It's Betsy-Tacy time again!

October is Betsy-Tacy month and once again I will be doing some nostalgia reading. Sarah at A library is a hospital for the mind is hosting the Maud Hart Lovelace reading challenge. Last year I was spending a lot of time at the the hospital with my mom who was dying of cancer ( and old age, she was 93) and it was a blessed relief to fall into Betsy's world for a few hours. It was a bookmark in time too as my grandmother would have been about the age of Betsy's older sister and it was easy to imagine life before the World Wars and radios when nearly every house had an upright piano! This year I'm reading Betsy and the Great World and Betsy's Wedding. I never encountered Betsy as a child and read my first book three years ago for the first challenge. I have enjoyed every one!

Updating the picture

I guess it was time! The hobbits sure are growing up! And Saint Anthony seems to have gotten much smaller!

School Days

We've been hard at work here in Hobbiton. Working on the three L's--Latin, logic and logarithms. We've been studying plants and bugs including this dangerous and disgusting one that has taken up residence in the pond in the back yard. They have been eating our frogs and polliwogs. It squeaks when caught. (use gloves!!)We've been reading our way through Churchill's The Birth of Britain, The Brendan Voyage, and The Merchant of Venice. (I love the Ambleside site although I don't really follow it...)

I really like Traditional Logic
from Memoria Press. I bought the DVD's and we are moving along quite nicely. Although one of the hobbits will keep writing "sillygism".

Our days are also full of chopping wood, archery, nephew/grandbaby adoring, and of course lots of reading!

Not Back to School Day

Until recently a friend hosted a Not Back to School picnic on the first day of public school. Alas, she moved to Texas and I am not so good at organizing things. We are celebrating not going back to school in a quiter way. The twin hobbits are small game hunting with their dad who happens to have today off. Little Hobbit (well, not so little Hobbit as he turned 12 a couple of weeks ago!) and I will spend the morning puttering about the yard looking for interesting bugs. I hope eveyone has enjoyed not going back to school this September!

Poetry Monday

Summer Drought
by J.P. Irvine

Yet, ere the moon, as brass the heaven turns,
The cruel sun smites with unerring aim,
The sight and touch of all things blinds and burns,
And bare, hot hills seem shimmering into flame!

On outspread wings a hawk, far poised on high,
Quick swooping screams, and then is heard no more:
The strident shrilling of a locust nigh
Breaks forth, and dies in silence as before.


Note: I found this gem in the Hawk section of Comstock's Handbook of Nature Study.

Faire Day!

We spent the day at the Great Lakes Medeaval Faire. Joe bartered his chain mail for a really awesome sword! Everyone had a great time!(I don't know why the antique car was there!?!

Budget Hobbits

I'm joining the Hobbit party!

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