Give Up Yer Aul Sins - Story of Saint Patrick

Who better to tell the story of Patrick then an Irish school girl? This has got to be my favorite version ever but I've got lots of other things to help you celebrate one of my favorite days. Don't forget my favorite Irish Soda Bread recipe!

Enjoy.

Old Time Radio for St. Patricks Day

St Patrick's Day Old Time Radio

Win a Hamilton Beach Crockpot!

Cheeseslave is hosting a great giveaway of a new crockpot on her blog.  Check it out here: http://www.cheeseslave.com/2011/03/01/monthly-drawing-hamilton-beach-crockpot-45-value/#comment-101118
I really enjoy reading her blog so take a look around while your there.

Hope for Spring

...is getting primroses on sale for my living room.

Happy Sesquicentennial Kansas!!!

150 years ago today Kansas gained Statehood in the United States of America.  I am proud to be a Missourian and I love my home state, but I've adopted Kansas as my home and I love it here too.  There is so much I love about this state that I've now lived in for more than a decade that it would be hard for me to put it all down here.  But I do have a few things to share.

Kansas Public Radio is my favorite radio station in my area.  The station is in Lawrence, Kansas which is the first city I lived in here. The station recently aired a reading in two parts of the book S is for Sunflower.  You can listen to it here and here.  I learned a lot about Kansas listening to this children's book.  For example the Empire State Building was designed by two Kansas brothers and the Chrysler Building was built by another Kansan who also happened to be the founder of the Chrysler Corporation.  Of course President Eisenhower and Amelia Earhart are famous Kansans. Jack St. Clair Kilby, the inventor of the microchip was born in Jefferson City, Missouri and raised in Great Bend, Kansas. A fellow Missourian who spent time in Kansas. Lest anyone thing we transplanted Kansans aren't great, he won the Noble Prize for science.

There is a lot to be said for Kansas. For one thing it's not all flat which surprised me when I lived in Lawrence and drove to Baldwin, Kansas through hills everyday that reminded me of Southern Missouri.  But I will warn you that once you head west from Topeka you'll be learning to appreciate the beauty of wide open spaces. 

If you want to know more I've written about Kansas before and you can find out more about the state there. 

Shhh! Currclick Secret Sale

Check it out! Super Secret Sale at Currclick!!

Shhh! Currclick Secret Sale

Just for Fun! "Gerbils of the Caribbean"

Bittersweet Magazine and the One Room School

Bittersweet Magazine began in 1973 as a class assignment.  An English teacher found a great way to get her students to write.  They began a project "dedicated to preserving the crafts, lore, legends and personalities of the Ozarks."  And so the students began documenting the culture of the area around Lebanon, MO.

This project is near and dear to my heart because it just so happens that I am originally from very close to the same area.  Several generations of my family lived in this area.  And this same culture is a part of my heritage.

One particular article struck me as I was reading tonight.  This article is an interview with a woman named Lois and she tells about what it was like when she was going to school back in the early 1900s.  I was struck by how very different the school experience is today.  From something as simple as having an hour for lunch and playing to the orderliness of lining up outside according to where you were seated and marching inside.

Morgan School from Bittersweet Magazine

I really found this article in the same issue fascinating.  While the previous article I mentioned is from the point of view of a student in a one room school in the early 1900s, this article is from the point of view of a teacher in a similar school in the 1970's.  He has some really interesting points that I think home educators will be interested in reading.  I was sad to read his hopefulness at the end that perhaps the one room school approach was coming back in vogue.

Another article shows what a day is like for one teacher in a one room school house.  Her lesson plan is shown and her thoughts on how to get eight grades through one day in one room.  Her organization style will be so familiar to any home educator.  Especially one in a large family.  I'd love to pick her brain!

I hope you'll enjoy reading through the issues of Bittersweet Magazine and learning a bit about the Ozark culture.  Tales of a hardworking, industrious people from a time long gone. 

Jesse Trees to Benefit World Vision

A friend of mine and her children make Jesse Trees each year to sell in order to raise money for World Vision.  If you would like to use a Jesse Tree during Advent but don't have the time to put it all together she is a one stop shop for the tree, ornaments and devotions.  She will also sell you the materials to make your own ornaments and the devotion book.  If you order right away there is still time to get one and start without missing too many days.  Or you can put it away for next year.  Here is more information from her flyer:

What is a Jesse Tree?

It is a wonderful spiritual tool to help your family prepare for the Christmas season. It is similar to an advent calendar as you daily reflect on a different aspect of Christ for the 25 days leading up to Christmas.

What do I get?

Each Jesse Tree Set comes with an 18" Christmas tree, 25 hand-made ornaments, and hardbound devotional book, "The Advent Jesse Tree: Devotions for Children and Adults to Prepare for the Coming of the Christ Child at Christmas" .

How does it work?

Starting December 1st, you simply work through the devotionals and place an ornament on the tree each day. In our family we even wrap each ornament and place them under our tree. We love the excitement of unwrapping a new ornament each day .

Where do the proceeds go?

We are selling Jesse Trees to benefit World Vision! When we decided to sponsor children through World Vision, we thought that making and selling Jesse Trees would be a great way to meet our sponsorship requirements.

How much does it cost?

Each Jesse Tree set costs $40. Or as another option if your family would like to make the ornaments yourself, we will provide all of the materials plus the book for $25. Remember all of our proceeds go to World Vision.

What if I want to know more?

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at doyel@everestkc.net.

Thank you and God Bless,

Nathan, Lauren, and Rebekah Doyel

Advent

Today is the first Sunday in Advent, a time of waiting and preparing for the birth of our Saviour into the world.  I like to observe this time as a learning time for my children as well as a way to keep Christ in our thoughts during this season that can all too often can become about the idols of greed and self gratification.  So I have spent some time over the years finding activities for us to use to learn.

One fun way to do that is by making this Paper Doll Creche  browse through the photos in the set to find all four pieces of this.  This is at the Flickr site of one of my favorite blogs Agence Eureka .  This blog is all in French but it doesn't really matter because the point is to share the author's incredible collection of paper ephemera, something that I adore.  Scroll through and find some interesting things from the past.

In the past I've posted about other activities we do at this time.  You can learn about the Jesse Tree and a nice resource for Jesse Tree readings.  There is also a reminder of the most important lesson we can teach at this time. 

Our family has also really enjoyed using an advent wreath with weekly readings during this time and even though tomorrow is the first Sunday in Advent it's not to late to start one.  Just go out and find 3 purple candles, a pink one, and a white one.  Our time each week is simple but something we all enjoy.  We light the candle or candles for that night, read a passage of scripture, say a prayer and then sing a hymn together.  In the past we have worked on O come Emmanual.  Here are some suggested Bible verses that you can use to get you started, but you can vary the devotions for your family:

First Sunday of advent : Hope - light one purple candle to symbolize Hope. Read Isaiah 11:1 – 11. Extinguish the flame.

Second Sunday : Peace - Light two purple candles - Hope and Peace. Isaiah 9:2, 6-7. Extinguish the flames.

Third Sunday : Joy - Light two purple candles (Hope and Peace) and one pink to symbolize Joy.  Read Isaiah 35:10. Extinguish the flames

Fourth Sunday: Love - light all four candles - Hope, Peace, Joy and Love.  Read Isaiah 9:6-7. Extinguish the flames.

Christmas Eve: Light all four candles and the fifth white candle (the light of Christ).  Read Luke 1:68-79 and Luke 2:1-20. Keep the candles lit throughout the evening.

I hope you will find some way to reflect on this season and it's true meaning.  Slow down and spend time with God and draw closer to him.  There is no greater gift.