Ordinary Time

I'm going to ask a seemingly incorrect question.  Why must we all like math?  Because that's the message these days.  It's as if there is something wrong with us (and this is particularly true for women), or there was something wrong with our education if we don't like math.  Why can't math be just one of those things that some people like and some people don't?  We seem to be allowed this option with just about everything else, but say you don't like math and people start wringing their hands and muttering about the state of education. So, because I'm a bit of a reactionary, I'm just going to say it.  I don't like math.  And I'm not overly fond of numbers in general.  They just don't do a whole lot for me.  And you know what?  Just because I don't like math doesn't mean that other can't enjoy it.  Even love it.  It's fine by me that they see great beauty in numbers.  Just because I don't like something does not mean...

(I'm the facilitator for my homeschool support group tonight and the topic for discussion is record keeping.  Since I always like to have something funny to share before we begin, I have written the following.  And because I'm only capable of so much creative thought in one day, I'm double-dipping and making it a blog post as well.  Plus, I'm supposed to be paying the bills right now, and really, who wants to do that?) When I first began homeschooling, I was a dedicated record keeper.  This despite the fact that I live in a state where they are not required.  I found it helpful in those early years to look back on what we did and assure myself that I was giving my children a real and valuable education.  After the first year or so, it became a type of game.  I would look at what my children did throughout the day and see how much of it I could put into "educationese".  You know, the type of jargony phrases found in any scope and sequence.  ...

B. and I spent the entire day yesterday canning applesauce.  Our end total was 34 quarts with a partial quart which went straight into the refrigerator.  (That was the result of processing 2 1/2 bushels of apples, for those who like to keep track of such things.)  I have now found a place for them all in my pantry which is now looking very full.  Here are some photos... if you look carefully, you will see canning jars tucked into nearly every available corner.   I'm hoping the result of all this is that I won't have to buy any canned fruit, jam, or pickles at all over the next year.  I think we're done with the canning except for making 3 more quarts of dill pickles to get us up to the amount we used last year.  (But those are very easy and won't take us very long.)  I still have some other preserving on my list that I want to get to.  There were red bell peppers on sale at the store yesterday so I bought a bunch.  My plan is to roas...

There was some disappointment yesterday that I didn't post the recipe that I changed.  Since I'm spending the day making apple sauce, I'll share it with you since it's an easy post.  Here is the original Martha Stewart recipe I used. And here is my version. (I don't feel as though I changed it all that much, but judging from the comments, if you follow it exactly it takes forever to make.  Mine didn't and it still tasted great.) Apple-Onion Tart (the easier way) As usual, I'm giving you the large family proportions.  You can reduce, or invite someone over to join you, or I imagine it would freeze quite well. 4 apples, sliced sort-of thinly depending on how tired I was of slicing apples... I didn't peel them. 8 onions, thinly sliced a couple TBSP of olive oil a couple TBSP of butter a pinch of crushed rosemary (you could add more if you like rosemary) 3 TBSP apple cider vinegar Grated Parmesan cheese Pie crust for 3 single crust pies (I ma...

Last night we had a dinner which I based on a recipe on the Martha Stewart website, though I had to do some fiddling with it to make it into a reasonable recipe.  Which has made me do some thinking about good ol' Martha.  I will 'fess up and admit that off and on throughout my adult life I have subscribed to Martha Stewart Living magazine.  There are some things I like about the whole Martha-thing.  I have found some of her more reasonable ideas useful, the photographs are lovely to look at, and I have always been amused by the whole over-the-topness of it all.  But over all, I find her a bit hard to stomach and I am not sure but that she has done more to injure the pursuit of homemaking than to aid it. The MS empire has made homemaking into a hobby... and an expensive one at that.  Homemaking is shown to be something that unemployed wives do to fill their endless hours on frivolousness.  There is no depth to it; they only point seems to be to impres...

I was chatting with M. today and the title of this post is one of her sentences which really stood out.  She was relating a class discussion based on the professor's question of what each of their reactions would be if he didn't give grades to them.  She spoke up and said that it wouldn't matter.  It was how she was used to functioning and didn't need grades to motivate her.  Apparently what followed was a rather lively discussion with M. being the only student (who spoke up) to support the non-grade opinion.  At least one of the pro-grade supporters indicated that he needed grades because otherwise he would have no motivation to do any of the work. This whole discussion leaves me with mixed feelings.  I am thrilled (but not surprised) that M. was willing to take a stand for a minority view.  It is not an easy thing to do.  I am also thrilled that she has thought about what it is she is doing at college.  It was a conscience decision made a...

Not much time to blog today.  First there was school all morning, followed by a stock-up run to the big box store for paper goods and peanut butter (will all the apples in the house there has been a run on peanut butter as everyone really likes it on apples), and now I need to prepare for the group of girls who are heading to my house in about an hour. For the past three years, I have led a girls' Bible study, starting out with M. and her friends.  Nearly all of them have moved on and I am on to the next generation, so to speak.  These are younger sisters of the original group plus a couple of other friends.  It has been a wonderful experience getting to watch these girls grow and mature in young ladies. And this is a serious Bible study, so is good for me as well.  Last year we worked our way through I and II Kings and this year we are diving into Isaiah.  That's right, I will be spending my Tuesday afternoons leading a group of 13 to 17 year old girls...