Tuesday, December 31, 2013

The Best of 2013- Posts & Reviews

It's been a busy year here and I have the blog posts to prove it.
As always, 
THANK-YOU
for reading this blog, my reviews, ramblings and guest posts as well as the kind words and encouraging comments you've left. Blogging has been a blast, cheap therapy and afforded amazing friends and crazy opportunities from all over the world. Thanks for being a part of mine.

In the spirit of New Year's Eve, I'm looking back before moving ahead and rounding up the most read posts of 2013.
Several posts were part of series:
5 Days of Teaching Creatively,
the Virtual Curriculum Fair and
5 Days of Nitty Gritty Homeschooling.
 
I'll be participating in more series this coming year, kicking off once again with the Virtual Curriculum Fair on Jan 6 and running every Monday in January, so stay tuned; there is good stuff coming! There were several Weekly Wrap-Ups that made the top 13, which I did not include. I follow a "7 Quick Takes" approach and they are kind of a mish-mash of thoughts, ideas and humor about our weekly life. I do hope you'll take a minute and click on some of the topic titles in my side-bar, including, "7 Quick Takes" and "Weekly Report." FYI: Each title below includes a link, so if you missed a post, click the link and read away.

By far, the most read post (4 times more read!) was Delight Directed Learning.
 
Going from there:
Discovering Patterns: How to Teach Logic, Math and Patterns
Word Play: How to Teach Language Arts
How to Keep It All Straight: Managing Your Homeschool


Reviews- we did a few- over 60 in fact; curriculum, books, movies, PDF's, and programs. The homeschooling world is becoming richer by the day and it was total joy to be up close and personal with so many great new products. Below I've listed the most viewed reviews of  2013.There's tons more, click "curriculum review" on my side-bar for more. And now, here they are:
Sentences and Art Lessons photo classicalconversationssentencesandartlessons_zps272de630.gif
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Pshew. It was a busy year, wasn't it, and it went by fast! My 97 year old Gram says, if you think it goes by fast now, wait till you're her age; you go to sleep at night and wake up to find it's 10 years later! There's more to come. And I always like to think that the best is yet ahead. Thanks for journeying with me, blogger friend! See you in the New Year!


@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Monday, December 30, 2013

Weeding out Wheat- BoB Review

 Weeding-Out-Wheat

For the most part our family has been on a version of the Elimination Diet since last May. Think sugar, dairy, legume, caffeine, gluten free with organic whatever is left. I'll be honest with you, most of it was pretty easy. We've always been a soda-free, sugar-lite family anyway, so the sugar was a no-brainer to part ways with. I've been allergic to dairy for forever, so giving that up was a piece of cake. The boys, not so much, and we continue to go through almond and coconut milk at the speed of sound. Caffeine, oy vey, I do love me some java, but since finding this I don't even miss it (which is saying a lot, but that's a whole different blog post).

Gluten, however, which is found in about everything, has been a bit more challenging. Especially when you live with a bunch of high metabolism men and boy who work out. As in, work out. They eat food, lots of it and if they don't get carbs and bulk they are 1) starving all of the time (as in, more than usual) and 2) snarly (due to point 1).

So, that's our back-story. This book piqued my interest because I wanted to hear from someone besides our amazing, local, crunchy chiropractor and Monsanto haters just what the scoop was with wheat. 'Cuase you know it's cheaper than couscous and quinoa, right? Easier to get, easy to cook with, bulk meals up and fill empty stomachs with. So, if there was a way around wheat free, I was all ready to replace my Bosch mixer, crank up the ovens and bake us some bread.

Well, here's the deal, according to authors Luke and Trisha Gilkerson; the wheat we get today is fundamentally different than the wheat of previous times. The Gilkerson's are Christians and they actually approach this Weeding out Wheat project from a Biblical perspective. As in, if wheat is the staff of life in the Bible, used in countless analogies in both the Old and New Testament, what's to worry about. Well quite a bit, thanks to modern farming techniques and practices.

So fundamentally different that the following can be considered wheat fed diseases: digestive problems, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, PMS, arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, infertility, miscarriages, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, anxiety, depression, autism, hyperactivity, schizophrenia, ADD, ADHD, weight gain, sleep disturbances, nutritional deficiencies, and tooth decay. The Gilkerson's explore and explain in detail how this could be and what you can do about it.

That's quite a list and I know what you are thinking; it's vague and comprehensive enough to mean almost anything. So, let me share with you how going wheat and gluten free has affected certain people in my own family. One of my kids has had "allergy" bruises under his eyes since forever; has been hyper sensitive, easily upset and frustrated, even more so since our house fire. Since early June those bruises under his eyes are g.o.n.e, he is much calmer, more focused and back to being his delightful, funny, engaging self of early years. I can actually always tell when he's been eating bread, because his frustration level sky-rockets. It is such a dramatic difference that HE can and is totally willing to show the self- discipline (most of the time) needed to feel better by not eating bread. As for me, my elbows are no longer "catching" and popping all of the time. These are the elbows I ruined hauling wood, that I thought would just hurt, snap, crackle and pop for the rest of  my life. Nope. Wheat gone, elbow pop, including pain, gone. Love that.

What you'll find in this book: the why and how of how wheat has changed, how it affects you and what you can do to change things up to eliminate the SAD from your life. At just around 100 pages, this is a fast and easy read. It will cause you to think, and possibly, re-evaluate, your own wheat eating practices.

Are you up for making some healthy changes in 2014? Weeding Out the Wheat is a great place to start.

As for us, we're committed to staying on our odd little dietary path, which includes wheat free living. We're in great company with others who are seeking out alternative answers to health issues, and are feeling better than ever.

 Want to know more? Author's Interview
 Luke and Trisha Gilkerson
Luke and Trisha are the primary authors behind IntoxicatedOnLife.com. Luke is the author of Christ in the Commandments and The Heart of Humility, devotional studies designed for families to read together. Trisha is the creator of the Write Through the Bible copywork series, workbooks designed to help kids practice handwriting and Bible memorization at the same time. They are also the authors of Weeding Out Wheattheir first book written together. Luke and Trisha are the proud parents of four crazy boys.
Read more about Luke and Trisha, or visit them on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.

Check out 15 grain-free and sugar-free dinner meals FREE from Intoxicated on Life.

3 Day Sale Weeding out the Wheat

Starting December 30th through January 1st – Weeding Out Wheat Kindle version will be on sale for $1.99.
Weeding out the Wheat

If you prefer a physical copy, from now until January 1 you can get it on sale for $9.95!

Bow of Bronze disclosure

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Saturday, December 28, 2013

True Believers



A little Sabbath inspiration to remind you of the real things from the man who can make his guitar and your heart sing, Phil Keaggy!

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Do You See What I See

Do you see?
The WalMart world of dirty floors and cheap plastic and people who walk around in slippers with their pants falling off?
Their teeth, and families and lives broken and worn by cares and worries they can't manage.
Do you smell the thick haze of stale tobacco and heart-ache as they breathe in your face, their cynical, bitterness barely disguising their panic, causing you to gag,

Do you see ?
 The beautiful people whose lives consist of selfies and whatever they can grab on their way out. The sun-glassed, glossed and tanned hipsters with their tats and pierced cartilage and pierced hearts.
They promise everything and deliver nothing; using you and enslaving your children to feed their souls and pocketbooks.
They'll take all that you have and leave you for dead. Do you see their heart of corruption and feel the death of usury?

Do you see?
The family that is broken. everyone gone their separate ways, the love and sacrifice and laughter forgotten and mocked. Hardened hearts and hurt fed by lies and rumors and gossip and the bitter relative who didn't get their own way. They leave you broken and battered, smug with self-satisfaction.

Do you see the putrid stench and quivering rot and dirty filth that permeates everything?
It's disgusting. Really.

Way off. There in the distance. There's a pin-point of light.
Do you see it?  The light. A path. A narrow way?
I look and see and the light compels me. The path is clear. I follow.
And the light becomes bigger, blinding. My fears and prejudices and despair and haughtiness are burned away.
I want only what's ahead.
The smell of rottenness is replaced by clover and hay, the clean smell of sheep and scratchy wool.

That light, it leads to a humble place where the lowly live. The rush and pushing and striving are gone.
 It's just the shepherds and the sheep and the hay.
And there, amidst the light that makes all things clear, is a place of peace.
There is a man and a woman, young and strong, and a baby.
Innocent and sweet, he smells of fresh hay and hope.

And I look at Him and see.
And he sees me.
He is a baby, young and innocent, but also old and wise.
He is Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God, the Everlasting Father,
the Prince of Peace.

Do you see? Do you see who has come?
God with us.
Emmanuel.


Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Belén: noviembre 2011

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. ~Isaiah 11:6-9


@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Clutter Free Christmas

Holiday Humor - Fleece Navidad - Christmas sheep
memesomething.com

The 5 Gifts of Meaning
Clutter Free Stocking Stuffers
Christmas humor!


@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Sunday, December 15, 2013

The Attitude Towards Truth

...Satisfaction plays the key role in many contemporary accounts of human floursihing. Satisfaction is a from of experience, and experiences are generally deemed to be matters of individual preference. Everyone is the best judge of their own experience of satisfaction. To examine whether a particular experience fits into a larger account of the world is already to risk relativizing its value as an experience. If those who understand human flourishing as expeienctial satisfaction happen to be religious, their faith sheds its powerto orient people and is reduced to a  servant of experiential satisfaction, which is a major malfunction of faith. From being revered as the "Creator and the Master of the Universe," who by their very identity defines who human beings are and how they should live, God is then transformed into something like a combination of "Divine Butler" and "Cosmic Therapist"

....My point isn't that it would be impossible to offer a plausible interpretation of reality- "plausible," I write, not "true"!- Into which an account of human flourishing as experienital satisfaction could nestle comfortably. It is that many today would not care whether they live with or against the grain of reality. They want what they want, and that they want it is a sufficient justification for wanting it. Arguments about how their desires fit with the more encompassing account of reality- how they relate to"human nature," for instance -are simply beside the point.

~Miroslav Volf in Covenant and Hope: Christian and Jewish Reflection

John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free...

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Christmas Count-down

*1*
 OT/Ancient Egypt HS Kit w/CD
School this week went by the list:  IXL, Veritas Press Bible time-line cards, World Mag, Drawing, Spelling City; Saxon, Perplexors, Learn Math Fast. First Language Lessons.
 
The kids latest book to be passionate about has been D'Aulaire's Norse Myths. It's rather morbidly compelling. Flower continues to compare it to the Greek Myths and has decided that the Greeks are more obvious s*xpots, but the Norse have dark side that is entirely creepy. Good old classical ed. Gotta love it.
*2*
 
We are thrilled to be undertaking a new opportunity -Organo Gold - because we just weren't busy enough. But I love and believe in this stuff enough that busy doesn't count so much. Seriously, I've been drinking the Green Tea since May and I am off all medications and the insomniacs are sleeping better (that, my friends is worth almost any price!). You know the adage; one good med leads to another, and that was certainly the case for me. Plus, the med never really seemed to solve anything. So, good-bye little white pills that require blood drawn way to often and hello good stuff! The key ingredient (surprise!) has been linked to managing autism, cancer, ADHD, insomnia, high blood pressure, etc. It's not a miracle cure, but a key player in healthy living. Bring it on - and let me know if you'd like to hear more.

*3*
Charlie Brown Christmas
Busy week-end with a viewing of The Hobbit, a Jr. High Teen Night, Ballroom Dancing, an early morning breakfast, and a few gift exchanges. Flower is the left behind kiddo these days but we've had some fun times going to girly places and Christmas shopping. She is busy wrapping, whispering and planning and she has a great gift idea for Cub that she wouldn't mind sharing, btw ; )

*4*
Blog love this week: 2 amazing give-aways- have you signed up yet, cause there is still time!
Timberdoodle $250 Gift-Certificate
Mere Christianity Mega Give-Away!    $800 in prizes!
Take $5 off every Learn Math Fast order by using the code "golden."

Don't forget to check out my regular every Monday series: Nitty Gritty. Recent posts:
Life Warning: It's more than you can handle
Christmas Card Craft
Nitty Gritty Words
*5*
Sadly, our kitty who got caught in the mayo jar died last night. Flower was beside herself. Somehow, little kitty and sub-zero temps just aren't a winning combo, no matter how much tlc is administered. Please, do not send a live sympathy cat -or kitten- to console her (you know who you are ; ). Not till spring, anyway.
*6*
santas favorite christmas forest wreath
Blogger buddy Jenn at RAQ always has cool give-aways going on and I won a beautiful Christmas wreath! It came in the mail today and it is every bit as beautiful and fragrant and lovely as pictured.
 
*7*
Miss this humor...
My fall back name is George. What's yours?

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Calvin and the Babysitter


 
Found this in the dining room.

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Christmas Books -

Since so many of you have already filled out the Christmas Books Round-Up form -- here's the graphic for you, too :)

Books and Short Stories & Biblical Accounts
The Biblical Account of Jesus' Birth: Luke 2:1- 20 (NKJV). Make it a seasonal tradition to read it out loud together.
Isaiah 9:1-6, The Promised Son
Mary's Magnificat: Luke 1:46-55
The 24 Days Before Christmas by Madeline L'Engle; an Austen family advent story.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by by Barbara Robinson. A beautiful reminder of what Christmas is all about.
The Gift of the Magi, by O.Henry- a sweet short story about sacrificial love.
Christmas Short Stories by Louisa May Alcott from the author of Little Women.
Home for Christmas, The Wild Christmas Reindeer, Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve by Jan Brett. I've been a long time fan of Brett's artwork. Simply lovely, with sweet stories to go with. You are never too old for a good kid's book, eh?
Take Joy: the Tasha Tudor Christmas Book by Tasha Tudor. More lovely art-work and all things Christmas
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Read the classic.
Of course the Advent  Trilogy by Arnold Ytreeide :Jotham's Journey, Bartholomew's Passage, and Tabitha's Travels.
The Nutcracker- best enjoyed at the ballet, but a fun holiday tradition.


@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Life Warning: It's More Than You Can Handle


 
I had a conversation with a 50 year old-ish acquaintance recently who was sharing that in the past year her older brother, younger sister and dog of 17 years had died. Just a few weeks ago, her cat died. She concluded this list of losses, by apologetically stating, "But, God does not give you more than you can handle."


  I don't agree. I flat out disagree. I think that's a lie of religion and bad theology.

Having had a few years of overwhelming loss myself, I think I can safely, from experience say, that God often allows us to experience more than we can handle. To think that he wouldn't, that He would keep us safely ensconced in Christian nice-ville, is one of the current heresies of our age.
Another friend of mine has severely disabled child. It's their fourth. Another friend has a traumatically disabled child. It's their sixth, and adopted. Two of her other children also have disabilities, and she cares for her disabled sister. We know people with devastating medical bills, financial stresses that no amount of work will fix (hello, socialized medicine), those who are overwhelmed by homeschooling and on and on. Can these people handle it? Not really, no. They cope. They cry out. They pray for their Kinsmen-Redeemer (that would be the Lord, y'all) to make a way, they get depressed (lots of the faithful did and do). They carry on.

The first gal mentioned says she feels vunerable and weak now, in a way that she never did before her fourth, disabled daughter, was born. My second friend laughs instead of crying. I blog.

And here's the deal. The world will offer simple platitudes: quit having more kids; put your disabled sister in a home, don't adopt the orphan who would die without a family to care for her, the school system is just fine; get a job, live the status-quo, quit acting like what's normal isn't good enough for you (homeschooling insult #37), let someone else take care of it, don't bother, save for retirement, think about yourself, live the dream.
Someone commented that being weak and vulnerable is a great place to meet Jesus. When we are strong we don't spend a lot of time seeking. We have it going on. Dont' get me wrong. I love competency. One of my biggest struggles the last 1/2 decade is that I've been thrown into one area after another in which I am not competent. I've been on the upward slope of an incessant learning curve. It's been painful, hard, exhausting work. I hate that.  And frankly, people are not kind towards the incompetent and faltering. Because, they reason, (read justify), if I can make a go of it, why can't you? Because, they reason, how did you get to be this old and not know this stuff yet?

The deal is that houses burn, healthy people have disabled babies, siblings and parents die young, pets don't live forever, adoption agencies lie in desperate situations, faithful people take risks, and there are no guarantees about outcomes.
The story of Gladys Alward, former Christian missionary to China, recounts a touching and tragic tale. Jennie Lawson, her mentor in China, who trail blazed the the work before Gladys arrived, had a Chinese helper who became a Christian. At one point, Jennie, her helper and their church was rounded up by the Communists and told to recant their faith in Christ. They refused. The terrorists took the family of Jennie's helper- his wife and children- locked them into a hut in front of them, and burned them alive. He was forced to stand helplessly by and watch, hearing the cries of his family as they burned, begging God to intervene.

That, my friends, was more than he could handle. He did not recant his faith, but he was never really o.k. after that. My guess is that if it were now, we would say he had PTSD and clinical depression. But really, what he had was a case of devastating loss, incredibly cruelty and a mortal brain that could not fathom what God would mean by this for him- in other words a case of far more than he could handle. We live in such a dressed up, clinically sterile church in America, we forget that suffering is the way of the Cross. We forget that God makes all things new. But in order to do that, we have to offer him the old, the worn-out, the devastated, the mess, the heart-ache, the bills, the disease.

The fall of our house fire Dr. Dh had started teaching the book of Job to a group of young men. They joked every week about how our life was so "Job-like". It was funny to a point, but hard to live it. And it just kept getting more intense. The reality is that God allows Satan to sift the faithful. And if you consider yourself faithful and have never been sifted, or are not currently being sifted, I would encourage your to reconsider your status as, "faithful." I'm not encouraging you to find debt or disease just for the sake of it, but I am saying maybe you need to take more risks for your faith. Quite living so safely.

God loves the weak and vulnerable. He is tenderhearted towards those who can't handle it. He redeems them. And when we have more than we can handle, He steps in and makes a way. When we are overwhelmed by circumstances and choices and bizarre happenings in our life and are miraculously redeemed, we know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was not of ourselves, but the Lord, who acted on our behalf.

Prov 3:34- God opposes the proud, but gives favor to the humble.

The Message (MSG) 2 Corinthians 4:5-6
Remember, our Message is not about ourselves; we’re proclaiming Jesus Christ, the Master. All we are is messengers, errand runners from Jesus for you. It started when God said, “Light up the darkness!” and our lives filled up with light as we saw and understood God in the face of Christ, all bright and beautiful.

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Monday, December 9, 2013

Nitty Gritty Christmas Card Tree Christmas Craft


 
Making a homemade tree is a great way to practice recycling! Use last year’s recycled cards and make trunks out of discarded pine branches.
Materials
Good sized pine branch either from your yard or nearby woods. It should have smaller branches, looking almost like a miniature tree.  (Often places selling Christmas trees will have piles of discarded branches to choose from.)
Small pots, discarded coffee mugs, or medium to large disposable cups
Potting soil or earth from your yard
Pencil
Scissors or craft knife
Spiral paper clips
Cookie cutters of stars, Christmas trees and circles
Red, white and green construction paper or scrap booking papers in christmas colors and designs
Last year’s Christmas cards
String
Red, white, or green ribbons (if desired)
Christmas crystals
Colored pencils or markers
Christmas stickers
• White glue
Introduction
Use last year’s Christmas cards to make this year’s craft!  At Christmas we often ask what we can get under the tree. Often, we forget to ask what we can do in return!  One thing we know we can do is take care of the planet. So instead of wasting and spending lots of money, let’s recycle and still make  a craft that is cool and fun!
Instructions
1. Place the branches in the containers and fill with soil so that they are sufficiently heavy that the branch will stand up.
2. Use cookie cutters to draw stars, circles, and Christmas trees on construction/scrapbooking paper, and then cut out the designs.
3. Use front cover of old Christmas cards to make small folded cards.  Fold a front cover in half (or whatever size you prefer – mini cards are super cute!!!!).  The design should be on the front and back, with the inside blank.
4. Paste your cut out pieces on the cards (inside and outside if desired). Use markers or colored pencils to decorate, and for extra sparkle, sprinkle some Christmas glitter on glue. Card can also be decorated using pieces of red or green ribbons glued around the edges, and with Christmas crystals, stickers, etc. Use your imagination!
5. On each card write a message of love and a Christmas prayer. Use paper clips to “hang” the cards on the tree. You can borrow quotes from the old Christmas cards if you need inspiration!  The important part of this project is to be creative and put a some of YOU into it! :D
Conclusion
Tell your parents to save this year’s Christmas cards! We’ll make something else fun next year, while saving a tree on our beautiful planet.
Mary Kate Warner
Mary-Kate is a regular blogger at Christianity Cove ( http://www.christianitycove.com/).  You can often find her writing about Christian Motherhood, Homeschool Teaching, Bible Study and Sunday School Activities, Faith and inspiring children to love God.
@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Saturday, December 7, 2013

Mere Christianity Education Give-Away!

This is the review that I just could not turn down. We love C.S. Lewis and have read most of his books, some several times, and I try to read something by him every year. Soon, I'll be sharing with you about the Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal. Oh baby! This is great stuff but you'll just have to wait to hear more about it. Until then, I am super excited to share one of the best give-aways of the year! Two blessed people will win a boat-load of amazing educational supplies and materials. My only regret about being part of the launch team is that I'm not eligible to sign up for the prizes myself. But YOU are! Check it out!


The Home School Adventure Co. Launch Team is excited to help celebrate the release of the Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal with a special giveaway filled with books that will compliment your classical studies, as well as a couple of special surprises.  

The best news is that there will be two winners, each receiving a very valuable prize package!  


We would like to thank the following friends for their generous sponsorship of this giveaway! Be sure to stop by their websites to say thank you!


Institute for Excellence in Writing
Nancy Pearcey
Trivium Pursuit
Bright Ideas Press
Raising Real Men

Here are the prize packages you could win! 



Prize Package #1

Our first prize package contains all of the print resources from Home School Adventure Co., as well as wonderful books, curriculum, and even a marriage retreat. This prize package, sponsored by the Institute for Excellence in Writing, Nancy Pearcey, and Trivium Pursuit, has a value of $500!

Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal $28.95
Philosophy Adventure - Pre-Socratics Complete Set $89.95
Philippians in 28 Weeks ESV $28.95
The Wise Woman with Literaray Analysis Journal Questions $28.95

IEW Teaching Writing/Student Writing Value Pack (Winner's Choice of Levels A, B, or C) $249

The Soul of Science $11.99
Total Truth $25.00
Saving Leonardo $26.99

Teaching the Trivium Christian Homeschooling in a Classical Style $20.40
The Fallacy Detective $22
The Thinking Toolbox $22


Prize Package #2

Our second prize package is filled with all of the resources offered at Home School Adventure Co. in their downloadable editions, as well as a set of all 3 volumes of The Mystery of History by Linda Hobar. This prize package, sponsored by Bright Ideas Press and Raising Real Men, has a value of $300! 

Mere Christianity Critical Analysis Journal Download $18.95
Philosophy Adventure - Pre-Socratics Digital Download $39.95
Philippians in 28 Weeks ESV Download $14.95
The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Journal Questions Download $14.95

The Mystery of History, Volume I $49.95
The Mystery of History Volume II $49.95
The Mystery of History Volume III $59.95

My Beloved and My Friend book and Marriage Retreat Online $45
Pollyanna Audio Book Download $18

To enter, use the Rafflecopter below. Residents of the U.S., age 18 and older please.

a Rafflecopter giveaway Toggle screen reader support Anonymous Rhino has joined the document.


@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Friday, December 6, 2013

WR: Baby, It's Cold Outside!

*1*
Found one of our kittens head first and stuck fast in a plastic mayo jar, in the near 0 temps outside, meowing piteously. The other cats were all around her, meowing compassionately. Cat Rescue 911 entailed cutting the end off the jar, at which point she tried to crawl through some more. The rim of the plastic was thicker than the rest of the jar so between the frantic, wriggly cat, the kids trying to hold and calm the cat and dh trying to cut the rim of the jar and not the cat it took a while to release the beast. 1/2 hour later, pitiful kitten is free of mayo jar and purring like an engine.
GG FB post 12/5/13

*2*
White Christmas is de rigour holiday viewing 'round here.
I love this dance scene with Vera Ellen. Talk about skill and passion coinciding.
"I don't remember if I liked [dancing] because I was good at it, or if I was good at it because I liked it. Maybe a little of both." - Vera Ellen.

*3*
Have I got a deal for you....
Picture
Cub is working through a lesson a day in Learn Math Fast Algebra 1. I think I've talked this program up a lot, but it's because it's solid math that is not intimidating. Winning combo! Now, through the end of the year, if you use the code, "golden", you'll get $5 off your entire LMF order.

I also have 3 Devotions in Torah sets to give away. This are terrific devo guides for the book of Genesis and Exodus. Read my entire review and sign up here.

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Math also included VP timeline cards, IXL, Vocab/Spelling City, PreScripts, The People of Ancient Israel by Dorothy Mills. For Advent we are reading Tabitha's Travels.

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Had a Hanukkah Celebration with our Hebraic Study Group. Fun times. Great teaching by Laurie, worship, lighting of the candles, great latkes by Judy, deserts, and a rousing game of dreidel, complete with gelt hoarding. We celebrated the last night at home together, dreidel spinning and eating donuts. Given our diet, my kids rejoiced over the obvious partee food. A fun time was had by all.
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Have I mentioned the weather yet? No? Because I'm in denial. Because it's winter here. Hard, cold, dark, freezing winter. Dr. Dh didn't make it to work today due to severe drifting- it was just plain unfit for man and beast out. Which is why all of the animals are on a porch; dog on front, cats on back. I'm surrounded.
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Best FB forward of the week:
Dirty Mind of a SAHM's photo.
Great advice during hibernation season, right?

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!

Thursday, December 5, 2013

WW-Cowboy Christmas

Dr. Dh had a lead on a nearby ranch (all the way away, across the Missouri, in NE), that hosts an annual "Cowboy Christmas."
Complete with real horses
 
Outlaws
 
Rope slinging cowboys

Cute Kids (mine!)

horse wrangling

Model T's

 
Hay Mazes
And buggy rides.
There was also a barn full of Christmas crafts, popcorn and hot cider. It was perfect weather- mid-40's and sunny. The last week-end of Autumn, right before the winter storm and Arctic air hit.

@Golden Grasses 2008-2013. All photographs, artwork and text are the property of the owner unless otherwise stated. Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to Golden Grasses and get our articles right to your inbox!