The Fritter

Fritter 

noun

a piece of fruit, vegetable, or meat that is coated in batter and deep-fried.

New Oxford American Dictionary 2nd edition © 2005 by Oxford University Press, Inc.

That's an official definition of a fritter.  I have asked a few folks from different parts of the US and it seems there is a wide variety of presentations of this thing called a "fritter".

In my house, a fritter is a way to bring new life to leftovers.  I've only used vegetables in my fritters but, theoretically, anything could be used with varying levels of success.

That is my corn fritter batter. I used the corn we froze last year and it has butter and cream in it right from the freezer.  When mixed with egg and a little flour if you like, it makes a batter that is similar to pancake batter in consistency.  

.

Fried in butter and served hot from the pan, they are a great meal for us any time.

The Liebster Award: ARG! I Forgot Something!

Sigh.

Those eleven questions for those I nominated.  Yup.  Forgot those.

Here is my way of following that part of the directions.

Choose eleven words of your choice from the following list. Using words, images or sound, define as if to someone who does not know the perspective you have ... if you feel like it, ya' know:

Peace

Stereotype

Fear

Truth

Intense/Intensity

Healing

Force

Education

Hunger

Joy

Intimidation

Wisdom

Responsibility

Wrong

Discriminate

Hope

Lie

Home

Ok.  There you go. This might be harder than it was ever intended to be but, as words are the tools that writers (and bloggers) use, I thought it would be a good exercise.

The Liebster Award: Part Three

So, NOW is where it gets hard here with the directions for this here Liebster Award....

Normally, I don't follow directions very well.  As in "not hardly ever".

But, because my pal, Laurie, is such a cool and resourceful kinda gal, I figured I should give it a go in my own way.


Here are the rest of the directions:

3- Nominate 7 bloggers who have less than 200 followers and ask those bloggers 11 questions (Don't forget to tell those you have nominated...).

4- FOLLOW those 7 bloggers you nominate.

5- If you are nominated and choose to play along, please let your nominating blogger (that's me) know in comments so that I can see your answers and get to know you.

Right.

Remember how I'm not so good at following directions?  You haven't seen it much yet if you only know me by my posts here, but trust me on this.  I'm not good at following directions.

So, with that in mind, here are my totally loose-leaf nominations!

Conversations with a Pastor's Wife  
Not your average Preacher's Gal, LKS is a great resource for life fun, challenge and a peek at the wacky things that make her family a great team to play on.  She's given me some really great ideas, too!  I got to host this delightful woman in my house and she even took some fun pictures of my favorite part of the country.  

Sassy Family 
Jill is adopted, Irish, sassy, smarter than is probably safe, and made it so my son, the Dood, makes all our salad dressings himself.  She's easy for this Minnesota Kid to talk to because we speak the same idioms, don'cha know.  You bet.

If Not You, Then Who? If Not Now, Then When? 
Which of these things is not like the other? Jimmi is a man I've known for just about 20 years.  He & The Man have been friends since high school.  He's taught my kids Irish pub songs, helped them learn guitar strumming, and spilled on my walls, furniture & carpet.  The things he has to say are not the same as you will find on the other blogs I'll mention.

Wouldn't You Like To Know?  
HealthyBratt has a HUGE, HUGE wealth of knowledge.  She's smart on henna, Korean foods, and that's just a tiny peek into her know-how. I've known HB for more than 5 years and have had the privilege to hug her neck, too.  She's got the smarts & the heart.

Larson Log  
The young pup who writes this blog is more than a diamond in the rough.  (Diamonds aren't my thing so call me biased. I'm cool with that cuz I am - but that's another post.) This gal is opal.  She's made of common stuff and she knows it, but the light inside her is brilliant.  I've never met Rebekah & I may never get the chance to squeeze on her and that will truly be a shame.  You'll only get a peek here and here but that's just a glimpse.  There are many posts and there will be time invested to read them all.  I encourage you to read it like a novel, a story that you read to see how the characters work it out.  Follow her thoughts and see her stretch out those wings.  I can't find words to say how excited I am for the future that is unfolding for those in her life.  I am certain there will be amazement, work and great, great reward.  I dare you to take this one on.

Courage Road 
I've never met this woman in person, but I have found her in my heart on days I would not have expected.  I'm not sure why, and it's likely I never will.  But that doesn't change her presence there.  It's another blog developed over time. Though you may be able to pick some bits & pieces of things from the individual posts, it's an unfolding story best read from start to finish.  She's in my age demographic and from a similar part of the United States.  It's a difficult story on the courage road.  Don't let that deter you from the journey.

There! I did it! Sort of.

And, because I really didn't follow the directions and never intended to completely, here are some more blogs that receive Honorable Mention:

bertsie collins 
Written by a friend dear to my heart, this little blog is cheery and may even be that way with a sad time, if it's chosen.  She's an unreasonably optimistic citizen, the oft surprised life-complement to Jimmi from If Not You..., and my favorite vegetarian.

The Blue House Blog 
The adventures of Melissa, Katie & Annie are chronicled in this record.  Here you'll find wacky kids, fun learning, and dangerously tastey  really healthy, yummy pancakes.  And a teeny bit of sarcasm. I've never met this family either but I'm luring them to the Source of the Mighty Mississippi and then I'll get to see them for real.

Ok.  Now I really am through the directions.   If you are on this list, don't feel like you have to follow the Liebster Award directions either.

I just like you.

The Liebster Award: Part Two

The second step of The Liebster Award directions is to: Tell 9 things about yourself.

Oh brother.

OK.  Because Laurie is just plain fun and smart, I'll throw out a few things about myself because she asked.  

#1
I love language.   

Not just words but the origin and definition of a word.  

And then the way the definition of that word can actually be different than it's meaning.  Combine some words and all their definitions together do not match the meaning of that word series.  

Use that same series of words in a context of different words and the meaning changes again.  

Good grammar is the correct use of the tool but the best use of language is to communicate thought to thought and concept to concept to another through - and in spite of - the filters we all have as we use language.

#2
Soft ginger cookies are my love language.
It's like number 9 or 10 on the Five Love Languages thing I think.  Pretty sure it is.  Should be anyway.

#3
When we got married, The Man & I thought we might have a lot of kids.  Like five even!  Crazy lots of kids.  We would almost certainly have to get a minivan.  And they could be kinda close in age.  Like all five under ten years old.  We would probably shock people we knew but we were pretty sure we could handle it.

#4

My favorite sound is actually the call of a red winged blackbird.  It's the sound of spring to my ears.

#5

If it were not for my husband, I might not have shoes. I dislike shoe shopping that much.  But he has a thing for shoes and buys them for me. They are all very weird and very minimalist except a pair of Yellow Box flip flops that I got from a fabulous gal from Alabama.

#6

I am 5'2" and weighed over 200# after my first pregnancy.  I lost about 40 pounds before the next pregnancy but was incredibly weak for my age for many years.  I left that behind when Stick was born.  I now weigh a few pounds less than my wedding weight.  I was a size 10 then and am now a size 4-5.  I intend to live well for a while yet.

#7
Some people don't fully appreciate my gifts.  Like the time I gave rhythm eggs to all the toddlers at a multi-family picnic and a kazoo to each of the older kids.

#8
I haven't been on a plane since I was an infant.  It might be a while, too.  We've been kinda busy.

#9

I don't think of myself as very interesting.  This list, for example.  It was WORK to come up with things that might be worth noting about me.  I really do believe I'm just a very ordinary person.  I'm just living an extraordinary life.

Next up: My nominations for the Liebster Award! Kinda.  Really.  I'm not very good at this "follow the directions" gig.

The Liebster Award: Part One

My pal, Laurie writes Laurie's Everyday Notions and is an amazing garage saler. (Why, yes! That is a wonderful skill on so many levels!)

She has given me The Liebster Award!

What, you ask, is a Liebster Award?

Well.

I actually have no idea what it really is or where it came from.  BUT I do know it's given by bloggers to other bloggers in a way to spread information about small blogs here and there.  And that sounds mighty nice to me!

With it comes a list of questions to answer, things to do, and folks to share it with. ... Which makes it seem an awful lot like directions.

Here is that list:

1- Answer 11 questions from the nominating blog.

2- Tell 9 things about yourself.

3- Nominate 7 bloggers who have less than 200 followers and ask those bloggers 11 questions (Don't forget to tell those you have nominated...).

4- FOLLOW those 7 bloggers you nominate.

5- If you are nominated and choose to play along, please let your nominating blogger (that's me) know in comments so that I can see your answers and get to know you. 

THERE THEY ARE!  Just five little steps.  

Directions.

I'm not so very good with directions.  Sigh.

So I will follow these directions just like I do with a recipe.  I'll let this list sit within reach while I go about doing something kinda similar with whatever I have around that I like.

I'm going to break these steps into a few posts because I just don't have the time to post it all at once.  (Anyone who has been following to this point knows I'm woefully behind my planned posting schedule.  Oy!)

FIRST - I'll answer Laurie's 11 questions.  She's a good egg and a swell pal for answering weird questions out of the blue when I have her cell phone number handy.

1- What brings you joy?

Joy is a mighty big, powerful word.  It's more than taste or sound.  More than sentiment.  It's a longing of the soul fulfilled with a hope that's more solid than any promise given by human voice.

What brings me joy?  Laurie knows me personally and she knows my answer.  If you don't know what my answer would be - or just want to hear me say it - email me at my blogger contact email (or call me!) and stick this question to me.  I love to answer this sort of question but I do try to keep it face to face to avoid confusion.

2- What drives you nuts (pet peeves)?

Today, implied questions irk me.  

Cob (holding book with destroyed cover): Mom.

Me: That's me.

Cob (continuing to hold book and cover)

Me: Hi, Cob!

Cob (wags book and cover in the air)

Me (waves hand): Hello!  Nice to greet you.

Cob (holding book and cover farther apart... as if I can't see they are totally disconnected?)

Drives. Me. Bonkers!

3- If you had one day with no kids/spouse/responsibilities and could do anything you wished, how would you spend your day?

Wow.

I have no fast answer for this. It would depend on the season of the year but I would probably choose to be out in the woods.
I think.
Maybe?  I just don't know.  It's so far out there, ya know?

4- Favorite book?

I don't get to read much.  I have a huge, huge list of things I would like to read about but my time just isn't getting them done.

But my favorite fiction book that I keep returning to one decade after another is Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis.  There are a lot of reasons for it - several of which few would ever guess - but I've enjoyed the thoughts evoked by the story for a long time.

5- Since I'm moved by music so, I want to know your favorite song.

My favorites change a lot.  

"Every Morning" by Keb' Mo' is my current favorite with his Shave Yo' Legs coming in close second.

6- What is one word that others would use to describe you?

Different.

That is the word that was used to describe me to my blind date by his friend.  It was my last first date.

7- What are you good at?

I have yet to meet someone who can pile stuff in a closet as well and varied as I can.  Granted, it's not something that most folks go around bragging about but - hey, you asked!

8- What do you wish you knew how to do?

I wish I knew how to shoot really good portraits.  I would like to be able to share this skill with others.  I'm working on photography lessons so maybe I can get this skill yet!

9- Favorite dessert (because I'm all about food) ?

I really like New York style cheesecake.  I make a turtle cheesecake that is supposed to be quite good, too.  I rarely ever get any of that one.  But a nicely done cheesecake is just smooth and nummy all it's own.  No extras needed.

10- Who is your hero?

I've been pondering this one and I am not coming up with anything.  As I think about it, i don't know if I've ever had heros.  I'm not sure why that is but I suspect it has something to do with my understanding of people, their abilities and what we all have in common.

11- What is your favorite household chore? (I'm chuckling a little here. I'm going to bet that no one says, "toilets"!)

Can I count planning?  I like planning.  What will be needed?  Who should prepare?  What is best delegated to whom?  All that.  I love a good list!

What Do You Use For Curriculum to Teach Them History?

There was a time in my life when I didn't enjoy history.  The first 25 years of my life to be more specific.

It was so BORING.  There are dates and names AND locations AND political stuff all together and none of it is related to anything that matters much with what's going on right now.

1776

1492

Taft

Stalin

Renaissance

Axis powers

1920s

Dust Bowl

Saigon

Apartheid

1820

See?  

Boring.

And then I found I was going to be teaching history.  Not just any history.  ALL of history.  

Like I've done with other things, I went looking for some good tools.  Basic tools that I could use to get started with my littlest guinea pigs children and see if there was some way at all that I could make this horridly miserable stuff teachable.

To at least cover what the law requires and get through that junk as fast and efficiently as we could.

I had no idea how much I was going to come to LOVE history!  

I started with a series of audio CDs from Diana Waring Presents! and I played them while we were doing our most idle tasks.  We listened to her speak through events and cultures of Ancient History while folding laundry.  Van rides to Town were more interesting because we heard about the intrigue involved with the Byzantine Empire.   I learned about folks like William Wilberforce and his influence on the slave trade globally from his place in England.
These CDs were not only engaging but they totally changed my understanding of current policy and politics.  Right.  CURRENT politics gained a whole new meaning for me when I realized that:

• The Dark Ages weren't all that "dark" outside of Europe.
• In Europe, Vikings were raiders & invaders.  In Russia, they were traders.
• The national boundaries established in Africa were often set by people who not only didn't live there but hadn't a clue about the languages of the people there.
• Until relatively recently, defeat by an invading group of people, though often tragic, was a very normal part of a group's existence.  It was not assumed that all cultural unions would survive for all time.
• The French Revolution and the American Revolution had very different methods & goals.  And it shows in their different outcomes.
• The composer, Joseph Haydn, died shortly after Napoleon attacked Vienna.

These simple audio history CDs became the beginning level of our history education plan.  While they are detailed and complex enough to engage older learners (like me!), these programs are very engaging.  Diana Waring uses a story-telling style to relate a wide range of events and personalities that have influenced world history.  It's a massive undertaking and we've been very pleased.

After this stage, our history plan becomes a whole part of our house.

This is a pretty sad picture of our timeline.
Sigh.
BUT, to see it in its full glory, I would need a crazy amount of pictures and interactive video or something. Our main timeline is over FIFTY FEET LONG and we love it!  

Timelines are a great way to have history integrated into your home and your home school.  They fit into all kinds of learning styles, too. 

Here's our biggest sub-timeline.  It's only about 6 feet long and covers just a few thousand years.

 When you take on the task of a timeline, think of these benefits:

• High traffic and high visibility locations are going to ensure more opportunity for making teaching moments and the great moments when your children are just gazing around and pondering what they see.
• Visual cues are great for ALL learners!  Do you want a single color to denote discoveries and inventions?  Music notes in picture frames for the arts? Ribbons can mark the time span of an empire or a ruler.  Maybe your colors can denote geographic locations.
• Multiple timelines are a great thing!  Make a sub-timeline for a time of history your family enjoys.  
• Include as many people in the construction process as possible.  Having a part in the project sparks interest for all ages.  (Any friends or extended family that might want to contribute?  Bring it on!)

OK!  Timelines sound great!  But what do I put on them and how do we find our facts? That's the part we love the very most AND the part that makes the foundation for all our elementary and junior high grade level history curriculum.

Books.

Back when I told about how I teach them to read, I ended by saying that my kids read 30 min per day as part of their daily assignments.  Every other book they choose (after they complete the required reading for the end of their phonics instruction) needs to be nonfiction or historical fiction.  We have a huge library in our own basement and over 50% of the titles meet this requirement.  Even if we didn't have this resource in our home, I would still choose this plan. A story that shares the facts with engaging the mind and emotions of its reader is a powerful learning tool.  Don't pass it up! 

Of course, you can use other resources, too.  Movies, historical markers, museums, vacation spots and relatives can all contribute information for your timeline.  Where does "Old Yeller" fit on the timeline?  When was the local library built?  What other events happened in the world during that time?  

Whew!  OK.  I'll try it.  But where do I find history books for my eight year old?  or my twelve year old?  Or my guy who only wants to read about railroads, cars and things with wheels or explosions?  I have a tool for this, too!  All Through The Ages by Nothing New Press is the mother lode (another history word!) of all booklists!  I have a copy of the second edition book.  Though I will loan out my math stuff, let you check out books from our personal library and would even let you run some newborn laundry through my washer, I don't loan this book to anyone.  Come visit my book.  I'll bring my book to visit you.  But it stays with me - it's THAT valuable.  It's about $30 as a soft cover and around $20 as an ebook from the publisher.  Get this book.  Just get the book.  

[Updated with current URL & pricing: 7-15-2013]

What We Wear

I get asked about clothing quite often.  There is a lot of it in this house after all.

Outfitting this tribe can be a challenge.  There are MANY options for purchasing kid's clothing and, they've changed as my kids have gotten older.  Most of those new purchasing options have been good, so I won't complain much at all.

There are some basic ideas that I have tried to keep in mind as I collect clothing for us all.

Primary colors go together and are gender neutral.  I get primary colored t-shirts w/o pockets in the pre-puberty sizes at nearly any garage sale I find.  Mainly I get short sleeved but I like to have some long sleeved tees as well for layering and cooler days. The exceptions to this are camouflage and tie-dye because I am convinced that these actually DO go with just about everything. (Except each other ~ though my kids attempt to rock that wardrobe combo.)

Images and advertising are distracting and hard to match. We call them "picture shirts" here. They also get dated.  I avoid them unless they are very, very simple and usually hand made.  I just think they are nicer if they look original or unique instead of just like everyone else.  Think of it as a unique feature of my family.  Or another quirk.  

This is our current favorite picture shirt.  We got it for Party Girl from THIS etsy store. It's not in primary colors but, for a cute puppy shirt for her birthday, we made an exception.

There are some exceptions again, of course.  I snagged up a black t-shirt with SECURITY in block white letters across the back.  That has been a fun one to hand down among the ranks.  I keep my eyes open for these sorts of wacky, one-of-a-kind things.

Blue jeans in nearly neutral styles are common here for the younger crowd.  I don't like non-blue jeans.  We don't need any more occasions to look oblivious to coordination.  If I went that route, I would have a 5 yr old in a blue tee and purple pants every time I needed to get out the door with them.  

For the same reason, I don't like embroidered or patched details on pants.  Child-chosen outfit just won't match well with that many things to coordinate.  And those little flowers on the pocket won't cross that pre-pubescent gender line that I like to work to my advantage.  There are a lot of years when plain blue jeans can be for boys or girls.  Let's maximize that option!

Dresses are not worn here a lot.  I have a few little girls that like the ones that my Mom has made them for playing in.  Simple jumpers with bloomers are great for the littlest girl who doesn't like the updraft she gets from having a skirt short enough to walk up the stairs.  Fuzz likes to twirl. You gotta have a good skirt on a dress to do a proper twirl.  But these are rough and tumble jumper dresses that take several trips out "so Grandma can fix them."

But we do need to have dresses for some more formal occasions.  Again, I prefer primary colors but will branch out here because this one-piece outfit doesn't need to match anything else if you have neutral shoes.  I try to keep the patterns simple.  A big plus is no white, no off white and no black.  Why?  When I avoid those colors, I'm not limited to colors of sweaters to put over top in the fall or spring.  A dress with white flowers won't match as well with the off-white sweater but the blue dress with yellow flowers (primary colors) will be fine with whatever sweater I happen to have in that size.

Khaki pants for the boys have been great... sort of.  I have one pair (sometimes 2) in every size from 2T to 18 and some I have in the slim sizes as well for my scrawny butt boys that have shot upward but not wide enough for regulars yet.  They only wear them for weddings and funerals pretty much.  They always look situationally appropriate and tidy.  

Madras shirts or flannel, long sleeved shirts go well with these for the guys. The ones we have gotten aren't exclusively in primary colors but they all look good with khakis.  I have one or two in each size in differing patterns and they only come out at these occasions.  It's a pain to store them all but worth it if needed on short notice.  

Khakis & button front shirts for guys. What could be the draw back of this great pairing?  Well, when we walk into the room, we generally stand out just in sheer numbers.  When all the guys have fresh hair cuts, look JUST like their Dad and are all dressed in the same khaki & shirt combo - it's more than striking.  It's either intimidating or just plain weird.  Folks, read about life here and you'll know we don't need to emphasize that natural weirdness any more than we have it right now.  I just haven't found a good alternative yet.

How about shoes?  Shoes can be a mess of its own when there are this many feet stompin' around!  We usually have one pair of play shoes, one pair of dress shoes, and one pair of sandals per person.  But there is a WHOLE lot more to that topic.  I hope to hit shoe choices, storage, boots, and various barefoot and minimal shoe options we use around here in a future post.