The Death of the Camera

It started about two years ago.  The flash on my wonderful, digital camera folds down and snaps when not in use.  One day it decided not to fold down anymore.  No problem, didn't hurt the camera any.  The lens had been having issues with dust making it not want to spin up and open, so I had been cleaning it periodically and had still been able to take plenty of pictures and videos.  The last straw came the other day during a miscellaneous photo shoot.  The lens refused to open no matter how much I cleaned, coaxed or pommeled it.  

I have now resigned myself to the fact that my lovely Samsung NV10, 10.1 mega-pixel camera with the Scheider-Kreuznach lens, which has taught me so much about digital photography, needs replacing.  Although I have already found a similar model, with more up-to-date features, for a price I can afford within the next few weeks, I am thinking that maybe I would like to upgrade to a more versatile outfit.

My Samsung fits neatly in my pocket, and doesn't take up any room in my purse.  But I am longing for the optical zoom and more precise focus of one of the better cameras on the market now.  I am certainly not going to pop for a professional set-up, which I don't have the skill to use anyway.  I have just about decided to save up for a few months and get a nice, mid-priced camera, which may be too big for my pocket or purse, but should allow me to take some awesome pics and videos, to help bring my blog and website up a level in usefulness and enjoyment to you, my readers.

Until then, please be patient with my recycled pictures, and know that I am working hard to make Mrs. D's more interesting for all of us!

Whatever Possessed Me?! - FREE Download!

It's finally here;)  Chapter 1 of "The Working Mom's Parent's Guide to Homeschooling" is now available for FREE download!  For a limited time only (a week or so...), so click on the link below, or the button on the sidebar and get it now!!


The Working Parent's Guide to Homeschooling Ch. 1

You CAN homeschool your children!  Even if you are single, working, low income, or don't have a college degree.  The Working Parent's Guide to Homeschooling, Chapter 1, will introduce you to me, a single, working, low income mom, who moved her kids to the country and started homeschooling, while still working.  Learn:  Whatever Possessed Me?! and Where It All Began...

This is a PDF file, that should be readable on most ereaders and computers.  The link or button will take you to a secure site, where the file is stored, and will give you a link to click on to download the file.  Hope you enjoy it!  Now to get Chapter 2 ready and keep working on the rest of the book.

The Working Parent's Guide to Homeschooling

One-room schoolhouse, Calico Ghost Town, Yermo, CA

I am so excited.  My first book is almost complete and I just can't wait.  So I am going to serialize it, one chapter at a time.  Not only that, I am going to give away the download of each chapter for FREE for the first week!  

Now, I am still polishing up that first chapter, because I want it to be perfect for you.  So let me tell you about the book.

"The Working Mom's Parent's Guide to Homeschooling" is for anyone who's ever wanted to homeschool, but thought they couldn't unless they stayed home full time.  I've been there.  I've made mistakes, and had lots of success and I want to share what I've learned, to make it easier for you to jump in and make an incredible new life for you and your children.

In "The Working Mom's Parent's Guide to Homeschooling", I address perplexing issues, such as Scheduling (Chapter 2), Who Watches the Kids? (Chapter 3), and locating and obtaining affordable curriculum (Chapters 4, 6, 7 and 8).  

I share my thoughts on record keeping, and understanding your state's homeschooling laws (Chapter 10) and I wrap everything up with a chapter on nine different styles of homeschooling, their definitions, and where to find resources for each different style.

In these days of ereaders, social networking and high speed internet, homeschooling is possible like never before.  In "The Working Mom's Parent's Guide to Homeschooling", I hope to encourage you to commit yourself to taking charge of your children's education.  I want to give you ideas and starting points for your journey.  Most of all, I want to convince you that this is doable, regardless of your particular situation.  That with creative thinking, determination and support, you and your children can start experiencing the joys of homeschooling today!

So keep your eyes here on "Around The Homestead", for your first FREE download of "The Working Mom's Parent's Guide to Homeschooling".

Remembering Why I Moved to the Country

The llama in the playhouse.

My extended stay in the Big City this year has served as a good reminder to me of why I moved out to the country.  The endless miles of cement and asphalt, cookie cutter houses with postage stamp yards, piles of rules regulating everything from garage sales to whether you can walk down the street with your child on a school day.  The gray skies that sometimes open up to blue by mid-day.  The 24 hour traffic.  The constant noise.  The overwhelming amount of activity.  The brown haze that obscures the mountains from view.  The over-chlorinated pools.  The speed at which life flies by.

Yet, there have been advantages.  Walking to daily Mass.  Spending time with my dad, my older children, my grandson, and my cousins.  Being present for the many special events that took place with my family this summer.  Seeing some old friends and making some new.  Then, there are those things that can only happen in Southern California:  black beans, lettuce and ranch dressing as pizza toppings.  Spending the morning in the mountains and the afternoon at the beach.  Hummer stretch limos.

Caught in the act.

Coming home was not without its problems.  I lost my entire sheep herd while I was gone.  One mama and baby in lambing, the other mama and baby to coyotes.  My rascally goats spent the summer systematically working their fence until they could open up a section.  So we have been systematically closing up each new hole and reinforcing the fence.  Fencing on the homestead is a never ending project.  My dog ran off to parts unknown, though she was last spotted playing with some campers visiting from another area.  I hope they're giving her a good home.

The new dogs are awesome.  The llamas were utterly displeased with sharing the back yard with them, however, so a new pen has been constructed for them.  It does have a nice shed, which, when cleaned out, will make as nice a shelter as the playhouse they were using in the back yard.

Home sweet home.

I've lost the ten pounds I gained just getting back to my normal routine and diet.  We do have a few new neighbors, creating some extra noise in my peaceful haven, but I am sure glad to be home.  Ten acres on a dirt road with clear skies trumps asphalt and constant highway noise any old day.

Homemade Jelly and Jam Recipes

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00939MOAI/kinderinfocom-20

Here's another plug for a book I recently downloaded.   Susanne, over at Hillbilly Housewife, is working on a series of cookbooks exclusively for Amazon Kindle.  The great thing about it is you don't even have to have a Kindle to download them!  Amazon downloaded my purchase right to the Kindle app on my iPod touch and I was ready to go.  For only $2.99, (or borrow for free on a real Kindle), Homemade Jelly and Jam Recipes includes 35 recipes to make delicious homemade jellies and jams from scratch.

If you know the Hillbilly Housewife, you know that she is all about cooking from scratch and saving money without sacrificing flavor.  This is not just a recipe book.  There is a lot of education as well as some entertaining anecdotes here.  Recipes include canned and frozen jams and even some quirky refrigerator jams like Bacon Refrigerator Jam.  Go figure.  Could be good with pancakes.  I enjoyed Homemade Jelly and Jam Recipes and can't wait to give her Spiced Tomato Jam and Grape Jam recipes a try.

Homecoming: Memoirs of a Deployed Marine

Buy on Amazon

I have been trying to come up with some brilliant, clever blog topics these last few weeks, but life has been so chaotic on the Homestead that I am finding it difficult to focus on writing.  So while I continue trying to catch up with myself and write something relatively coherent, I will be making some plugs for some other folks.

Today I have a plug for my future son-in-law's friend: "Homecoming"  is a book about U.S. Marines on deployment in Iraq, written by a Marine.  My daughter's fiance and the author, Russel Vineyard, served together in Iraq.  Vineyard's presentation is rough and raw, but true to life, and full of action and adventure.  I do not recommend it for anyone under the age of 16, but for mature adults, it is an eye opener to what "our boys" go through "over there".

I am proud of this young man for making such a courageous start as a writer, and hope he will continue to hone his skills and bring us more stories from his experience and imagination.

In support of all our Marines who have returned from active duty and are trying to get on with "normal" lives, and in support of all of us "starving" writers, I encourage you to check out this book;)

Love In Disguise - Review

"Love In Disguise" is a delightful romp through Arizona silver mining country.  Desperate for a job, Chicago costume designer Ellie Moore convinces the world-famous Pinkerton Detective Agency to hire her to investigate a string of robberies out West.  There she meets handsome young mine owner Steven Pierce and they fall in love.  But does Steven really know who he is in love with?  Not the middle-aged Lavinia, Ellie's alter ego.  What about captivating and vivacious Jessie, Lavinia's "niece"?  Will he love Ellie when he discovers her true identity?  Will Ellie unmask the thieves before Steven and his associates lose their mines?

This may very well be Carol's best book yet.  Her gift for interweaving a tasteful romance with mystery and suspense is at its utmost.  She also has a fantastic ability to share her faith in God in a subtle way without overwhelming the reader.  Her love of Arizona's history and landscape are also evident in her settings and characters.  For "Love In Disguise", Carol drew on her knowledge of Tombstone and the surrounding area, as well as her vast knowledge of Arizona history, to create a realistic, fictional mining town.

Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys living books, history, romance and mystery.  The romance here is classy, suitable for early teens to older adults.  Great for the family bookshelf.

"Love In Disguise", by Carol Cox (c)2012, www.bethanyhouse.com  ebook $9.99 and up, paperback $11.18 and up.

I downloaded this book for free from Amazon, during a 24 hour promotion.  No compensation was received for this review.