A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Homeschooling

Summer Rhubarb Recipes

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Did you know that rhubarb season has started?  It’s a wonderful thing indeed!  Time for sauces, cakes, loaves, muffins and so much more.  This week’s challenge is summer recipes and I can’t think of anything more summery than rhubarb as it’s good all summer long!  So let me share some summer rhubarb recipes with you. 

Summer Rhubarb Recipes

Facts about Rhubarb

Rhubarb is a plant that everyone seems to know, but not always know what to do with.  Is it a fruit or vegetable?  Though it is technically a vegetable, it is legally a fruit.  This was a ruling made in New York.  Rhubarb is a fruit since we use it to make desserts and pies. 

We only eat the stems, not the root or the leaves.  In fact the triangular leaves contain high levels of a poisonous chemical called oxalic acid.  You do need to pull it out by the root as that stimulates the plant to grow more leaves.  Cutting off the stems only encourages rot and that will hurt your rhubarb plant in the long run.   

They LOVE fertilizer.  I cover mine with rabbit manure throughout the winter which gives them a great start in the spring.  In July I’ll pull most of the stalks and then replace the manure pack which strengthens the rhubarb for continued production. 

I remember as a child eating raw rhubarb, it was quite tart but I loved it!  As I got a bit older I would sprinkle a bit of sugar on it.  I still like to nibble on raw rhubarb but never a whole lot.  Too much tartness no longer agrees with me!  🙂 

Raw Rhubarb

Summer Rhubarb Recipes

This week I made a very moist loaf using rhubarb. This recipe is very similar to the one I used, I didn’t add nuts because we don’t care for them in our loaves.  But a nice tasting loaf, definitely worth making again. 

Rhubarb Bread

Rhubarb Cake is a favourite around here.  Cinnamon sugar, rhubarb, moistness and a good cake taste. 

rhubarb cake

Rhubarb Sauce is so very easy to make.  Cut up rhubarb, add a touch of water, and let it cook until soft.  Add sweetener if desired. 

I was talking to a lady that I sold some rhubarb too and she mentioned that she adds apples to it when she cooks it.  Doesn’t that sound good?  Apple and rhubarb goes together so well.  

rhubarb sauce

Other recipes with Rhubarb
Recipes with Rhubarb
Rhubarb Apple Crisp.
Rhubarb Pudding Cake.
Rhubarb Bread.
Rhubarb Cake 2.
Rhubarb Muffins.
Rhubarb Crisp.

May 2020

I invite you to join in on the linky.  What summer recipes would you offer up?

Precious Jewels

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Precious Jewels, also known as When He Cometh started running through my head this morning.  I was listening to a preacher talk about Jesus coming again some day (maybe tomorrow) and how he will gather up his precious Jewels.   I started humming this song to myself and figured it would be a good one to share with you this Sunday. 

Precious Jewels

Lyrics to Precious Jewels

When He cometh, when He cometh
To make up His jewels,
All His jewels, precious jewels,
His loved and His own.

Refrain

Like the stars of the morning,
His brightness adorning,
They shall shine in their beauty,
Bright gems for His crown.

He will gather, He will gather
The gems for His kingdom;
All the pure ones, all the bright ones,
His loved and His own.

Refrain

Little children, little children,
Who love their Redeemer,
Are the jewels, precious jewels,
His loved and His own.

Refrain

Author and History

William O Cushing wrote this song back in 1856 whilst travelling on a steamer.  He wanted to host a sing song and wanted to play something everyone might learn to know.  He chose an American tune called “His Jewels” written by George Root and by voyage end everyone had learned the Jewel Song.   At least that is one version of the origin.  The other is that he wrote it for the children in his Sunday School class.   Which is true?  I dunno.  Both are, from what I can tell, equally valid.  🙂 

William Orcutt Cushing was the son of an American Unitarian pastor, who when he grew married, also became a pastor. Over the course of his lifetime, he wrote more than 300 hymns such as Follow On.  He was only in ministry for 27 years due to a creeping paralysis that overtook him. 

Ponderings

Hymns are made so we can see God more clearly you know that?  They help us focus in on an aspect of God worthy of being praised. 

This song helps to see God’s love for us, and just how very precious we are to him. His very own children that he is gathering in. 

Kinda makes me think of Smaug, you know the dragon from Lord of the Rings, who gathers in all his wealth and how precious it was to him.  God’s love for us is pure and bright though, his love for us deep and unfathomable. Not a selfish, hoarding love, but a love of freedom and responsibility, and deep deep concern. 

Such a restful thought it is I find.  Knowing the depth of God’s love for me, and how he is gathering not only me but all his other loved ones in. 

Run Salmon Run

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raincoast FTC

The other day as I was walking on the treadmill I watched a video about the Spirit Bears of British Columbia.  A big part of the menu for these bears is the salmon run.  It made me think of my most recent review.  Run Salmon Run would be a great book to go along with learning about these elusive bears.  Salmon don’t only provide a major part of their diet, but the off cast feeds many smaller animals, providing fertilizer for the forest, a nutrient-dense environment for their fry and much much more.  The Salmon run is a necessary part of the eco-system.  Learn more about salmon and their very necessary lifecycle. 

What I am Reviewing

Raincoast BooksRun Salmon Run is a hardcover picture book geared at children in kindergarten to grade 3.  Written by Bobs & Lolo and illustrated by Lori Joy Smith it was published by Page Two Books.  36 pages of full colour illustrations along with large print to make it easy to share with a group of children.  It covers the life-cycle of the wild Pacific Salmon from tiny egg to returning adult.  Run Salmon Runs comes complete with a glossary of terms.   Reviewed for Raincoast Books. 

The Details about Run Salmon Run

Run Salmon Run

Large print text fills the first page of every two-page spread.  Rhyming couplets easy to read. 

Run Salmon Run

The second part of the two-page spread introduces new terminology in a short rhyme. Words like alevin, fry, smolt, krill, and spawn.  Introducing us to various life stages and food sources. 

Run Salmon run

Should you get it?

YES!   It’s short and sweet, a great primer to learning the basics of the salmon and their life-cycle.  It would for me, be the first book in learning about salmon.  I do wish they had a bit more in it about the importance of salmon to the eco-system, but for a book directed at youngsters, it’s a good start.  The colourful pages fill the eye with delight, and the numerous items to look at on the page give additional conversation-starters.   A lovely book indeed, I urge you to look into Run Salmon Run. 

Review image run salmon run

Things are New Again

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Okay, so I think my brain glitched today.  I could have sworn the word for today was new, but I guess it’s normal!  AH WELL, not changing my post now anymore!   But it is a normal thing for me to be out working hard in a garden in the springtime.  And this year I got to celebrate a new bunny into my herd.   Gregory was gifted to me by a bunny friend and he’s young and somewhat lacking in confidence.  He showed his fortitude by going down a rather, to him, scary ramp.  Gaining confidence until he was zipping up and down like an old pro. 🙂 

Things are New Again

Every Year
It Starts again
The green billowing up
Things are new again.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”  2 Corinthians 5:17

Blue spring flowers

Blue and white
Abounding Colours
Muddy background, getting covered
Things are new again.

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  Luke 12:27

New raised Garden Beds

Raised Beds
Building Again
Homes for vegetables, providing
Growing new food again.

He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows.  Isaiah 30:23

Gregory the english lop Braved the Ramp

Lifting, Hauling
Building, crawling creativity
Freedom, and bravery shown in new bunny
Gregory freely roaming.

The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?  Psalm 27:1

Bags of garden dirt near completed gardens

Bit by bit
Completion at hand
The filling in of beds is done
Things are new Again

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Col.3:17

Things are New Again

This has been a Five Minute Friday post, I urge you to join us focusing in on the word normal with Miss Kate.   Write for five minutes, comment on those that have gone on before, and well… you know…  be creative!  🙂 

Review: Beyond the Stick Figure Art School

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DISCLAIMER: I RECEIVED A FREE COPY OF THIS PRODUCT THROUGH THE HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW IN EXCHANGE FOR MY HONEST REVIEW. I WAS NOT REQUIRED TO WRITE A POSITIVE REVIEW NOR WAS I COMPENSATED IN ANY OTHER WAY.

For the past few weeks I have been reviewing Beyond the Stick Figure Art School.  I have been working my way through Sally’s Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses.  As I told my bosses at the Homeschool Review Crew… if she can teach ME to draw, she’ll have done good!  Let me say this… I just might surprise you!  Come along as I walk you through this review.

Beyond the Stick Figure Art School Review

What I am Reviewing

Beyond the Stick Figure will provide you with 55 drawing lessons, 15 pen and ink lessons, 52 lessons in watercolour and 24 lessons in Acrylic.   On top of all these lessons you will receive 30 lessons in 3D Design.

This course is for the entire family from 5-95!

Each lesson includes video, often at least one worksheet and lots of practice time. 

Included is a list of materials to help you make purchasing decisions.  For some of the classes having top quality materials will help your work come out better.  For other classes, just use what you have a hand and make accommodations for your expectations. 

logo beyond stick figure

About the Designer

Sally, the designer for this course, is a homeschooling parent!  She received a degree in art from the Loughborough College of Art and Design in England.  You can hear her English accent in the videos.  🙂 

sally beyond stick figures

The Details for Beyond the Stick Figure Art School

There are four parts to the Beyond the Stick Figure Art School.  The main part is the drawing course.  Then the three bonus courses.

The drawing course has three parts to it.  Part one (17 lessons) Part two (33 Lessons) and Part three (5 lessons).   The set up is the same for each lesson.  A video (sometimes two) along with a worksheet to print off. 

Then there are the three bonus courses.  

The Pen & Ink along with the Watercolour Course.  Pen & Ink has two parts with 15 topics total.  The Watercolour course has part 1 (10 lessons), part 2 (19 lessons) and part 3 (23 lessons).  

The Acrylic course follows with 24 Lessons divided over three days.  The 3D course gives us 30 Lessons divided over three days. 

The three days can be a bit of a misnomer since some of the lessons are quite quick, other lessons require practice time, and yet other lessons need time for the previous lesson to dry.   Completing multiple lessons in one day is quite possible. 

parts of course

Step by incremental step, Sally walks you through the world of art.  Each lesson contains at least one video where Sally explains each step and often includes hints.  These hints are there to help you develop better habits as an artist. Sally works hard to ensure the success of her students. 

Video and worksheet location

The worksheets open as printable PDF’s.  Same window unless you ask it to open in a new window.  Everyone that I opened was one page in length, and they did not each need to be printed off.  

warning to complete

One of the aspect of the Art School that it took a while for me to adjust to was the need to mark each lesson, and then each day as complete.   If you failed to do so you would get this warning reminding you to do so. 

seeing lesson overview

I loved that as I watched each lesson I could see clearly where I was in each days work. It gave me a goal to work toward.

How Did I use it?

The drawing course wasn’t quite what I expected. I expect lessons where I would learn shading, perspective, and a variety of other aspects of drawing.  What I received were numerous lessons in how to draw specific lines, and then how to colour them in. I understand it was a very incremental process that as an adult reviewer I found myself chafing at.   I do like that even I managed to create art!  🙂 

drawing course beyond the stick figure

Water Colour

I looked at the Pen & Ink course and thought “OH COOL”, but then decided that I’d rather move on to the Watercolour portion.  I’ve done a bit of watercolour in the past but have never really received lessons. I really liked that I learned new skills, how to make grasses, and use the side of a paintbrush, and more skills.  Rather neat! I look forward to completing the rest of the lessons. 

watercolour

Acrylics

My favourite part of the course?  ACRYLICS.  I was shocked!  Seriously.  I admittedly didn’t have the materials that would have served me best.  Living in Canada, and dealing with Covid-19 restrictions and the um… rather LARGE prices for items on Amazon had me making do with the products that I had in the house.   Afterall.. what if I hated acrylics.. what a waste of dollars that would have been.  But I LIKE IT! I plan to do more.   Just look at what I created!

acrylic paintings

I do need to explain the bottom painting.   It was supposed to be a cloud painting and that was it.  I felt so… UNFINISHED when I was done so I went on to complete the lesson with the one above.  Then I thought, I wonder if I can do with acrylics what you do with watercolour and tried to make grass.  My goal was to create a swampy region with trees in the background.  Was it stellar piece of work?  No.  Hubby and son like the top one the best, but I was delighted that I decided to be creative and take a lesson from one part of the course and apply it to another.

lesson hint
Lesson hint for finding the horizon

3 D Design

The 3D Design Course was more difficult than I thought it would be. ADMITTEDLY I made an oops.  I honestly thought I had the right kind of clay on hand, and didn’t. Therefore I needed to make do with the air dry clay I had on hand. The lad mentioned, “OH, I used it up mom!”  “Gah!”

Ah well, it was still fun to make what I call a foxling.  A mammal that lays eggs and guards them.  🙂   He’s not quite done in the image below.

foxling, 3d design

Should you get it?

I loved parts of this course, and other parts I chafed at, but at all stages I learned something.   In the drawing course I learned the importance of using guidelines to help me achieve the curve I wanted in a line, in watercolour to practice new skills.  Acrylics was simply fun, playing with paint, building on skills learned in watercolour.  3D design was simply a nice break to test out working with clay again.  I’ve worked with clay a lot with my lad and have built a number of items. Creating my egg-laying foxling was great, bringing an imaginative creature to life was a hoot.  Now to write the story to go with him.  🙂 

Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course PLUS 3 Bonus Courses is an interesting set of courses.  Worth taking the time to look at,  give it a look-see, you may find that it suits the artistic needs of your family.  

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beyondthestickfigure/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/britladyinamerica/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/beyondthestickfigureart/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCROy5BkqT_cZvQu1dTPRYzw

I urge you to check out the 80 reviewers for the Beyond the Stick Figure. Delve into the world of artistic expression and see how you too might surprise yourself with your ability to be an artist. 

Beyond the Stick Figure Complete Drawing Course {Beyond the Stick Figure Art School}

Boredom Busters for Teens

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So, we have a lad living with us who normally doesn’t.  He’s a lad who very much NEEDS to be kept busy so his mama has been looking for ways to meet that need.   Some boredom busters she’s come up with for teens are in today’s post. 

Boredom busters for Teens

Continuing Education

My son continues with his homeschooling, and her lad is in need of finishing his high school diploma… so learning will be at hand for two lads in this quiet household. 

I told mama about SchoolhouseTeachers.com so hopefully she’ll use my subscription to help her lad as it’s a cost-effective way for her to do so. 

schoolhouseteachers.com

This message from The Old Schoolhouse: We are again teaming up with over a dozen homeschooling and family-friendly companies to provide NEW SchoolhouseTeachers.com members with 19 gifts (available while supplies last) when they purchase the Ultimate (PreK–12) Annual Membership this May with code: 19GIFTS to lock in the annual price of only $139 (reg. $224.97). (This is a non-refundable rate and available in the US only.)

Seems a pretty good deal eh?

Helping the Missus

One of the things she has added to the list is “helping the missus”… that being me.  A lot of people have a hard time pronouncing my last name and her son is one of them.  To him, I’m the missus.   And he’s been relegated as a personal servant.  If I have a project to do, guess who gets to help me?  🙂

It’s rather odd actually.  I’m used to telling my son “I need you for this task, should take x amount of time”.  My son happily helps me complete whatever task, but I’m reluctant to pull him away from his studies.   This young man though… he does exactly what I ask without asking questions about how long, and offers opinions on how to do the job better, or differently etc.  I think it’s a difference in age and boredom levels.  🙂   

Our most recent project was making an isolation cage for a new to me rabbit.  It’s very nice to have an extra pair of hands when I need them. 

Isolation cage for rabbits

Games

What young person doesn’t like playing games, whether on-line or a table game.   My son loves playing a variety of card games and board games.  It’s a great way to kill 15 minutes to an hour, provides time for laughter and connection, and sometimes you can even squeeze in some learning. 

Add Board Games to Your Homeschool Routine

Mr. J loves to play on-line games or on his phone, but like me, his mom wants him off once in a while.  Having a whole shelf of board games is a boon to us all. 

Animal Companions

Sometimes, just sometimes, having an animal around is the best way to break the boredom.   Gregory (pictured below) is the newest rabbit addition to my rabbitry.  He’s used to getting attention from people so I’ve told our new young man (Mr. J) to spend all the time he wants with Gregory.    

animals as boredom busters

Today it was funny.  Gregory came in the house and managed to scare himself badly as he was exploring. He dashed into the safety of Mr. J’s lap.  The biggest smile burst forth!  So cool to see!   Then he promptly peed….the smile disappeared and emergency scooping, laundry etc happened.  It was SO good to share a good laugh, oh my, I chuckle just remembering. 

Household Chores

Did you know that a certain young man has never swept a floor or loaded a dishwasher?  That same young man also happens be an excellent cook, and likes taking the time to craft a well-made meal.  So he’s learning new skills which takes a fair bit of time to do for a highly distractable young man. It’s rather fun to watch. 

The benefit is that with each new skill learned, comes confidence.  His long-term goal…to have his own apartment, and a job he can hold down. Baggage or no baggage, long-term goals will slowly be met!

Side-benefit: As Mr. J learns new skills, my son occasionally steps in to help. Giving the opportunity for both lads to learn.  Learning to work side-by-side and to share the tasks at hand. 

picture of broom, text learning new skills

Physical Exercise

Get outside for a walk morning and afternoon… get out get out get out.  Enjoy the sunshine, pump muscles, walk, run, jump.. I don’t care.  Just get out and get your body moving.  It’s good for your body and your mind to get busy.   Even for just 15 minutes, getting exercise changes what your body is doing.  It helps medications to do their job, reduces headaches from eye strain, and guarantees a better nights sleep. 

I do hope you will join in on our linky.  The homeschool review crew has put together a social media challenge.   This week the topic is Boredom Busters.  What boredom busters for teens, children or even yourself do you have to share?

May 2020

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Hymns for Mother’s Day

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I’m going to do something a wee bit different today.  Instead of focusing on one hymn I thought I would like to a number of youtube hymns for Mother’s Day.  Afterall.. it is Mother’s Day today, might as well rejoice in all that is mother!  🙂 

Hymns for Mother's Day

I could not find the lyrics to this Honour Christian Mothers. It’s sung to the tune Onward Christian Soldiers. 

The author of Where Can I Turn for Peace wrote this song out of concern for her anorexic daughter. 

As I was searching for hymns for mother’s day I was surprised that Count your Blessings came up a few times.  Kinda makes sense if you consider the words you know? 

A Mother’s Love is a Very Special Thing, sung by a group of children.

There actually aren’t very many well-known hymns for Mother’s day.  You can find a good list at Hymnary, but honestly, I didn’t know any of them.