Can you guess what I am up to?  On the hunt for more art journal/scrapbooking inspiration. So far I found this and this and then this.   Hope your weekend is beautiful. : )

   Today was the day. Does anyone else follow the funnies like I do?  Every time the paper arrives I run through the same sequence: first For Better or Worse, then Funky Winkerbean, then Baby Blues, and Zits.  You have pretty much got life’s whole spectrum right there.  Today you got the end of life’s spectrum when Funky’s Lisa Moore died from a breast cancer recurrence. It’s the funnies. It’s not real. Still, I sorta got a knot in my stomach opening the paper the last couple weeks watching her move through chemo and then hospice care. The story was compelling. It hits home because an old friend of mine was recently diagnosed with breast cancer herself. I worry.

This is a fictional account of many people’s real life. None of us gets out of here alive of course, but sadly, many of us go way too soon. Funky Winkerbean’s artist/author has established Lisa’s Legacy to help those living this story today.   Lisa’s Story – The Other Shoe is a compilation of the strips where can catch the whole story if you missed it in the paper this year.   

Gosh, I LOVE to teach.  LOVE love LOVE to teach my kids… my kids and their friends…my kids and co-op’ers…    This is such a tremendous joy and it is a blessing to find others who are as enthusiastic about learning. Dr Jean is one of those people. Her site is chock full of great ideas for multisensory educational ideas. If you hover over any of the left sidebar subtitles you will link to many activities across the curriculum. Give yourself some time. You will be here awhile. <g>

Alice and Meredith tagged me for the  Blogger Reflections award and I must issue public apologies that I have taken so long to thank them.  An author I am reading these days has said "The unexamined life is not worth living."  To that he added that the unlived life is not worth examining and I have to voice my hearty agreement. Blogging has helped me to reflect upon my life and my decisions and to articulate those for others. Living that life and making those decisions takes time, however, and I don’t want to miss a thing.

Many of my favorite blogs have been tagged for this award which "should make you reflect on five bloggers who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, or have been a Godly example to you. Five Bloggers who when you reflect on them you get a sense of pride and joy… of knowing them and being blessed by them."  Here are a few you might enjoy:

Once again I have to tag the Lady of Virtue, even if we haven’t had coffee irl yet. : )  If you haven’t visited in a while do go for some encouragement and excellent resources. I think Sherry tagged me in recent weeks as well. Agh. I am so behind.  Apologies!!

Although Donna at Christopherus and I come from different theological backgrounds her insight about who children are and how we can best help them grown are challenging and inspiring to me.

Stacy MacDonald reminds women daily of their Sacred Calling. She is convicting!

My friend Lynne’s musical family is featured in this article in the Sacramento Bee. (I hope one of those links works! The first has the pics) Lynne and I have been on the same little homeschooling list for over a decade now.  I can proudly say I knew her when she had just a wee, bitty family of say, less than half a dozen kids. : )  She is amazing – truly.  She is an incredibly gifted, creative woman who loves children and trusts them to learn.  Lynne has been my inspiration for a lotta years. <g>  You go girl!  Great article!

Hey all, I know some of you are wondering about whether your comment was posted or not. By and large the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Just not right on the spot. We have enabled comment moderation.  While one is free to say pretty much whatever one would like to in one’s own space, they are not free to say just anything in this space. Discussion is welcome, unpleasantries are not. Expletives are deleted without reservations. We are here to share our journey with family and friends, not looking for an argument. If something here is helpful then by all means enjoy. If it is not, then we understand that too. Let’s agree to disagree. : )

We just don’t like to come home and discover nasty mail from those who do not value children, bottom line. So please bear with us and please continue to share your thoughts. They have been a blessing, time and again. Thanks!

Donna asked what few resources I would recommend.  I like the Oak Meadow Teacher Process bk a LOT. Kind of does for Waldorf what Hainstock does for Montessori – the reader’s digest, no frills (ie no mysticism) version.  I like the OM book because it stresses teacher frame of mind. Its a bit heavy on the psychobabble but the principles – making smooth transitions, setting yourselves up for success, being fully present in the moment – are all valid and vital. Its also a one-stop shop for directions for painting, knitting, crochet, voice, and storytelling. Don’t buy it new. There are some good OM yahoo groups and the book is easy to come by there.

I have some pseudo-Waldorf materials that are working here.  Form drawing is written about in rather esoteric terms on Waldorf sites. Personally I think Donna Young’s exercises are darn good and free. : )  Fearon has a series of Perceptual–Motor Skills Development books we are collecting. (all separate titles linked there).  The materials can be made at home and they are ready to go.

Block study really is unit study or thematic study. There are lots of resources for that on the net. Any good book which highlights feast days and recurrent festivals for one’s faith work fine. For us that would be things like the Catholic Mosaic or A Year with God from CHC. CM nature study like I said.

Watercolor is a staple of Waldorf schools and for me the best help thus far was this image collection coupled with a stack of paper and paints. Trial and error.  More sample work from various subject is found here. A curriculum overview here gives a quick summation of grade school topics. There are a plethora of Waldorf inspired toy sites with some lovely wooden toys. We are keeping an eye out at the thrift store. Melissa and Doug (sidebar) toys are the same type.

That would do it for me right now. I don’t like to wander off into the spiritual aspects, nor can I spend a bunch, but I do find the gentle parenting guidance to be exceptionally good. I am finding that the nature appreciation is extending to homemaking here and the whole thing is having a calming effect as we move into fall. We have incorporated more earthy tones and natural fibers. Dried floral arrangements are more appealing to me than silk.  I would like to pick up some pine cones and some twig balls for display. But I digress…. ; )  Seriously it is more about slowing down, embracing what is natural and REAL. Real food, real materials, real books, real interaction, real life. Don’t spend a lot. Did I mention that? <g>

Elizabeth has linked to more here. She includes all of Lissa’s Waldorf thoughts at Lilting House – which pretty much articulate my own.

On Monday Aug. 20 we are hosting the Living Lives of Loveliness Fair. This fair focuses on the Loveliness of Back to School Supplies and Lesson Planning. Whether you are a detailed daily planner or a serendipity driven homeschooler we would love to get a peek into your "office" this month!  What is on your school shopping list? How do you envision your days this year? What worked well last year and what will you be doing differently? What are the old standby’s your family returns to over again? Are you a Montessori mom? A CM-er? A unit study family?  A traditional bunch?  Unschoolers? No two families are alike and no two homeschools either. It will be a treat to see what your family will be up to!

Please send your posts to me at kimallenf@elpasotel.net by Sunday Aug. 19 if possible. I will compile and post with the Ranch Hands’ plans on that Monday morning.

Since I am in and out this week I am sharing links

Bottle Biology – way cool stuff I found via the Playschool list.  Almost makes me wish we drank soda ; )  Alas I will have to track down some bottles!

Modern Country (blog)  The only thing more fascinating than American country decorating is Euro-country decorating. I am on a rabbit trail these days since Shayne proposed an intercontinental magazine swap (thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!)  This site struck me especially because I was an exchange student to the Netherlands one summer in high school and stayed in Northern Holland which is where this blogger appears to be.

Lilinath is a French blog.  I have no idea what she is saying : )   Nice pics though!

Aidan: Hey Mom?  Was everything gray when you were little?

Me: No, dear.

Aidan: Oh, because on tv the old movies are always gray. And the pictures in the albums are gray too.

Me: That’s because they didn’t know how to make color pictures yet.

Aidan: Oh.  Well did you hafta have candles and stuff?

Me: No, dear. We had electricity.  ((Thank you Mr. Edison. ; ))

Aidan: Oh, Well, were the dinosaurs still alive then?

Me:(hurrumphing) Um, no, dear. They died out just a smidge before Mommy.

Aidan: Oh.

Aidan:Hey, Mom?

Me: Yes, Aidan?

Aidan: Are you losing weight?

Me:(really hurrumping now) Ummm, what makes you ask? (she says with her breath held)

Aidan: I think you are.

Save. ; )  I guess we’ll keep him.