Mundane Superheros

*1*

Remember Amy Dacyzyn of Tightwad Gazetteer Fame? I remember reading an interview where the reporter, in exasperation, asked Amy when she would do something frugal. Amy replied, do you want to take a picture of us driving around McDonald's and NOT going in?  Her point was that a frugal life-style was just as much about what you don't do as what you do do. I think about that a lot as we homeschool. We had a great homeschooling week. We got a TON done for school this week. Not only that the house is tidy, the laundry caught up, and dinner's were shared at the table.
And then I go to write it all down and it sounds so mundane. We did math. Pages blahblahblah through blahblahblah. We did this. We did that. We did x.
And part of the reason we get so much done, on the weeks that we do,  is because of what we don't do. We live 2 miles past the middle of nowhere so on the days that we are home during the week; we are home. We also don't watch T.V. Both of these things free up a lot of time to do stuff like tons of academics. I'm not saying we do all of the time. We get distracted. We get side-tracked. We need mental health days. But sometimes we hit a great stride and just knock it out of the park. I love that feeling.

*2*

The on-line classes that Cub and Feeche are taking are 1 1/2 hour long. That has really chewed through a chunk of our 3 days at home. So I've made everybody a personalized weekly check off list (at first Cub thought it was to be accomplished DAILY and he totally freaked!)
English, Math, Science, Latin, History, Lit, Memory Work, Italic, Work-out, Chores. Ka-Bam.

(Bill Nye, the Science Guy)

Ran into our old friend Bill Nye on YouTube this week and the kids had a fun time learning Science from one of the  most entertaining science guys around. Bill. Nye.

*3*

Susan Wise Bauer

Reading fools that we are we have tackled History of the Medieval World as a read-aloud. It's History, right, but Susan Wise Bauer has such a conversational tone, dry wit and excellent way of presentation  that it's story time. As "Booklist" states on the cover of the 700 + page tome, "She (Wise Bauer) writes briskly and interpretively, and is attuned throughout to the challenge of rulers: appearing to the ruled as legitimate holders of power." Flower, especially, has been a bit horrified at the lengths that some will go to to establish their divine right to rule. I appreciate Bauer's wit during such delicate tales.

We are also reading Scribe of Shakespeare, the sequel to last week's read, Shakespeare Stealer. Delightful stories. And a good light read in contrast to HOMW.

*4*



I have picked up Dorothy Sayers, "Strong Poison." I used to love Agatha Christie's books way back in the day and I've had Sayers on the bookshelf for awhile. Sayers use of language is lovely and beautiful. I'm already intrigued. And she was an Inkling, and wrote on Classical Ed, The Lost Tools of Learning, what's not to love?

*5*



(Domino Magazine)

I have been busy planning the garden. We have all the usual suspects listed and then some. I want to plant more berry bushes and might try red currants. I'm curious to see whether any of the berry bushes or asparagus from last year made it through the winter. Kale is one of our new veggie for the year. My friend Gala gave us a bunch she grew last summer and it's great dried or frozen, in soups and sandwiches and packed with vitamins. I'm hoping my crop does as well as hers did. We're also going to try turnips and sweet potatoes.
The edible landscape will expand with currents or maybe elderberries. One of the hivers said elderberries are invasive so we might put them back where the about to be terminated chicken shed is.
The eggplant is a keeper and the beets- well, KB likes them so I'll plant a few for her. To me they smell like dirt, feel like dirt and, regardless of the different ways I tried to cook them, taste like dirt. I just haven't grown out of my childhood dislike for them, despite their being great for your heart.
I'm also going to try sauerkraut.
What are you planning on growing this summer?

I think we're going to try chickens again this year. We're going to use our old tramp frame (the tramp itself melted in the fire) to make a chicken tractor. Last year we had a horrible grasshopper infestation - I mean, they were eating everything in site. We finally put poison down but it didnt' kill them off and you know they laid eggs. Chickens to the rescue. Have I mentioned my dislike of chickens? They are fine in theory but up close and personal- not so much imho. I am so not an animal person.

*6*

We had the house appraised this week and the appraiser said that it was the unfinished 2nd floor bathroom that is really in need of attention more than anything else.  Time to start looking (again) at tile patterns in order to tile the shower surround, with built in shower shelves.We decided we're going to use the large 1'square tile we already own and just get geometric with it rather than invest in different tile.
I would like to clone the man for a couple  days a month and get some light fixtures and mirrors in bathrooms installed. It's all the little things- there are so very many of them at this point.

*7*

It was nice out again this week and we were able to get some great walks in. 4 miles in 2 days.

 KB and Ruth have been my walking buds. Willing to slow down if I need it, speed up when I can and take time from their busy lives to go with me. They are a couple of my superheros.

Love that.

How was your week?