Tuesday, September 2, 2008

On Canning, Curriculum & Growing Old

This week I've canned. A lot. It's a good feeling when it's all said and done and a hot and tiring one in the midst of it all. So far we have applesauce, apple butter, rhubarb and strawberry jam, jalapeno pepper jelly, apple/chocolate mint jelly, plum sauce, salsa, bruschetta. In the freezer is pesto, corn, shredded carrots and zucchini and green beans. I've also dried camomile, chocolate mint, parsly and basil. Next up are pickles and I'm experimenting with making rhubarb leather. I don't have high hopes. Rhubarb is still rhubarb no matter what you do to it.
Today was Day 2 of school. I had Cub start on IEW's Student Writing Intensive "A." He loved the video but broke down when it came to writing sentences from his key word outlines. We'll pick it up tomorow and keep going. I love IEW and I deeply appreciate Andrew Pudewa. Andrew Pudewa is one of my mentors in life. He has mentored me in writing, classical education and teaching children. I love their catalog. I love working for them. They are a quality company with quality people and quality products. If you don't know about IEW and want to know more about writing , thinking or teaching, check them out at www.excellenceinwriting.com.

The littles are loving Leigh Lowes' Prima Latina as well as "Drive Through American History." A friend gave us a copy (thank-you Cyndi-you rock!) and it is a hoot! Quirky and fun with lots of history- my kinda of curriculum!

Viking Man and I were talking last night about a young friend who just got married at 22. Same age as we were. Wow. Seems so darn young! We started reflecting on how glad we both were to not be 22 anymore!! But D asked me, "What advice would the "you" now give to the "you" back then. We both thought about it for a long time. The two pieces of advice that we both agreed on, "Draw closer to God and seek after Him more passionatly," and "Don't take people/situations/things so seriously" - be more light hearted. A lot of the rest of it we had to live and grow through so I'm not sure how far advice would have taken us. We still talk to friends that we knew back in the day and it is nice to know that people saw/see the art in us, no matter how young, old, foolish or wise. I guess I'm old enough now to be considered the "wife of my husband's youth" though I must admit he looks an awful darn more youthful than I do-
lucky me !!

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