Welcome to My Morning

Some of my readers may know that I have three cats: Fermata, Kit, and Chopin. The oldest is Fermata and he very much enjoys his morning job of waking the “food lady.” When this video was sent to my daughter by a friend from church choir, I couldn’t believe how accurate it was (aside from the baseball bat, of course). If you have a cat alarm clock, take a peek at this short piece from YouTube. I expect you will be nodding your head in recognition.

If you would like to meet my alarm clock, click here.

Some Shoreline Ringing for Christmas

Finally, the Words

Have you ever wondered what the complete lyrics were to the Ukranian Bell Carol? I did...and I found them today on YouTube! For your enjoyment (as well as mine):



Merry Christmas!

Squirrel for Christmas!

Yippee! After more than a month of trying to trap the squirrels in our attic (at last count, three or four), I believe my husband may have removed the last one. This morning after breakfast and gifts, we heard some thumping in the attic just above the kitchen table, the exact location of the HavaHart® live animal trap. When the noise became louder and more agitated, we knew we had succeeded in sequestering a varmint. Hopefully, prayerfully, this is the end of the squirrel saga.

Of course, trapping a squirrel is never good enough for my husband, aka Elmer Fudd. No, before carting the pest off to the woods/park a few miles from our home, my darling spouse decided to introduce Mr. Squirrel to our three cats. The two oldest were wise enough to keep their distance. Chopin, the youngest, wasn’t quite as bright. He very cautiously ventured up to the cage a couple of times, pupils dilated, ears forward, ready to pounce (or run) as the situation dictated. Chopin and the rodent both jumped at least once, startled by the movement/presence of the other. No one was injured.

Curiosity satisfied (for cat and owner), Sir Rodent was taken to his new abode, the exact location where we deposited his “girlfriend” a few days ago. Maybe they will find each other in the big woods by the school and populate the local area with even more furry houseguests. I can’t wait. Perhaps if I throw away the “Squirrels Welcome” sign on my open soffit, they will wander down Gooseberry Lane to another bed and breakfast that is more hospitable to rodents. Alas, all that awaits them here is a trap.

Time for Those Thank You Notes!

Now that the holiday gift giving is over, the time for thank-you notes has arrived. I used to hate this part when I was a kid. It often seemed more like an assignment or a manners lesson than an opportunity to express my genuine appreciation for whatever gift or gesture was sent my way at Christmas.

If you have trouble penning a brilliant thank-you note, check out these websites, suggested by OrganizedChristmas.com. The first one is more for the kiddies, but cute and helpful just the same. Once again, Merry Christmas!

Hi! Monkey!
How To Write a Thank You Note

In the East...Mars?

Most of us are familiar with this Scripture passage about the Star of Bethlehem being visible when Jesus was born:

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” --- Matthew 2:1-2 (NIV)

But did you ever think Mars would be something to see? Anyone venturing outside this evening should, weather permitting, be able to view a different “star in the east,” otherwise known as the red planet. According to the website MarsNews.com:

On December 24, Mars reaches opposition. This means that it will appear as a bright orange star in the east soon after sunset.

One of the weather websites that I consult regularly, CTWeather.com, has this to say as well:

Mars will be unusually bright this Christmas Even and the moon will be shining full --- a development that might make Santa Claus rethink his need for Rudolph’s red nose.

The red planet will shine brighter because it will be directly opposite the sun, reflecting the most light, and fairly close to Earth, only 55.5 million miles away. The full moon will appear nearby, rising about an hour later.

Mars will outshine the brightest star and wont be as noticeable in the sky for nine more years.

With such a long wait until the next peak visibility, I just may be outside tonight looking for Mars...instead of Santa.

Merry Christmas!

Straight No Chaser

Do you ever forget the order of the items in the “Twelve Days of Christmas?” So do these guys. Ok, they planned it that way, but the song is still amusing. Founded in 1996, Straight No Chaser is the men’s a capella group from Indiana University. Enjoy!

DYK? Twelve Days of Christmas

The other day, I saw this advertisement in a local newspaper:

NEX Celebrating 12 Days of Christmas

Navy Exchange New London is celebrating the 12 days of Christmas beginning Dec. 13 and running through Christmas Eve. NEX will offer incredible one-day specials. Visit your NEX each day to view unbelievable price cuts just in time for last minute shopping. Don’t miss out!

This reference to/explanation of the Twelve Days of Christmas couldn’t be more incorrect. The Twelve Days of Christmas DO NOT count the days BEFORE the holiday; they count the days AFTER the holiday. Christmas Day, December 25th, is Day 1 and Epiphany Eve, January 5th, is Day 12. January 6th, then, is Epiphany when the Church calendar commemorates the arrival of the Wise Men to greet the Christ child and give Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

So, the Christmas season actually extends from the first Sunday in Advent (a date that changes annually) until Epiphany in early January. Who says the celebration needs to end on December 26th?

Merry Christmas!

DYK? Aluminum Trees

In keeping with my Christmas tree “advice” theme of late: yesterday, I saw this in our SUBASE newspaper, The Dolphin:

Aluminum Christmas trees are making a retro-comeback of sorts. Never put any kind of electrical lights, or wiring of any kind, on an aluminum tree. All lighting should be a spotlight type appliance so that there is no possibility of direct electrical contact with the tree. Being constructed of metal, these aluminum trees are extremely conductive and will cause an electrocution if there is a short in the wiring.

I don’t know about you, but being killed by a Christmas tree is not my idea of a happy holiday. Be safe this Christmas: use your lights wisely.

Fireproofing Your Tree

I am a little late on this one. Maybe you can make use of it next year.

I found this recipe for fireproofing a Christmas tree on the bulletin board in the fellowship hall of the church where my daughter takes voice lessons. Do not omit any ingredients.

From Gordon Barnes, garden expert on radio station WTOP, Washington, D.C.

In a two-gallon bucket, mix:
- 1 gallon HOT water from the tap
- 1 pint clear Karo syrup
- 2 ounces chlorine bleach
- 2 pinches Epsom salts
- 1/2 teaspoon Twenty Mule Team Borax

Stir the formula well. Now cut off an inch or two from the bottom of your tree. Place the tree securely in the bucket of liquid out-of-doors. After five days, the tree will be fireproof. Fill your tree stand with this formula when you bring the tree indoors. Refill the stand with the formula when needed.

- via St. David’s Church
Baltimore, MD

Michele Sharik, Solo Handbells

"Pavane" by Gabriel Fauré, arranged by Michele Sharik. Played at the International Institute of Music in Hong Kong, China (January 2006).

DYK? Ice Citations

Wow! Apparently, I am a lawbreaker. Last weekend, I drove with some snow and ice on the hood of my car, only to see it fly over the roof of my automobile and onto the roadway behind me. Thankfully, no one was driving back there at the time, so the “ice missle” broke apart on the roadway. If someone had been travelling behind my car, that individual may have had an eye-opening experience, like this woman who was discussed in a recent news story on WTNH Channel 8:

Mary Jacques of Wolcott was driving on I-691 when a piece of ice shattered her windshield, “I heard a loud crack and realized my whole windshield was shattered, realized it was a hunk of ice that hit my car, not snow,” she said.

A piece of ice that launched off an oil truck hit Mary’s windshield like a rock, even pushing shards of glass into her SUV.

Automobile drivers are not the only victims of flying ice. Truck drivers can succumb to these “missles” too. From the same article on Channel 8:

Dominic Simeone of Lombard Motors towed a big rig Tuesday after ice from a truck slid off and severed its air brakes. His company has been busy towing cars and trucks wounded by ice and he’s even been a victim himself.

- snip –

“Last year I was on my way to a call on Middletown Avenue and a sheet of ice came off a car the opposite way and it took my mirror off one of the wreckers.”

I don’t know about you, but I must confess I didn’t think much about flying ice doing that much damage, which is rather strange given that I am a native Minnesotan and my elementary school custodian was killed by ice that fell off a building. I was only thinking about my hurried holiday schedule and the fact that I didn’t want to risk scratching the paint on my car by chipping away at the ice on the hood.

Did you forget to finish cleaning the top of your car last weekend? Is it still displaying patches of snow and ice on the hood and roof? If so, watch out for those state troopers. The fine for an ice citation is more than $100.00.

Homeschool Family Video

Remember the Addams Family and their catchy theme song* from “vintage” television? Imagine what that would look and sound like with a homeschool family instead of the ghoulish folks who shared their home with Cousin It, Uncle Fester, and Lurch the butler. Are you picturing it in your mind? Ok. Now, compare it with this video. Is it what you were expecting?

I thought it was cute. Many thanks to my friend Mrs. N for sharing it with me and my fellow homeschoolers in CHOOSE CT.

*To see the original Addams Family theme song, check out this video on YouTube.

Social Skills Study

A few weeks ago, I received my most recent copy of Home School Researcher, a periodical published by the National Home Education Research Institute. The first article, entitled “Social Skills and Satisfaction with Social Relationships in Home-Schooled, Private-Schooled, and Public-Schooled Children,” was a write up of a study done by several individuals in the Department of Psychology at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The abstract from the study read as follows:

Despite the fact that 1.5 to 2.1 million children are home-schooled, there is limited research on the impact of homeschooling on children’s social skills. This study compares 53 home-schooled, 49 private-schooled, and 48 public-schooled children between the ages of 8 and 12 on social skills, as measured by the Parent and Student Forms of the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS). In addition, the groups’ satisfaction with social relationships were compared using the Peer Network and Dyadic Loneliness Scale (PNDLS), the Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire (LSDQ), and the Friendship Qualities Scale (FQS). There were significant differences between the home-schooled children and private-schooled children on the SSRS-Student Form and between home-schooled children and the public-schooled children on the FQS.

Given that one of the most prominent criticisms leveled against homeschooling as an alternative to public school is the lack of socialization, and given that socialization is a preeminent reason for homeschooling, I thought it would be worthwhile to examine this study a bit more closely.

PARTICIPANTS
As was mentioned earlier, 150 students participated in the study: 53 home-schooled, 49 private-schooled, 48 public-schooled. A breakdown of the participants by age and gender is given below.* Eighty-seven percent of the children were Caucasian. Three home-schooled students, three private-schooled students, and thirteen public-schooled students were non-Caucasian. Also, only three home-schoolers, one private-schooler, and two public-schoolers identified themselves as non-Christian. The remaining children identified themselves as Christian. A majority of the participants were from the same geographical area (within a 100-mile radius of Mount St. Mary’s University), with seventeen coming from outside these boundaries. This should noted as well:

When analyses revealed significant differences between home-schooled and traditionally schooled children, analyses were rerun without these seventeen participants.

The methodology used to recruit participants was as follows:

Home-schooled children and their parents were recruited through local home-schooling groups and home-schooling listserves. The majority of private-schooled children were recruited by word-of-mouth, at local summer camps, and at the local YWCA. To encourage participation, all participants except for those recruited through the parochial school were paid $10.00 for their participation. Rather than directly compensating participants from the parochial school, a $10.00 donation per participant was made to the school.

The children who participated in the study completed the following measures:

- an adaptation of the Peer Network and Dyadic Loneliness scale (PNDLS)
- an adaptation of the Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire (LSDQ)
- the student form of the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS)**
- the Friendship Qualities Scale (FQS)

**the student form of the SSRS includes a total score and four subscores: cooperation, assertiveness, empathy, and self-control.

The parents completed these measures:

- demographic questionnaires (specially designed for the study)
- the parent form of the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS)***

***the parent form of the SSRS includes a total score and four subscores: cooperation, assertion, responsibility, and self-control.

The aforementioned surveys were given to each participant, who returned the completed forms to the author or to a designated teacher (in the case of the parochial school students).

RESULTS
Quoting directly from the “Discussion” portion of the study:

Results indicated that private–schooled children scored significantly higher than home-schooled children on measures of cooperation, assertion, self-control and overall social skills, as measured by the SSRS-Student Form. In addition, home-schooled children rated themselves as significantly lonelier than the private-schooled children on the Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire, although no significant differences were found on the Peer Network and Dyadic Loneliness Scale. However, both private- and public-schooled children report experiencing significantly more conflict than home-schooled children in their closest friendships, as measured by the Friendship Qualities Scale (FQS). In addition, home-schooled children report more affective bonds with their closest friends than public-schooled [children] do, again as measured by the FQS.

Oddly enough, the parental measures of social skills (as indicated on the SSRS-Parent Form) did not yield any significant differences amongst these three groups of children. The demographic data also indicated no significant differences between groups per household income or parental education.

The study also found:

…home-schooled children differed in several ways from the private-schooled children but not from the public-schooled children. This suggests that school experiences in and of themselves do not affect children’s social skills. However, the fact that private-schooled children scored significantly better on several measures of social skills suggests that some particular school experiences may influence some areas of children’s social skills.

The authors of the study agreed that further research is needed to determine why the home-schooled group they observed differed from one traditionally educated group but not the other.

If anyone is interested in reading the entire article summarized here, please let me know. I would be happy to loan out my copy of Home School Researcher.
------------------------------
*Home-Schooled Number & Mean Age (SD)
Male 29; 10.34 (1.37)
Female 24; 10.45 (1.40)
TOTAL 53; 10.39 (1.37)

Public-Schooled Number & Mean Age (SD)
Male 24; 10.60 (1.33)
Female 25; 10.54 (1.69)
TOTAL 49; 10.57 (1.51)

Private-Schooled Number & Mean Age (SD)
Male 22; 9.41 (.93)
Female 26; 10.33 (1.23)
TOTAL 48; 9.91 (1.19)

Winter Storm Alexander

The first winter storm of the season arrived this morning around 10:00 AM. Praise the Lord, I finished the last of my Christmas shipping at 9:00 AM. Katherine the Great also managed to fit in her chiropractic appointment before the snow started to fly. Alas, organ, piano, and voice lessons were all cancelled, as was church choir this evening. At least, I think church choir is cancelled; if not, I probably won’t be driving there anyway as it is across the Gold Star Bridge and down the freeway at least fifteen minutes in optimum travel conditions. Nope, today is a day to stay put!

Other last-minute preparations: clearing some junk out of the driveway and off the back steps so shoveling will be easier, and putting fresh seed and suet in the bird feeder for my local fauna. I probably should have done that yesterday so the birds could stock up before the big storm. Hopefully, better late than never. The next weather event is coming this weekend, just in time to shut down the next Shoreline Ringers concert and the Calvary Music School Christmas recital. I love winter!

Café NV

Last week, after the women’s bible study at church, a group of us went to a local restaurant, Café NV, to celebrate a member’s belated birthday. A new destination for me, I found the restaurant both quaint and intriguing, most especially the large stained-glass window that dominated the main wall of the establishment. It is worth a visit to the eatery just to enjoy this work of art. Regretfully, I did not have a camera in my pocket, so I cannot share it with you; maybe next time I go I will procure a photograph.

Most of the ladies partook of the fine salads on the menu. One had a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich, a favorite of hers. My daughter and I decided on Chicken Tortellini in a tomato-basil cream sauce with the accompanying side salad (creamy garlic dressing, of course). All was complemented by a selection of delicious homemade breads and rolls. Dessert was shared all-round, as well: chocolate lava cake and a Greek pastry sampler. There’s nothing like baklava and chocolate to polish off a delicious lunch.

For a more “official” write-up of the restaurant, please peruse this entry from the Mystic Country website:

The Ballis Family welcomes you to Cafe NV and wishes you a pleasant dining experience. In the Greek tradition, we offer you hospitality. We hope as our guest you will experience this through our food and service. Kali Orexi! (Bon Appetite!)

Café NV
57 Boston Post Road
Waterford, CT 06385
(860) 444-8111

Specialties: Soup, Tequila & Lime Shrimp, Spinach pie, Sizzling Souvlaki, Shrimp Saganaki, Salads & Sandwiches, Salads, Outdoor Patio, Mediterranean Salad, Lunch, Grilled Portabella, Greek Style Bruschetta, Fresh Made Pasta

Hours of operation:
Open Monday-Saturday 11 AM – 9 PM. Closed Sundays.

It is definitely worth a side trip to the Connecticut shoreline.

Shameless Plug

Last night was the first Shoreline Ringers concert of the 2007 Christmas season. The drive to the Colchester Federated Church, the concert venue, was awful. It snowed the whole way there and, for reasons unknown to me, the wipers on and the washer fluid in my Subaru decided to fill my windshield with gunk rather than clean it; but the drive was worth it! There is nothing like handbells and an audience performing “White Christmas” together to put you in the holiday mood. The solo performance by one of the more experienced ringers was awesomely inspiring, too. One young lady, two octaves of bells, and a great piece of music (O Come, O Come Emmanuel) --- you simply have to see it to believe it. Your next opportunity:

Saturday, December 15, 2007
7:00 PM

Union Baptist Church
119 High Street
Mystic, CT

Be there!

St. Nicholas Day

Hey, did you know (or remember) that Wednesday, December 6th was St. Nicholas Day? I knew it and remembered it but forgot to post about it. Because I still don’t have a lot of time to post about it, due to busy Christmas preparations, I recommend this website to you and your family. Aside from being filled with beautiful artwork, it is extremely informative about the history of the man behind the whole idea/persona of our modern-day Santa Claus. In fact, on a page entitled “St. Nicholas and the Origin of Santa Claus,” I found this question:

How did the kindly Christian saint, good Bishop Nicholas, become a roly-poly red-suited American symbol for merry holiday festivity and commercial activity?

I don’t’ know about you but, as a teenager, I had that question (or some version of it) rolling around in my head almost every Christmas. Back then, I would have loved to learn something like this:

The first Europeans to arrive in the New World brought St. Nicholas. Vikings dedicated their cathedral to him in Greenland.

Or this:

On his first voyage, Columbus named a Haitian port for St. Nicholas on December 6, 1492.

Or how about this:

The first Colonists, primarily Puritans and other Protestant reformers, did not bring Nicholas traditions to the New World.

Those pesky Puritans, what were they thinking? :-) My favorite part of the website, though, is “How to Celebrate.” There, I found this:

Why Celebrate St. Nicholas Day?
- To tell the story of a Christian saint, who model life inspires compassion and charity
- To reveal the true identity of Santa Claus and Father Christmas
- To focus on giving more than on receiving
- To emphasize small treats and family fun
- To provide a bit of special festivity early in the waiting weeks of Advent
- To offer a spiritual dimension to gift giving
- To help keep Jesus the center of Christmas

and this:

Why celebrate? To learn about the true St. Nicholas: the man of faith who lived his life in devotion to Christ. Saint Nicholas loved children and cared for the needy. He brings the love of Christ... When we honor this saint, following his example of selfless giving, we honor the Christ Child who selflessly gave the greatest gift of all --- himself.

And isn’t that the most important issue: remembering that Christ is our Savior?

Merry Christmas!

Homeschool Heroes --- Introduction

In preparation for our last homeschool support meeting --- Homeschool Heroes and How to be One – I began reading Home School Heroes: the Struggle & Triumph of Home Schooling in America by Christopher Klicka. For those of you who are not acquainted with this gentleman, here is a brief introduction, quoted from the “About the Author” section of the aforementioned book:

Christopher H. Klicka is senior counsel of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA).

- snip –

Chris is responsible for directing HSLDA’s legal department, networking statewide homeschool organizations across the nation, and promoting home education on the international front. During his five-year stint as executive director of the National Center for Home Education, Chris drafted federal legislation, lobbied on Capital Hill, and provided expert testimony before the United States Congress.

Since 1985, Chris has successfully represented thousands of homeschooling families in legal conflicts with public school officials, social workers, prosecutors, and police officers.

- snip –

Chris and his wife, Tracy, homeschool their seven children (including a set of twins) in Warrenton, Virginia.

Being a busy homeschool dad and attorney, you would think Mr. Klicka had enough on his plate without writing yet another book on homeschooling (he has already penned at least five volumes on the subject). So, why did he do it? In his own words:

The major reason is that I believe homeschooling is the most effective way to plant the Word of God into the consciousness of our children. In other words, homeschooling is a tremendous way to reach our children’s souls.

Amen to that! Yet, the freedom to teach God’s Word to our children as an integral part of their educational experience did not come easily. In 1985, when Chris Klicka began working at HSLDA, homeschooling was legal in only five states. Sad, but true. Throughout the 1980’s, however, a small number of families followed God’s call to stand against the institutionalized education system and, one by one, all fifty states recognized the legality of homeschooling, some more quickly than others. Today, we benefit greatly from the work of these faithful servants and it is a heritage that we dare not squander, as Mr. Klicka reminds us so well at the end of the introduction:

My prayer is that this book will help homeschoolers be vigilant and never let their guard down. The same forces today that tried to regulate homeschooling to death still remain, waiting for their chance to take away parents’ rights and “turn back the clock.”

My prayer: Heavenly Father, our protector and provider, keep us faithful in this mission and ministry of homeschooling our children. Give us the strength to persevere in our homeschooling tasks and the wisdom to keep your Word at the center of our efforts. I ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Holiday Shopping Tips

I am definitely a little late in stating this, but the holiday season is in full swing. How do I know? I got my umpteenth newspaper advertising booklet with tips for an “enjoyable, easy, and enlightened” Christmas shopping experience. I get such a kick out of these tidbits of advice, not so much because they are amusing, but because I find it somewhat pathetic that any of us really needs these suggestions in such detailed form when paraphrases would suffice. Here’s what I mean:

Tip #1: Be a multi-channel shopper. Browse stores, catalogs, newspapers, and then conduct an online shopping search to find the item you want at the best price, in stock, and with shipping information. Gift buyers who visit sites like Shopzilla often find aggressively priced merchandise, and where that perfect gift is in stock vs. sold out.

Translation: Be a bargain hunter!

Tip #2: Shop at the times most convenient and least hectic. Stores never close when you shop online. You can shop 24/7/365 --- after you put the kids to bed, late at night, or before going to work.

Translation: Avoid crowds and shop online.

Tip #3: Save money on gas. Organize shopping outings to stores by neighborhood and fit in an errand or two if possible. Or, stay at home and do your shopping on your computer and skip the car trip all together.

Translation: Conserve money (and gas); shop online.

Tip #4: Know what you’re buying. If you want to buy a gift that you know little or nothing about, go to the experts to find the best product for your money. In addition to going to your local retail store and asking a wildly busy sales person, you can also go online to read consumer and expert reviews.

Translation: Do your homework before shopping.

Tip #5: Keep an eye on the calendar. As Christmas and Hanukkah approach, the streets, malls, and stores get more congested. Your stress level goes up a notch and products are harder to find. Avoid this stress! Shop early and often. But be sure to allow enough time for your gifts to be delivered.

Translation: Shop early and online.

Either way, detailed or paraphrased, the advice is the same today as it was when I was a kid:

Shop early. Believe it or not, this does not mean November. It means September or October. If you wait to begin your holiday shopping on Black Friday or Black Monday, you will be faced with sold out best choices, longer shipping times (because everyone else is shopping and shipping), and crowds both online and in the brick-and-mortar stores.

Shop smart. Know what you want to buy. Do your research before you ever set foot in the store or go online. Stick to your list whenever possible. Look for the best possible price and make sure you keep your receipts in case that “perfect” gift isn’t quite so “perfect.”

But above all, remember that your ability to enjoy the process of Christmas shopping is your attitude.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. --- Philippians 4:8

Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” --- Matthew 22:36-39

Faith of Our Fathers

Growing up in a small Midwestern town, I can remember hearing this song as a child. It would play in the stores or from the outside loudspeakers in our downtown (only three or four blocks long) while I went Christmas shopping with my parents and my sister. Sadly, most people don’t even know it today.

Emmanuel, God With Us

One of my favorite modern-day Christmas songs is “Emmanuel, God with Us” by Amy Grant. In case you have never heard this piece, here is a YouTube video of Ms. Grant performing the composition. Enjoy.

21 Days To Go!

I can hardly believe that it is only three weeks until Christmas. The time has really flow. Even with the head start I got on my gifting errands, I still feel like I have so much yet to do. I am confident that those feelings of rushed preparation will subside greatly once the long-distance gifts are wrapped, packed, and shipped by the end of this week. Then, I will be left with the “fun” stuff --- decorating the tree, baking cookies, and listening to hours of Christmas carols. Here is one that my daughter found on a website called The Hymns and Carols of Christmas. Sadly, it hasn’t been operating of late.

The Cedar of Lebanon

The cedar of Lebanon, plant of renown,
Hath bowed to the hyssop his wide spreading crown;
The Son of the Highest as Infant is laid,
On the breast of His mother, that lowliest maid

Chorus:
All glory to God in the highest we sing,
And peace upon earth through the newly born King.

From the Star of the Sea the glad Sunlight hath shined,
Springs the Lion of Judah from Napthtali’s Hind,
The Life from the dying, the Rose from the thorn,
The Maker of all things from maiden is born. (chorus)

The manger of Bethlehem opens once more
The gates of that Eden where man dwelt of yore,
And He Who is lying a Child, in the cave,
Hath conquered the foeman, hath ransomed the slave. (chorus)

In the midst of the garden the Tree of Life stands,
And offers His twelve fruits to lips and to hands,
For the Lord of Salvation, the Gentiles’ Desire,
Hath ta’en from the cherubs their swordblade of fire. (chorus)

On the hole of the aspic the sucking Child lays,
And His hand on the den of the cockatrice lays,
And the Dragon, which over a fallen world reigned,
By the Seed of the Woman is vanquished and chained. (chorus)

To Him Who hath loved us and sent us His Son,
To Him Who the victory for us has won,
To Him Who shed on us His sevenfold rays,
Be honor and glory, salvation and praise. (chorus)

Note: ”aspic” and “cockatrice” refer to the cobra or serpent in Isaiah 11:8 (KJV).

A Seasonal Film Clip

I saw this over at Voice of the Sheep this morning and thought I would share it with you. Happy 24 Days Until Christmas!

The Book Buggy is Here!

Every year, for as many years as my family has homeschooled, September ushered in The Great Bookcase Shift, that time of year when the “old” homeschool resources were removed from the shelves and put in a box (or, more often than not, stacked on the floor) and the “new” homeschool books were put in their place. Over the years, the stack(s) on the floor got larger, while the bookcases seemed to get smaller, and an ever-growing pile of boxes began lining our home. I now have what amounts to a living room full of boxes and no additional bookcases. With a daughter in high school, the books are getting heftier (in both size and weight), the resources are becoming more numerous as we incorporate science labs and Teaching Company courses, and I am (for the first time) facing a mid-year Bookcase Shift. What is a homeschool mom to do?!

Well, a few weeks ago, this homeschool mom found what may be the answer to The Great Bookcase Shift; something that could put an end to all the resource displacement while still providing a home for the current homeschool books and resources. And what is this miraculous solution, you ask? Allow me to introduce you to the Book Buggy! A new find from one of my favorite online retailers, it is (essentially) a library book cart for the home, complete with an angled shelf on top. At 25W” x 13D” x 31H”, it fits snugly behind the chair in our family room (where most of the student reading occurs); it can be transported to another work location if need be without clogging up the walkways in our tiny house; and, best of all, it defines the location of our homeschool supplies so that my student can finally implement “a place for everything and everything in its place.” OK, I could be a bit too optimistic on this last point but, hey, a mom can always hope, right?

In addition to fitting the physical space in our home and addressing our study and storage needs, the Book Buggy is beautifully constructed as well. The clear-varnish-over-natural-cherry finish matches both the dining and coffee tables in our kitchen/family room. Every screw that I used to assemble the unit is hidden on the inside of the bookcase so the exterior shows nothing but beautiful wood grain. Plus (and this is a biggie with me), the casters glide effortlessly across our wooden floor! I was concerned about this because I didn’t want to struggle to move the Book Buggy once the weight of all those books was onboard, nor did I want the wheels to mark up our floors. No worries on either count, this piece of fine furniture seems about as close to perfect as a material object can get. Gee, can you tell I am pleased with this thing?

If The Great Bookcase Shift is an annual occurrence in your home, may I recommend the Book Buggy. It won’t solve all your problems, but it may solve one...the question of where to put your currently-used homeschool supplies. Check it out at Levenger.com.