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.

10 Reasons I Homeschool Year Round

I've always thought year-round school was a great idea. When I was young, I was so bored by the end of July that I actually got out books and started reading for hours. That was after the yearly two week road trip vacation with my parents, in June, right after school got out. When my children were in public school and they went on the year round track, it was a huge relief, both financially and psychologically. Financially because I didn't need to squeeze so tightly in order to pay the babysitter for full days for three months. Psychologically because I didn't have three active children at home going stir crazy from boredom and cabin fever. 

When we transitioned to homeschooling, we actually did take the first summer off. Partly to celebrate and change gears. We took a long camping vacation. We moved to the next state. Then we settled into our new "routine". I decided not to take the next summer off, because for one, I was working and could not have constant interruptions to direct bored children into useful, productive activities. Secondly, children need routine, just like the rest of us. It gives us a sense of security and purpose that gets us up in the morning and keeps us moving through the day. Lastly, we could take a week or two off throughout the year, as it suited us, for visits to their dad, grandparents, or for our own vacation or just a plain old break from routine.

With my 9 year old son, whom I have homeschooled since birth, we have taken one summer off, because his friends did. It was so hard for me to get back into gear after that, I decided to get back to the year round schedule. So, without further blab, here are 10 reasons we homeschool year round:

1.  It keeps the routine consistent.

2.  It fits our work schedule better.

3.  We can take time off as a family.

4.  We can plan trips and time off around our schedule, not the school's.

5.  We can go places during the off season and avoid crowds.

6.  No paying for expensive camps or day long babysitting to "keep the kids busy".

7.  Fewer interruptions for mom, working at home, because boy is doing schoolwork at the same time.

8.  We can take a three week vacation in the mild fall weather of November, instead of the blistering heat and humidity of August.

9.  We can stay inside in the air-conditioning, working in comfort when it's too hot to do anything fun or productive outside.

10. We can go skiing midweek in the middle of January, without worrying that we are getting behind on schoolwork.

Now that I'm started, I'm sure I can come up with a bunch more. So next time I'm faced with a dumbfounded stare after telling someone we homeschool all year, I will be able to give them more information than they ever knew they wanted.

Little Free Libraries - Take A Book, Leave A Book

I admit it, I have a problem.  I'm a bibliophile.  I collect books for the sake of having books. I love to read, but I certainly cannot read fast enough to justify my enormous collection of books. I just can't help it, I go to a book sale, or a thrift store and they call to me. I take a teeny peek and they look so interesting I just have to buy them to read "sometime". Friends give away books and I take them. My mania is not limited to bound matter. I also collect audiobooks - how can one drive for hours without something decent to listen to? I have 100 ebooks and counting on my ipod. Project Gutenberg is one of my regular haunts. My library card is worn and no matter how hard I try, I cannot leave the local public library without at least half a dozen books.

I have tried to trim my collection. I regularly go through all the bookcases in the house and thin out the books.  Then I put them in boxes in my workshop. I pass them on to friends. I have an Amazon store where I sell some.  It does not help that I end up paying out of pocket to ship most of them. I have donated cases of books to the library and subsequently bought them back when they didn't go on the shelves. I've donated dozens of books to our church library, but it doesn't seem to be very popular. I donate boxes of books to the veterans hospital, thrift stores and sell them for $1 a box at garage sales. Somehow, it is not very fulfilling. 

That's why, when I read about Little Free Libraries in the Sunday Los Angeles Times, I thought "what a perfect idea"! Just mount a weatherproof box on a post at the end of the driveway, keep it stocked with a variety of books, and hopefully people who come by for books will also leave some that will be good to read. Heaven knows I could probably keep the thing stocked from my own stores for years, but it would be nice to find an interesting read in there from someone else. 

Little Free Libraries was the brainchild of Todd Bol and Rick Brooks of Wisconsin. From Todd's first Little Free Library which he installed at his home in 2009, over 1600 have sprung up around the United States and around the world.  That's not counting any which may not be registered with the site. The friends' original  goal was to see 2,510 Little Free Libraries built, just over the number funded by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Now they expect to see 3,000 registered with their site by the end of this month. Little Free Libraries encourage patrons to "take a book, leave a book, leave a note", and frequently become a meeting place for friends and neighbors who otherwise wouldn't see each other very much.

I can just picture myself slapping on the skis this winter, and heading out to see if anyone's left a new book, and to set out a couple of old friends, to go keep company with someone else. Of course it will take a little time to pull this project together. I probably have most of the materials I need for the box, and I've downloaded tips and directions from the website. It is that elusive factor - time - that I need to corral in order to get it done. In the meantime, I will nurture my vision of my own Little Free Library right at the end of my drive - and maybe a portable one to have in front our campsites when we go traveling... 

Rose Petal Jam

The backyard roses seem to be done for a while.  Not sure if the smaller bushes in the front will put out enough for me to make another batch of rose petal jam or not.  In my quest to make the most of the urban homestead (aka dad's house), I have been looking for new ideas for what to do with roses.  The lemons and grapefruit are done for a few months.  The peas are petering out in the heat.  The tomatoes, melons and squash are still in their early stages.  I've dried about five gallon bags of rose petals, put up 2 quarts of rose petal jam, (we've already eaten almost a quart), and I have a quart jar of dried rose hips to use for jam and/or syrup for fall.  We've enjoyed vases of roses in every room of the house for the last 2 months.  I was hoping for enough rose petals for another batch of jam and an experiment with infused oil, but looks like this is it for now.  Looks like the family won't have to suffer through trying a few rose petals in the salad, either.  Yet.

I like the rose petal jam for several reasons.  It uses up rose petals.  Its sensual aroma permeates the house while it's cooking.  All that are needed are rose petals, one whole lemon, including seeds (another use for the lemons from dad's tree), water and sugar.  It has a light, delicate flavor.  Did I mention that it's a product we can nearly wholly produce in the back yard?  Roses, lemons, done.

I found several recipes in an online search, and I picked out two that looked the simplest.  Before I share my own tweak on the formula, I'd like to note a couple of items I ran into in making two separate batches of the jam.

- I used only backyard roses.  We had plenty of commercial roses around, due to mom's funeral, but I did not feel comfortable with using them for a food product.  Our backyard roses are not sprayed or fertilized, just mulched.

- use only perfect, clean petals.  Rinse well, tear off any wilted spots.  I did not find it necessary to remove the white bottom part, it did not seem to affect my product with any bitterness.  Use your judgement - take a taste test!

- if not using right away, cover with water and store in fridge up to 3 days.  After that I found the rose petals to be in a less than desirable condition.

- use a fresh lemon, or homemade juice.  You want the seeds, too, because they contribute the pectin.  The juice contributes acidity.  Do not overdo the lemon juice.  My first batch was a bit tart for the guys, but I liked it.  The second batch was better, but still slightly tart.  My next batch I will cut the juice a bit more.  My juice was made with the Jack LaLanne juicer, so it contains everything - peel, pulp, juice and seeds.  It is highly concentrated (and makes awesome lemonade!).  I used 3T for my second round, and plan to cut that back to 2T next time.

- it takes quite a while to cook off the water, but do not overcook.  You can tell when you've gone too far, the color darkens and the flavor is not as light and sweet.  It is a bit tricky to bring the jam to just the right stage where it will gel but not carmelize.

Now for the recipe:

Rose Petal Jam

1/2 pound rose petals (I used all colors, the result was a nice deep rose hue)
2 cups sugar
2cups water (I will reduce to 1 1/2 on my next batch to try to shorten cooking time)
juice of 2 lemons, with seeds (or 2T lemon concentrate)

Layer clean rose petals in a bowl with about half the sugar.  Bruise them well with clean hands (this releases the flavor oils).  When they are completely crushed with the sugar, cover and let sit overnight in fridge.

The next morning, combine the rest of the sugar with 2 cups water and the lemon juice.  Dissolve over low heat.  Stir in rose petals and bring to a boil.  Simmer 20 minutes.  Bring to a rolling boil and continue to cook at a rolling boil until mixture thickens.  If sugar begins to carmelize (darken) before you think it is thick enough, remove from heat immediatedly.  If you continue the jam will develop an unpleasant flavor.  Remove lemon seeds if you were using lemon juice instead of concentrate.  Pour into jelly jars, seal and label.  If not being used right away, use proper canning methods to seal jars.  If jam does not set up, it can still be used as a delicate, flavorful syrup for ice cream and pancakes.

The Sewing Circle

My mom learned to sew at her mother's knee.  As a child, it was part of survival - she had to make her own clothes.  As a young adult, it was part of frugality - she made beautiful and stylish clothes for herself and me, without having to spend alot of money.  As a grandmother, she enjoyed making clothes for my children.  Somewhere in the midst of all this, it became art.  Mom took up quilting, then got into machine embroidery.  It was all upgrades from there.  As each new machine came out she just had to get it.  But she just couldn't bring herself to let go of the old one because "it does some things that the new one doesn't".

When I started putting the machines away after her death, I counted five.  Plus three sergers.  Mom thought she had allocated all her machines, but she really had only made arrangements for three.  A machine and serger for my daughter, a machine for my daughter-in-law, and the newest model for me.  That left five orphans.  One machine and serger I decided to leave right where they were in the original sewing room (mom had branched out into several locations around the house).  This way I have something to work on when I'm visiting dad.  I put my daughter's machines in the shed, gave my daughter-in-law her machine and cabinetry, and brought a machine and serger home to give to a good friend and sewing pal.  As I am still learning all the bells and whistles on the embroidery machine mom gave me several years ago, I convinced my cousin that she needed to take the newest machine and delve into machine embroidery.  It will be good for her, all her children have flown the nest.

I brought most of the excess cabinetry home with me to replace my crafting table, which is an old door set up on two non-working box fans, and the old camp table with the wobbly legs.  Now I'm getting into the stash.  Oh, right, mom said now it's called "resources".  At any rate, there's a whole bunch of it.  Mom's sewing library filled up six file boxes.  Her embroidery software is taking up another five, not including the designs she saved on a dozen flash drives.  And thread, stabilizers and fabrics?  Well, maybe not as much, but let's just say that it oughtta be enough to last each of us well into learning how to use our machines, with enough left over to supply several other sewists to boot.

I know I could have just packed it all up and dropped it off at Goodwill.  I'm sure it would have blessed somebody.  But knowing my mom's love for her craft, and her desire to share that with us girls, I just had to find good homes for all her cherished investments.  I hope, with mom, that the girls will someday enjoy the relaxing hum of the sewing machine and delight in creating a beautiful piece of embroidered art.  I know my cousin and I will.  I know two sewing friends who will also be enjoying brightly colored threads, fabrics and notions.  I know six women who will have enough sewing reference and how to books to become experts in the field.  And I know one special lady who will be smiling down on our little sewing circle, and maybe - indirectly - offering her input on color combinations, project ideas, and (ahem) upgrades.

Overcoming Math Frustration - Review

Long before Algebra, mathematics becomes the Achilles' heel of many homeschool families.  If only there were some way to make math tolerable!  Susan Evans shares her experiences and suggestions for not only making math tolerable, but even (gasp!) fun!  In little more than an hour, Overcoming Math Frustration will breathe new life into your math program with:


- 11 ways to overcome math frustration
                                                                   
- a comparison of 4 popular math programs and
                                                                   
- hands on ideas to get kids more excited about math.


One of the biggest reinforcements I got from listening to the workshop was to have children do some strenuous exercise right before starting their math.  I had started this with my own son a few weeks before, and it really has made a difference.  The exercise gets his blood pumping and his mind functioning and ready to focus on the most difficult task of the day - sitting and concentrating on math for 1-2 hours.  I enjoyed the comparison of the 4 math programs.  We seem to be doing quite well with Saxon math at this point, so since it's not broke...I do remember having issues with Saxon with my older children, though.  Ms. Evan's hands on ideas are good reminders for veteran homeschoolers and excellent helps for beginners.  Putting math into practice in everyday life is probably the most helpful way to get kids excited about learning their sums.  May I suggest a sequel?  How to get your child excited about Algebra/Trig/Calculus;)


Raised in Guatemala, Susan earned her Bachelor's degree in English in the United States, and has taught in public schools here and in London, England, where she was also a middle school Drama director.  In this audio workshop, Susan gives dozens of tips from her own experience as a public school teacher, as well as a homeschooling mom of four.  She is unashamed to give all credit for her successes to God, and to accept all responsibility for her shortcomings.

In addition to Overcoming Math Frustration $5.50, Susan Evans has a number of other excellent audio and video products available for download.  All of her products are backed by a 60 day money-back guarantee.  The MP3 files were a snap to download and add to my Ipod.  For less than the price of a half gallon of ice cream, you can wake up your children's brain cells and help them feel good about math again!

I received a free copy of Overcoming Math Frustration to listen to and post my thoughts.  No other compensation was received for this review.

Bee-location

Last week's swarm of bees was successfully relocated.  We had to wait until dusk, as the bees were fairly active and easily agitated during the day.  Once the sun started setting, however, they went back to their "nesting" behaviour and their apparent sluggishness.  It was then fairly easy to dig a circle around them, lift dirt, bees and all into a bucket, and transport them to a more remote location.  We sprayed a light mist of water over them when they became agitated from the digging, which prevented them from swarming us.

 Though I suspect they did not survive the poisoning that drove them into our yard in the first place, I feel we did everything we could to give them a chance at survival, and I hope at least a few did manage to make a new home.