Beauty Abounds

Adele likes to practice guitar or violin on the new steps in the yard. She can put her sheet music on higher steps and stand and play from the lower ones. 

Images like this make me thankful for the beauty that fills our lives; 

There is the natural beauty that surrounds our home on all sides, 

and there is the beauty of music that the girls have the opportunity to learn to play, and the music shapes their souls after its beauty. 

Beauty within; 

Beauty without. 

Beauty abounds! 

The Flower Letters

 Dwayne's mom (AKA Grandma) gifted us a series of letters that tell a story. We read the first one after dinner the other day. A new letter is supposed to come every two weeks for a year. The girls are pretty interested and excited to see where the story leads. 

Ignite a Passion Art Show

 I am submitting a piece to our church's art show.

The theme is "Ignite a Passion for Jesus."

I illustrated/ illuminated a poem I wrote several years ago that fit the theme. 

Simpson and Vail

We visited the Simpson and Veil store in Brookfield, CT with our good friends. I smelled almost every tea they have in stock. 

We came away with a few sample sizes of their new Olympus teas, made for each of the Greek gods. We got sample-sizes for Apollo, Persephone, and Athena. Adele says Persephone is her favorite tea now. I haven't tried it yet. But I tried Apollo, and it was awesome. 

We got a bag of this tea, Handsome James. It's delicious! I normally favor blends made with a black tea base; I don't normally favor Rooibos, but this one is blended with several fruits and other ingredients, so it's really good! 

Plant Love

I have two good friends who love plants, and they've got the greenest thumbs. 

They've finally rrubbed off on me. 

I'm starting to love my plants, too. 

And I'm collecting more and more.

This beautiful plant (that I do not remember the name of yet) was purchased on our way back from our camping trip to Spruce Lake this year. 

Gearing Up For Another Homeschool Year

We are starting a new homeschool year. 

Adele (shown above) will be in 9th. She'll be doing Bible, Pre-Algebra, Introductory Logic, Rhetoric, Mock Trial, American History, Latin, and Physical Science. 

Avril will be in 12th. She'll be doing Bible, Calculus, Rhetoric/ Senior Thesis, Mock Trial, World History, Latin 4, and Physics. 

We're starting a Classical Christian co-op with a group of close friends and families from our church and/or previous co-ops- a very exciting endeavor. 

I'm teaching the Mock Trial class that includes a large group of students from 7th-12th, Rhetoric/ Thesis class for high school seniors and one junior, and the Ancient Literature class for 9th-12th graders. 

My husband Dwayne is in the Circe Apprenticeship, so he's teaching a Lost Tools of Writing class for a large group of 7th-9th graders. 

Landscaping Cont.

Little by little, we are landscaping our yard. 

This year, we've added extensive drainage and natural stone steps leading down the steep hillside to our meadow. 

Now we can easily stroll down the hill and into the lower part of our property out back. 

Next spring, we will be ready for plantings including dogwood trees and lilacs!