A Net in Time

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Today I was Brave

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Guess what… today I was brave.
And the whole time…

I was quaking in my shoes!


I shared a poem of mine with a lady at the foodbank.
See, we’d just been talking about the writers’ conference that I had been too, and she wanted to know why I’d been and if I was writing a book.  

I said “I write poetry”.  
The answer was OH?
Tell me something you wrote
Won’t you my dear?
I pulled out a quick one
My phone so handy you know?
Opened up the browser and picked
One called Grow.
She said “Oh, I like this, 
Can I see another?
So I bravely, yet quaking within
Pulled out Listen, Listen my Child
She fell in love, reading it again
Saying, send this to me
Here’s the email, I want to show this to others.
Share will you please?
My heart about bursting
I did as she asked.
I mentioned I hoped to publish someday
A book with poems and pictures to colour.
I think that’s a great idea
Words spoken to my heart.
So perhaps one day
More brave I will be.

 

Linking up here: B is for Books.

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Art Book: Art Up Close

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Wow! I really like this art book. It’s called Art Up Close. Despite the fact that it has no art to draw or to inspire, my lad even likes it! 

I have to tell you all the details about this marvellous book, and truly it is a GOOD book.


First off, there are over 20 different masterpieces featured, from ancient to modern times.

Each two page spread looks like this one.  A piece of art work surrounded by up to 12 circles which are parts of the painting blown up.  Your challenge is to find each of those circles.

 Each circle is designed to help you dig deeper into the art work, perhaps discovering things you weren’t aware of before.

When you find it, it’s always a good thing you know?

And don’t worry, if you can’t find it, you can always turn to the back of the book.  Where first you learn a bit more about the art work.

Then as you scroll pass this section you discover the answer (provided under a lift the flap).  It’s not good to cheat BUT it is good to be able to find the answer if you are truly stuck, don’t you think?

I appreciated the sheer variety in these pieces, from early Egyptian art through Arabic manuscripts, to the Aztecs and on to the early 19th century and ending with Jackson Pollock of 1952.    I can’t say that I liked all the art work, but I definitely learned more about it!   It was good to have details to pick out as it helped me to pick out other details as well as I searched the painting. 

Claire d’Harcourt achieved her purpose in helping students of art history learn more about these paintings and to pay attention to the details.

I think this book would be a great add-on to any student of art history, from homeschoolers adding an art credit, to older students wanting to understand more about our past.  Art is a good way to look back at where we are, and understand our fellow man all the more.

Art Up Close: From Ancient to Modern
Claire d’Harcourt
64 pages
ages 10+
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press
Type: Hardcover art book, oversized.

Reviewed for Raincoast books. 

Where can you find it?

Amazon.ca: Art Up Close: from Ancient to Modern.
Amazon.com: Art Up Close: From Ancient to Modern. 

 

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Share, it’s a thing to learn

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What does it mean to share?  

It’s odd how some things stick with you for years.  I remember when my lad was a wee youngster and we were trying to be part of a play group and they had this rule that if a child was playing with something, and another child wanted it we needed to teach them to share, so child one would have to give up the toy so that other child could have it.  This rule was enforced and it bothered me mightily at the time, and I guess it still does.  All those toys my lad was forced to give up…for another child’s selfishness…I WANT DAT!  and so my lad would kindly give it up…  seemed so dreadfully unfair.

I suppose it’s a hard balance … to teach sharing without encouraging selfishness. We didn’t last in that play group as the balance just wasn’t there.


Share
It’s a hard thing to balance
to share and not demand.
To teach our children 
the give and take
that so many need to learn.
To take
 demands that we also give.
Our time,
Our attention,
From whom we would take.
 Just as to give
demands that we also give
Our time
Our attention
to whom we would impart.
To see the need.
to know the demand
to make the judgement call
on whose need is greater.
That of the askee
or that of the giver.

Whose need do we see 
as more worthy?
It’s a hard one to teach.
It’s a hard one to learn.
But that’s what it means
to 
SHARE.
Those who are kind benefit themselves
This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Review: Family at Large

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A homeschooling friend wrote this book and I told her I’d put a blurb about it up on the blog.  🙂  If you review books, you gotta do things like this eh?  🙂

Seriously though, good book, you aught to get yourself a copy.


Joanne has a rather large family, and was inspired to put together some of the tales and advice, of having a large family.   Large family or not, you may find yourself inspired.  Do you think you could get out of the house, ready for camping in 1/2 an hour?  I only have one and KNOW I can’t do that.  🙂

Faith is a very evident part of the Schreuders household and interspersed between the pages of fun (cause seriously, if you can’t find something funny in a household of 10 children something is off) are lines of faith, of truth in learning to rely on God for all that he has given and the strength he gives daily. 

Joanne talks honestly about the lessons she has needed to learn, and how that has changed her.  From needing to maintain self-control to not lose her temper, to how to pack well, to seeing her children as unique individuals with giftings of their own from God, and how to show her children love.  

Family at Large
Joanne Schreuders
110 pages
Encouragement
Faith based.

Where can you get it?

Contact Joanne at her facebook page: Family at Large.

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Canada Book: Canada the Culture

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 Canada the Culture, the book I looked at is one of the original books in this series.    In this book we are invited to see Canadian culture in it’s many different facets.

Learning about Canadian culture is part of learning about Canada, you know?  Ergo let me tell you about this helpful book.  It’s not a large one, but is packed full of information.  Explaining how Canada is a multi-cultural nations and retains that culture in various festivals and holidays held across Canada.

I loved the great balance between picture and text, because a picture can show us things that text cannot.  The pictures are bright and full of information.  The text written at a level easy to understand, at a perfect level for grades 3-6.

I appreciated how this 32 book covered all the cultural aspects of Canada, making it a very useful addition into your studies into Canada.  Learning about the myths and the legends from Canada’s beginning, learning about the holidays and the people that make up my beloved land.  It’s a book well worth looking at as part of your cultural studies of Canada.

Canada the Culture
Bobby Kalman
Original book…listing a link to the updated version below
hardcover
Facts, about Canadian culture.
Grades 3-6

Where to find the revised version?

Amazon.ca.                   Amazon.com.

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

This Garden Grows

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but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 
 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching
and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
 we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ

This Garden Grows
Little by Little
this garden grows.
The plants they come up
row by row.
Sunlight and Dirt
Nutrients and Water
and just a wee bit of chatter
All that they need for growth to occur.
Little by Little
this garden grows.
The lad is maturing 
before my eyes.
 Grace and Wisdom
Food and Drink
and just a wee bit of chatter
All that he needs for growth to occur.
It’s happening
Right before my eyes.
It’s amazing to watch
him grow.

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites

Four Sources of Poetry for Middle School and High School

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As a reader on my blog, I’m sure you’ve come to realize that I like poetry, I like writing it (it’s fun for me), and I often times like to read it, though not always… (sorry being honest).

middle school highschool poetry lessons

When I pondered what to write for this Monday post I got to thinking about writing poetry, and learning how to read poetry.  You see when I was at the Writer’s Conference I ran into this book that I wanted to buy but couldn’t justify the cost of (it’s now on my wish list from Amazon as maybe a Christmas present).  🙂

It’s important I think to learn how to read a poem, to understand how to see the images the poet is portraying, even if you don’t understand everything, like all the nuances and what not.. cause seriously. when I read a  poem I don’t catch everything that some others might, I just read it, and think “neat” or “meh”.  🙂    Occasionally one will catch me off guard, or just even a line and I’ll ponder that for a while… that to me is reading a poem.  🙂  And THAT is how I’ve taught my lad.  (sorry, nasty little secret eh?)  🙂

Anyways, on to poetry lessons here!  🙂  Where can you find them?

Well, first up is poetry that you can find on SchoolhouseTeachers.com.
Opening the Door to Poetry.   The lad and I are starting this course this week as soon as he’s done his Writing Radar book.

Then down the road when we want to do something different (like over the holidays when things get a bit more sporadic).  So I found The Literary Maven. She has a 30 day poetry challenge for high school students, and granted the lad’s not there but hey.. read a poem, be inspired, laugh a little, and just have fun for a few days! 

Then I stopped by Poets.org and discovered lesson plans for poetry.. for middle school and highschool.  I thought Dear Poet 2017 looked interesting.  What do you think?  Or would one of their other lesson plans intrigue you more?

If you want to read seasonal poems, you could check out these fall/autumn poems for middle schoolers put together by The Poetry Foundation. 

What do you think?  Will these get you and your students off to a good poetry study this fall and winter?  I hope so.. poetry is fun if you let it be.  🙂  

Read it, delight in it, but don’t beat it death!  Let the thoughts and images run through your mind, letting a line grabbing you so you can savour it.. and then let it go again.  Poetry is a bit of a wild child you know…you have to let it run free soaking in where it will, running where it needs to.  Blazingly fun, comfortingly slow, or soothingly sweet.

This post may contain affiliate links – using affiliate links from A Net in Time helps fuel this blog and our homeschool – thank you!

©2006-2017 A Net In Time. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. A Net In Time . We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites