If you're wondering why this year's September's moon is a corn moon, as opposed to a harvest moon, read here.)

Labor Day plans ~ a cookout tomorrow with friends, and lots of puttering around the house otherwise. We start our homeschool year on Tuesday and I still have lots to do to get ready. I hope to get our front steps decked out tomorrow in mums, asters and mini pumpkins - possibly a cornstalk or two. Earlybird is quite excited for the premiere of Dino Train on Monday.

Not making picalilli this year but I may cook and freeze some spaghetti sauce if I have time. And I think a savory slowcooker chicken served with noodles and an apple cobbler will make a fine holiday meal. :) 

Hope your Labor Day weekend is safe and fun. See you all again very soon. :)

Good Wednesday Morning!

A couple of things while I have a moment ... 

A few readers have asked what kind of camera I am getting, so I wanted to post a link ~ it's basically the same camera I had before (a Sony Cyber-shot) but with a few more pixels this time. According to Amazon it should be here any day now. :)

Also, I've had lots of folks comment on the grapevine ball lights we have in our learning room. They are available again at Target and currently they are on sale. 

These twinkling lights will lend a cozy feel to our home as the days grow shorter and darker. I have them intertwined with an ivy garland I purchased at Michaels earlier this year.

Hope your week's going well! Don't forget the full "corn" moon on Friday ~ speaking of which, I have a "corny" little post to put up later this week. :)

While I wait for my new camera ...

... (which happily is on its way via USPS), I thought I'd dig into my files for a few pictures from Septembers past. I know it's kinda cheating, but hopefully I'll have new pictures to share before long ...

Labor Day Weekend is upon us ~ any special plans this year?

:)

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

(Taken by Me)

(Taken by the Boys)

Eyes on the Sky

I've been a little particular about letting the boys use my new digital camera since the last one bit the dust a few months ago. (It fell victim to some rather rigorous "Lego" filmmaking.) So now when they ask to use it, they know they have to have a pretty good reason for it - not just that the cat is being really cute or because the crazy squirrel's climbing the windowscreen again.

So, last evening, when Bookworm bounded up to me all excited and said ...

"Mum, can I please use your camera for a quick minute - PLEASE? You just can't believe the sunset tonight!"

... well, what could I do but hand it over? :)

A few minutes later Bookworm returned the camera to me (unscathed), but first he showed me the image he had just captured on the digital screen. As you can see above, it truly was a breathtaking sky.

My son looked at me proudly and said:

"Now that one's making the blog."

(But of course.)

You know, we mothers get all excited when our children show an interest in something. We can't help ourselves - their enthusiasm is catching! It's fun to watch, to wonder where it might go. It gets our parental wheels turning. So of course I found myself wondering - maybe Bookworm will be a naturalist some day, or a professional photographer? Perhaps he'll be interested in meterology, or maybe he'll develop an eye for color and become an artist?

Any of those things could happen, but maybe it's simpler than that. Maybe, he'll just grow up feeling in tune with the world around him, conscious of the day's subtle rhythm. As he matures and his life gets busier and more complex, I'd like to think that these little things will still grab his notice. That something as fleeting and ordinary as a sunset will still give him pause for thought.

It's not part of any lesson plan per se, but it is something I hope to pass on to my boys - an appreciation for the simple, little beauties of life. They're free for the taking, and they're always with us. You all know how often I post pictures of the sky here at my blog - whether it be sunny, snowy, shadowy, or somewhere in between. It's a constant that's always changing and it's always, if nothing else, interesting.

Well, I guess someone has been paying attention - I guess a few pairs of eyes have been following my own to the sky. And I guess, maybe, my own enthusiasm has been catching.

By the way, this evening's sunset is just as striking - Bookworm just called my attention to it.

Have a wonderful evening, my friends. :)

~*Dawn at Home*~

  dawn: n. The time each morning at which daylight first begins ...

I have always been a morning person, and I especially love that very first moment of the day, when night officially ends and the light returns. Have you ever noticed how, when and where the first rays of light enter your home? It's a neat moment to watch for - and right now, just days before we turn back the clocks, it's easy to catch it, even if you don't rise as early as we do. ;) It's still dark at 7:00!

But with autumn passing on, and winter fast approaching, every bit of that golden light is precious. I felt the need to capture it this morning as we settled into our day ...

 

The windows of my soul I throw wide open to the sun. ~ John Greenleaf Whittier

When fall comes to New England ...

This past weekend was so lovely ~ temps in the low 50s, a brilliant sky, and a chilly breeze overall. When fall comes to New England,* it's time to bundle up and get out there to enjoy nature's last dance of glory.

And where does one find fall at its best? Well, everywhere and anywhere, of course - within the deepest of woods, at the peak of the hills, and right inside our own garden gate.

I hope you enjoy these random autumn pictures, taken on family jaunts to the woods, the seaside, the fair and the farm ... and a very happy fall to you all.

It will not always be like this,
The air windless, a few last
Leaves adding their decoration
To the trees’ shoulders, braiding the cuffs
Of the boughs with gold; a bird preening

In the lawn’s mirror. Having looked up
From the day’s chores, pause a minute,
Let the mind take its photograph
Of the bright scene, something to wear
Against the heart in the long cold.

           ~ R.S. Thomas

*Please do take a moment to listen to Cheryl Wheeler's amazing song, When Fall Comes to New England. She is one of my favorite folk singers (introduced to me by my parents!), and her song - in a beautiful and sentimental way - captures the essence of autumn where I live. Click and enjoy. :)

A Quick Sunday Night Post ~

Consumed as I am with finishing the final chapters of Breaking Dawn (oh, my!), I still feel the need to put up a quick Sunday night post, so here are some random summer nature photos for you all (and yes, that would mean I finally found my lost photo-card-insert thingy - thank you, Bookworm!) ...

   

Big week coming up for us around here ~ VBS starts bright and oh-so-early tomorrow morning. I'll be back with a new post just as soon as possible. :)

Wordless Wednesday: Before (& After) the Storm

Wordless Wednesday ~ at the Aquarium