A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Homeschooling

Surely Goodness and Mercy

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Surely goodness and mercy is based on Psalm 23.  It’s a bouncy fun song to sing.  Join in won’t you?  🙂  

surely goodness and mercy

John W. Peterson and Alfred B. Smith were friends who worked on this lovely song together.  To learn the history of how it came to be GO HERE. 

Lyrics

A pilgrim was I, and a wandering,
In the cold night of sin I did roam,
When Jesus the kind Shepherd found me,
And now I am on my way home.

Chorus:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life;
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life.

Verse 2:
He restoreth my soul when I’m weary,
He giveth me strength day by day;
He leads me beside the still waters,
He guards me each step of the way.

Verse 3:
When I walk through the dark lonesome valley,
My savior will walk with me there;
And safely His great hand will lead me
To the mansions He’s gone to prepare.

Chorus:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life;
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life.

And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever,
And I shall feast at the table spread for me;
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days, all the days of my life.

Books about The Moon and Space

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Did you know that it has been 50 years since the Apollo landed on the moon!   Amazing isn’t it?  Today, I want to share with you some books about the moon and space.  

I’ve been reviewing some books about the moon and space lately and thought that today I would highlight them.

Books about Moon and Space

Save Money on Moon and Space!

Moon and Space

Before I get too far into this post I do want to tell you about two things.

One.  Amanda Bennett Unit studies are on sale.  If you have never done a Unit Study by Amanda Bennett you are missing out.  These are SO well done and you will learn so much and have fun while doing so. 

Moon: On Sale $5 normally $12.95.  Go here.

Space: Currently $18.95   Go here. 

Moon and Space: On now for $25, normally $31.90.  Go here. 

Books About the Moon.

I don’t have this review up yet, but it will post fairly soon.  The Apollo Mission for Kids.  An excellent book by Chicago Review Press.  Part of their 21 Activities series.  I”m considering it for a co-op class. 

The Apollo Missions for kids

The Man Who Went to the Far Side of the Moon.   AN excellent book about Michael Collins. 

The man who went to the far side of the moon

Go For the moon.  A fun picture book that is surprisingly meaty. 

Go for the moon

Destination Moon.  A well done non-fiction, factual book about the people and the race for the moon. 

destination moon

Space Books

Bizarre Space is one that my son devoured.  He very much enjoyed this book.

Earth-Space Colouring Book is a lovely book that oh.. you’d have fun filling in, or having your students fill in as you give them space information. 🙂

Earth-space coloring book

Enjoy learning more about space and the Apollo Moon Landings.  Imagine.. we made it up into space!   We now have the international space centre.  We are LEARNING so much.. isn’t it fascinating?

U asked: questions about Rabbits

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I was originally going to write “questions questions, let me answer your questions” a couple of weeks ago. But decided Quarantine better fit the letter q.   So today for U I am undertaking the questions you have about rabbits.  🙂  Some of the questions asked could be a whole blog post in and of themselves… so watch out… I might just keep writing about rabbits when this alphabet series is done!  🙂

U asked questions about rabbits

Where Should Rabbits Be Kept?

In a quick nutshell… rabbits should be kept in a place where

  • they are protected from the weather. 
  • they can be fed and watered easily.  
  • predators can not get at them

Indoors or outdoors it doesn’t matter as long as those criteria are met.   Different temperatures and predators around the world affect how rabbits are kept.  For instance, here in Ontario I don’t have to worry about fire ants.   Further south, protecting rabbits from these tiny predators is highly important.  Temperature, cold wind, domestic threats like dogs & cats, wild predators such as fox, coyote, weasel, ants, and snakes, along with unkind/thoughtless people, these are all things to protect rabbits from.

What breed is Easiest for Families with Children?

Doesn’t matter the breed so much as it matters about the bunny.  Bunny temperament means far more than bunny breed.  I’ve seen children delighted with a 20 lb flemish giant who was a gentle as a lamb, and children scared of a 2 lb netherland dwarf.   Regardless of the breed rabbits can be easy going or … not.   You don’t want the not.. so you need to ask the breeder what they look for in a rabbits temperament.   Some breeders don’t care, others do.   Asking good questions and actually LISTENING to the person you are buying from is best.   

Time and again people only look at colour and rarely ask about personality.   This weekend I sold two bunnies, she had a choice of four.  She told me she wanted a calm. easy-going bunny, so I steered her toward the calmest, quietest, easiest handling baby.  One who never got alarmed by anything.  She went with my troublemaker.  Troublemaker had an eye-catching colour and so went home with a girl, who let her emotions rule her purchase.  

U asked questions about bunnies

What breed is hardest for a novice?

This is a hard one to answer.  So much depends on the novice.   There are breeds that as a whole are easier, and breeds that as a whole tend to be more difficult.  For instance I have no hesitation recommending holland lops.  Great rabbits.. though I’ve owned a couple that deserved to be fed to another animal.  Dutch, mini rex, polish, harlequin, most meat type buns make excellent first time bunnies as well. I used to raise Harlequin breed rabbits… sweetest rabbits EVER.

My son was really interested in Britannia Petite that he saw at a show but the breeder said NO, I don’t sell these to anyone under 16 years of age.  They bite as naturally as breathing.   Not the bunny for a novice.   Three shows later she introduced me to ONE (out of the several she had) that didn’t nip. She said “he’s rock solid”.  Lovely, lovely rabbit even if he would bounce out of her hands easily.  Others that I would hesitate at would be mini satins, English spots, and Belgian hares.  Overall they have less than stellar reputations, but you do find gems. 

U asked questions about rabbits

Which breeds of rabbits are best to raise for meat?

Before deciding on what breed you want for a meat rabbit you need to consider how much rabbit meat do you want?   

Do you eat a lot of rabbit meat?  Do you want to handle a 10-15 lb rabbit?   Where more rabbits are culled for meat at around 5 lbs, their parents will be significantly larger.  Are you able to handle a large rabbit?  Rabbits such as New Zealand, Californian, Argente Brun, American Chinchilla, Silver fox and so forth would be breeds you would be looking for. 

But perhaps you just want enough rabbit for one or two people, or you don’t want to handle a large rabbit but would rather have a smaller breed.  Rabbit like dutch, mini rex, florida white, mini satin, harlequin etc would suit you better. 

Meat rabbits range in size and weight from 5 – 15 lbs adult weight.  What you purchase depends on how much meat you want from your rabbit and what size rabbit you are able to handle.   

Either way, look for rabbits where the parents look like a half basketball set against a table.  A nice smooth arch from head to tail when looking at the rabbit from the side.   When looking down from the top the rabbit should be built like a brick.   Avoid thin, racy, or lean rabbits.   You want a nice chunky rabbit that will give you a good meal or two. 

All in all though… work with what you can find and work your way up.  Purchase new stock as you find better. Keep the best and eat the rest is the standard by which meat breeders live by.   All rabbits will give you meat, the amount varies by the rabbit type.  Rabbits built like a brick will give you more meat than rabbits that aren’t. 

More ARBA recognized rabbit breeds. 

What types of enrichment (toys) do bunnies like or need?

Toys, the best toys in my opinion are the ones you find for free!  🙂  

Unpainted wicker baskets, golf balls, canning rings, cereal boxes, pits of dirt to dig in, cardboard box houses, and toys that make them think … picture lettuce leaves hung by clothes pins that they need to pick off.   

Bunnies are odd… they might find a cat toy that is THEIR’s and they won’t share, or they could like nothing other than hopping around getting into mischief.  I’ve known bunnies who have a wicker carrot they carry around, but any other wicker thing they demolish.  Go figure? 

Just make sure if you give them something to play with it is too small to get their head inside or so big they can get their entire body through easily. 

Can you keep rabbits if you have a dander/pet allergy?

Allergies that I have run into as a breeder.

  1. Cats… you are likely to be allergic to rabbits.  THOUGH I have twice sold rabbits now to people allergic to cats/rabbits that were able to keep rabbits from my herd.  Why?  Haven’t a clue.
  2. Hay.    Don’t feed it.  Purchase a pelleted hay (less dust) and if you want to give your rabbits another fibre source look into apple branches, black oil sunflower seeds, etc.  But really… A GOOD pellet will give all the fibre your rabbit needs. 
  3. Bedding.  Switch to a different cage style were you don’t need bedding, or figure out a different type of bedding.  If you can’t do pine, consider paper bedding, peat moss, puppy pads, straw or hay, maybe even aspen?   Some people use newspaper bedding.  You’d need to do your research to discover what works best. Do not use cat litter. 
  4. Contact.  It’s odd.  I’ve sold three rabbits over the years to people who couldn’t touch their rabbit but enjoyed having a rabbit around.  They used gloves and long sleeves to take the rabbit to groomers for nail trims or the vet for care.  But otherwise managed to care for their rabbit without ever touching it. 

Are there any reusable bedding options?

Not that I know of.  There are several that compost easily and there are ways to limit the amount of bedding you use. 

What kind of treats from your garden/fridge can you give your pet rabbit?

From your fridge: almost anything in moderation as long as it’s a vegetable. Some basics for you:  No onions.  Be careful with plants from the cabbage family as some rabbits will bloat.  Limit carrots and other sweet vegetables. Push the dark greens, the leafy part of carrots, herbs, strawberry hulls etc. Don’t feed any nuts or fruit that comes with a nut in the centre.  

Now, I have to say this.. I am not familiar with every vegetable, weed or fruit around.  Do your research, there are safe rabbit food lists all around the web.  There are weed identification sites for provinces and states.   I’ve seen people feed things to rabbits I wouldn’t have thought of, OR been able to get my rabbits to eat, so there must be regional variations.  

U asked questions about rabbits

Others in This Series

abcblogging

Letter U Link Up

Each week we will be linking up with the hosts of Blogging Through the Alphabet. Please visit some of these other blogs to get things like book lists, vegan recipes, and wonderful places to visit, just to name the topics I can think of off the top of my head.

Am I A Soldier Of the Cross?

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This song popped out at me as I was leafing through another older hymnal that I was looking at.  (see what tidying does for a body!).   Oh.. it’s been fun this afternoon browsing and listening to songs of worship.  Isaac Watts asks a good question in this hymn though: Am I a soldier of the cross?

am I a soldier of the cross?

Isaac Watts, born in 1647, is the author of Am I A Soldier of the Cross.  He was born in England, son of a nonconformist father and became a nonconformist pastor.   Being a nonconformist meant he didn’t belong to the Church of England.  

He not only wrote hymns (for which is best known today) but also educational books covering geography, astronomy, philosophy and grammar.   A inspiring pastor he preached at Mark Lane Independent.  Poor health led him to live with the Abney’s in Herdfordshire for the remainder of his life. 

Lyrics

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His name?

Must I be carried to the skies
On flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord.
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.

Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
By faith’s discerning eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all Thy armies shine
In robes of victory through the skies,
The glory shall be Thine.

 

Other Isaac Watts Songs

Backus Page House Museum

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backus page House Museum

Recently we went to the Backus-Page House Museum in the Chatham Region.   We stopped in after visiting Greenview Aviaries.  We had an excellent time there with a brand new tour guide.  She taught us a great deal of information and walked us through the history of the area.   She later told us a great place to go to see Lake Erie. 

Backus Page House Museum

Pictures at Backus Page House Museum

The problem with going to museum and learning a lot of information is, unless you write it all down, it’s easy to forget much of what you learned.  

Backus Page House Museum
The Backus
Backus Page House Museum
I think these are the Page’s

The individuals pictured below I believe were another important family in the region at the time.  I cannot recall their names. 

Backus Page House Museum

Backus Page House Museum Artifacts

As with all museums there were tons of artifacts.  I was fascinated by the sugar tools, our student loved the hats, and my son was intrigued by the many posters they had scattered around. 

Backus Page House Museum
they had six hats you could try on, fun times! 🙂
Backus Page House Museum
Backus Page House Museum

At the Backus Page House Museum we learned that women were rarely given land, but one of the settlers in the area was given her full allotment (120 acres I think).  Sometimes the man in charge would not give settlers there full allotment and would keep some of the land for himself.  Talbot (I think) was the land agent and was known for disliking Scotsmen. 

The Honey House

The honey house on the property is actually a replica as the original was burned down.  It was used to house bees.  Slits were cut in so the bees could go in, they were baited with honey poured on hot stones.  Large boxes were placed in the bee house for the bees to use.  The honey was later removed from the boxes with large knives. 

Backus Page House Museum

More from the House

All three of us were intrigued by this antique doorbell.  I’d like to see one like this on my own front door.

We looked through all the bedrooms, saw their living room, dining room and kitchen.  We couldn’t go down to the basement for safety concerns. 

Backus Page House Museum
This was the master bedroom
Backus Page House Museum

They have a shelf near these kettles that is laden with a variety of knives. We were allowed to pick them up.  Some are surprisingly heavy and many still have a good edge to them.  I was so pleased we could handle them.

Backus Page House Museum
Not a toy, a model from the time period

The Loom

Backus Page House Museum

Our student was much intrigued by this old loom at The Backus Page House Museum and even asked questions about it from our tour guide.   This would have been a room model, and not quite suited to this space but it’s the one they had on hand.  🙂  Sometime I would like to try my hand at running a real loom, wouldn’t that be fun?

Follow up

We learned that end of end of July Backus Page House Museum will be hosting a civil war reenactment.  We hope to attend if time off and finances allow it. 

It was a lovely hour and bit there.  Our host was friendly and accommodating and unlike most museums we were allowed to handle specific real artifacts. 

Want to learn keyboarding?

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Over the years I have looked at a number of keyboarding, or typing programs. Some free, some paid, all have their place.   I thought I’d work you through some of the options for who want to learn keyboarding, or have a student in need of these skills.

Want to Learn Keyboarding Skills?

Why Do I Care

You might be wondering why do I have this focus on keyboarding?  Why is it important that my son have excellent keyboarding skills?  

Did you know that I mark papers?  I KNOW .. funny eh?  I mark biology and physics papers for a high school. This very odd thing was learned!  I like papers that are typed out.  Typed papers mean I don’t have to fight with handwriting wondering if the penmanship is sloppy or if a word is spelled incorrectly.  It is quicker to read even writing and spacing.  It’s no small wonder to me that colleges and universities like their essays and papers typed out!

The elementary students of today will be tomorrow’s highschool and higher education students.   They will:

  • Write reports.
  • Argue papers, topics, put together presentations
  • Comment on discussion boards and blogs.
  • Journal in blogs and online tools like Penzu.
  • Research online (type addresses into a search bar).
  • Take digital notes (using Evernote, OneNote and similar).
  • Collaborate on Google Apps like docs, sheets, presentations.
  • Take online quizzes.
  • Use online tools for core classes (Wordle, Animoto, Story Creators).
  • And more

Having good keyboarding skills will make their jobs of learning easier.

Before we get too far in, let me talk about some of the products that I have actually used with my son. 

Keyboarding Reviews I have Done

We did UltraKey Online.   He pretty much liked this course, but found he didn’t really retain much of it when he was finished.   

Then came working through The Typing Coach.  This overall wasn’t a good fit for us long term.

This past year my son studiously engaged himself with Typing Instructor Platinum.  He really liked this program and found it also taught him to do the numbers, not just the letters.   It covered everything on the keyboard. 

Learn Keyboarding

Learn Keyboarding – free options

The benefits of free of course is that it is free.   Doesn’t cost you a dime beyond your internet fee.  Free programs can be really well done, or they can lacking in detail, practice time, tests or more.  Try them out, they are free, you will learn something and perhaps you can use one to build upon another.   Others it just requires using the full program and adding in drill time.

want to learn keyboarding

Learn Keyboarding – paid options

I have gone to thrift stores seeing keyboarding books there, the old flip style that I grew up with. 

Paid programs tend to be more complete than free, but not always.  Try before you buy so you can get a good feel for the program if you can.  

I found some options for you on amazon.  Note affiliate link.

Want to Learn Some Specifics?

Travelling with Rabbits

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A couple of years ago a big stink was made by Animal Rights Activists at a rabbit show.   This show was a multi-animal show with cats, dogs and other critters, but only the rabbits were targeted.  The reason for the Activists upset?  Travel cages for rabbits.   So today I would like to talk with you about how to keep a rabbit safe while you are travelling.  Travelling with rabbits is more than just putting them in a handy cardboard box.

Travelling with Rabbits

What Rabbits Like:

Did you know that domesticated rabbits… so your California, Holland lop, Polish, Netherland Dwarf, New Zealand, French Lop etc breeds of rabbits … are all descended from European rabbits?

These rabbits naturally build underground dens, sorting out their territories from each other.  They set about raising their young and keeping themselves safe.  Since they burrow they are used to confined spaces where their feet are on the ground.  Dark small spaces just big enough to turn around in.  An important consideration to remember when travelling with rabbits. 

Travelling with Rabbits

Enter in the Need to Travel

I have to admit, this need to travel is generally not done because the rabbit asked for it.  🙂  But sometimes rabbits find themselves in situations where travel is necessary.

Reasons they might travel

  • they are finding a new home
  • they have to travel to the vet for medical
  • their owner wants to show them off at a rabbit show
  • they are therapy bunnies bringing comfort into the lives of others
  • they are wanting to be bred and the owner doesn’t have a buck
  • their family is going on vacation and want bunny to come along too
  • they are part of a rabbit education program
  • or a host of other reasons 🙂

How to Keep a Bunny Safe

Remember that bunnies actually like small enclosed spaces?  I know, so unlike people eh?  When bunnies travel from one place to another they should be in a small cage.  Just like they make kennels for dogs and cats, or have dog friendly seatbelts, travel carriers are small to keep a bunny safe while on the road. 

You will find them in a variety of styles.

  • Hard-sided kennels like you would use for a small cat or dog.  A bunny can live in these for a couple of weeks with daily cleaning.  Not ideal but possible. 
  • Soft-sided kennels meant for short term transit.  Bunnies can’t live in them because they have teeth and claws and a determined bunny could dig or chew their way clear. 
  • Wire travel Carriers.   These are most popular among rabbit breeders.  They keep a rabbit very safe and secure while they travel.
Travel and Rabbits

Why Not Let Them Out?

This question comes up among concerned individuals.  Once you are at a show, event, training exercise, why don’t you let the rabbits out into a bigger space?

Unlike with dogs or cats, rabbits often won’t share space.  So if you are taking 30 rabbits to a show how do you take space along for ALL those rabbits?  How do you keep those rabbits safe from those who want to bring along their dog to the rabbit show?  Who are you looking to make happy.. the rabbit or the people watching?

Remember, rabbits LIKE small spaces.  It’s one of the ways that you make them feel secure.  The comfort and security of the bunny needs to come first don’t you think?  Letting them stay in their own secure area also helps to protect them from random illnesses that other rabbits might carry.  They can’t lick, touch or otherwise interact with rabbits from another herd. 

https://www.amazon.com/All-Things-Bunnies-Carrier-Transport/dp/B078QQN9QL/ref=sr_1_52?keywords=show+rabbits&qid=1562648608&s=gateway&sr=8-52

Is There Room for Change?

Well, like with anything there is always room for improvement.  The question is: What change?

Things to consider:

  1. A frightened or surprised rabbit can panic and cause injury to itself.  How does one prevent that?
  2. Is the change to make people happy or the rabbit?
  3. Can a easily transportable system be designed to give rabbits more room when no longer travelling?  Time outside of their travel area?  Would that area be safe from unexpected surprise ergo keeping the bunny safe?
  4. Would any change be accepted by rabbit handlers?
  5. Should the tried and true be changed just because animal activists can’t understand rabbit mindset and safety?

Others in This Series

alphabet

Letter T Link Up

Each week we will be linking up with the hosts of Blogging Through the Alphabet. Please visit some of these other blogs to get things like book lists, vegan recipes, and wonderful places to visit, just to name the topics I can think of off the top of my head.