A Net in Time

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Series

Art Book Series: Claude Monet:Sunshine and Waterlilies

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The small book on Claude Monet is written as though a young person was writing a report for school, complete with what she likes and doesn’t like about Monet’s painting and some of the food he liked it eat.   It covers from his early years til the end of his life.

It’s a rather neat little book just packed full of pictures and text about Monet.  Did you know that Monet had a temper and if he didn’t like his work he’d rip it up or throw it into the river (if out in a boat mind you).

One of the nice touches I thought the comparison of Renoit and Monet doing the same scene.  Each artist had his own touch.    Both I think are great.  Two friends who often painted together. Neighbours, Friends, Rivals, both Impressionists.

I love the multitude of images and the easy read font.  I found it fascinating seeing Monet’s early work and how much it changed the longer he was an artist.   

For instance this early one : La Pointe De La Heve at Low Tide
As Opposed this later one: San Giorgio Maggorie by Twilight.

Monet was well known for liking to paint the same scene at different times of the day. He loved to be outdoors painting rather than indoors doing portraits or still-life images.  It took a long time for his style of art work to be accepted, but when they did, it enabled him to build an awning to sit under when he painted, it meant he didn’t need to live with friends or only eat beans for months on end.

This was a very interesting book that piqued my (and my son’s) interest in Monet.

 Claude Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies
Author: Steven Packard
Illustrator: True Kelley
Published by Grosset & Dunlop
Series: Smart about Art
32 pages

Where to find it:
Amazon.ca: Claude Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies

Amazon.com: Claude Monet: Sunshine and Waterlilies (Smart About Art)

Here’s a neat series of videos about Monet:

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/

Mmmm.. is for … Maple Syrup

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Maple syrup, oh I love maple syrup.  🙂  Don’t you… slathered over pancakes, drizzled into scrambled eggs, and baked into muffins.. mmm mmm good.. good good good.  Won’t you join Amanda and I in blogging through the alphabet the letter M?

Did you know that Canada produces 71-80% of the world’s maple syrup?   Most of that coming from Quebec. Isn’t that an wonderful part of Canada?   We export to over 50 countries around the world, with the USA being one of the biggest importers.

My son use to watch Daniel Cook, so seeing this video brought back smiles:

Daniel Cook is actually learning the old way to tap trees (also the method used by home producers).  Commercial producers have moved to the using lines and gravity to move the syrup from the trees to the cookhouse.  

I learned when I went on a maple syrup tour a couple years ago that the lines come with their own problems.  Apparently a large number of wild critters..in particular squirrels.. have learned the lines contain sweet water and therefore will chew on them to lick up the sap as it comes down the line.   So the lines need to be checked regularly to make sure they aren’t damaged.
 
So why is maple syrup important?
1. It tastes great.  If you’ve only had the fake syrup you really don’t know what you are missing.
2. You can cook with it.  To substitute maple syrup for granulated sweeteners such as white sugar,
use 2/3 cup of maple syrup for every 1 cup of granulated sugar, reduce
the quantity of liquid ingredients in the recipe (water, milk, juice) by
1/4 cup and lower the baking temperature by 25° F. Maple syrup also
serves as a one-to-one substitution for other liquid sweeteners, such as
honey, molasses and corn syrup. (source).  
3. Harvesting the sap (about 7% of the tree produces) doesn’t hurt the tree and there are regulations in place to protect the trees.
4. Maple sugar candies…enough said.  🙂
5. Maple Syrup is good for you, “A 60 ml portion of maple syrup contains 100 percent of your recommended
daily allowance of manganese, as well at 37 percent of riboflavin, 18
percent of zinc, 7 percent of magnesium, and 5 percent of calcium and
potassium. Plus, the antioxidant levels are comparable to a banana or a
serving of broccoli.” (source)
6. Top three world-wide producers are:  (source)
  • Province of Quebec, Canada:  7, 989,000 gallons harvested.
  • State of Vermont, USA:  890,000 gallons harvested.
  • Province of Ontario, Canada:  400,000 gallons harvested.

7. Maple syrup was first discovered by North America’s indigenous peoples.  The Ojibwa talked of the “maple moon”.   (source)
8. Maple syrup is graded according to colour, flavour and density.
9. “Canada’s maple syrup producing regions are located in the provinces of
Quebec (primary producer), Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island
and Nova Scotia. There are more than 8,600 maple syrup businesses in
Canada.” (source) 
10. Did you know that the Homeschool Review Crew reviewed Tap My Trees?   Tap my Trees is a company that helps you successfully make your own syrup.  

I hope you will come join us:

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Art Book Series: 1-2-3 Draw

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 Today I have a book from my own collection. 1-2-3 Draw, a  neat coil bound book that teaches the student how to draw a variety of objects. 

One of the things I like about this book is how it LIES FLAT.  Oh heavens, too many art books don’t which means you need to weight down the book in order to use it effectively.   Having a coil ring art book makes it easy to display if showing a classroom or to lie flat as you learn.

Five sections to choose from including: wild animals, dinosaurs, farm animals, knights/castles and vehicles.

It’s a book of simple line drawings, walking the student through a series of circles and lines to help them accomplish their drawings.  Learning the technique for one animal, object or person will help them learn how to do it for others.

Followed by inspiration on how to put it all together.   Each section ended with a picture of how you might put it all together.  

Not only that, as you learned to draw an animal, object or item, you were given a brief spot of information about it.

 All in all a good book to learn how to draw different things.  The only thing my son and I dislike is that some of the animals are a bit disproportionate (legs being too long for the body), but that is easy enough to fix eh?  🙂

 1-2-3 Draw: Super Fun Stuff
 Author: Freddie Levin
Publisher: Peel Productions, Inc.

Five books in one

 
 
Where to Find it?
Amazon.ca: 1-2-3 Draw Super Fun Stuff: 5 Books in One

Amazon.com: 1-2-3 Draw Super Fun Stuff: 5 Books in One

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

Prayer Saturated family: Sacred Moments

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 Reading through a chapter every three weeks, this study is from “The Prayer Saturated Family”.  You can read the rest of the series here.  This week we are doing chapter Three

“Sacred Moments”.

 The building of a family prayer altar.  What this means is gathering as a family at a regular time to pray. 

How and when this will happen will be a matter of prayer between you and God, together with your family.  To set aside intentional time for group prayer, particularly as families, but if no family then with friends and neighbours.

I don’t know.
I struggle with this concept.  

Let me clear though.
Not the concept of praying together as a family, but more the act of calling it an altar.

I struggle with the concept thinking of how it can so easily be twisted.  We pray as a family every _____ OR ELSE. 

I fail to see what is wrong with just praying together as a family over meal-times, adding in the concerns of the family, neighbourhood, land and world?  Why does it need to be a time set apart?   Isn’t prayer time, at any time, a time set apart for God?

As I read some of the examples in the book I didn’t see them as “family prayer altar” times.  I simply saw them as times that people prayed.  Prayer as they walked, prayer as they drove to work or school, prayer on a couch over something important.  It was simply prayer, intentional prayer and spur of the moment prayer.

Just plainly, people praying together.  WHY does it need to have the label of “altar” attached to it?

Prayer can be useful in so many ways….it is GOOD to attach importance to it, and have significance attached to how we pray, and to see the value in praying together.  

It is good to see how prayer was used at altars in the past, as a prayer of thankfulness for God’s actions, as a way to keep our fervor for the Lord alive,and as a way of fellowshipping with each other.  Prayer is a sign of our faithfulness to God… and should not be discounted or trivialized.  But neither…and this is my concern.. that if you place it “on an altar”.. that it will be lofty for folks to attain on their own.   Prayer is talking with God, receiving his pardon and forgiveness, a time to bring concerns before him and to thank him for his love shown to us in a mirade of ways.

It is good to be reminded to intentionally pray.  I know that some families don’t pray together (and sometimes we (my family) lack in this ourselves).  This chapter is a call to be mindful of the need to pray more as a family.   To intentionally do so.  That is what I can take away you know….that need to intentionally pray as a family… to talk with God, thanking him, remembering his actions, knowing and seeing his power at work.  Good this.  

If you want to follow along, you can find copies via Amazon Affiliate links:
Amazon.ca: The Prayer-Saturated Family: How to Change the Atmosphere in Your Home through Prayer

Amazon.com: The Prayer-Saturated Family: How to Change the Atmosphere in Your Home through Prayer

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/

Loonies and Toonies!

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Hey there readers! 

Welcome to blogging through the Alphabet with Amanda and myself.    This week we are working through the letter L.   I hope you will hop right on in.  🙂  Join us yes?

Today I want to talk to you about Loonies and Toonies… our lovely way to spend money!   🙂

This past weekend I went to the states for a wedding.   It was fun.  I had a chance to visit with an old college friend and see her children all grown up.  It was interesting trying to work with American dollars…all green and all bills (except the small change).

Did you know that in Canada we have bills .. coloured according to denomination…and then my favourite.. the Loonie and the Toonie!  🙂

Why are they my favourite you ask? 

Well…. Today I find it marvellous to have a bill for $10 and I’m thinking to me-self ACK I don’t want to break my $20…and low and behold in my change I find a lovely $10 in coins…it’s like a birthday present you know?   When you think you’ve only got small change and find all those dollars hiding in there!  🙂  It’s a marvellous thing.  🙂

Why Loonie?
Well…it’s got that fine looking bird on it’s head.  The well you know…the toonie is called such because well.. bearie would be STUPID (even if it has a bear on the head) and well…Toonie rhymes!  🙂   And we are a common sense type of people eh? 

Why do we use coins for the $1 and $2?
Well.. it saves the country money as coins don’t wear out as quickly as dollar bills do.  
We’ve even lost our penny as it costs MORE to make the penny than what it’s worth.

Tell me then…what do you like about the money of YOUR country?  (other than the making and spending of it mind).  🙂

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Join us won’t you?   Link up below 🙂

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

The Excellent Wife: A Wife’s Understanding of Relationships

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I’ve been going through The Excellent Wife by Martha Pearce, you can find the rest of the series here.   This week we are on Chapter Four: A Wife’s Understanding of Relationships.

Relationships… Oh man… relationships are hard between people.   So I am wondering what this chapter has in store today. 
 
On page 28 I find this quote “The Godhead’s relationship is our model of relationships.   From eternity past God (Trinity) has set the pattern for relationships. The relationship within the Trinity is intimate and close. As there is harmony in the God-head, there can be harmony in a marriage relationship.   God intends  and desires for us to experience it. We are to look to God for this perfect pattern“.   

Within the Trinity, unity is the norm.   This is what we should strive for in our marriages.
As people we are to strive to be like Jesus Christ. 

Like Christ, we need to submit our will to God.  Following his way and pattern. As natural as it is for us to want to think first to our own needs and wants, we must put that aside and look to Jesus and how to live for him.

That means putting aside ourselves to heed our husbands desires, to be kind to him, to be open and honest in your relationship with him and more.

But not only the wife, as the wife seeks to live for the Lord, so her husband seeks the same.  Learning to be open and honest, leading and guiding as the Lord would have him do.

I have to admit… I struggle with this chapter (though I suppose we all do eh?)  The ‘me’ in me wanting to fight for it’s own way.   It’s a regular battle.. not to love my hubby, cause I do.  But to show that love in tangible ways… making meals, going for walks, talking and listening, giving head and shoulder rubs, and showing care in all the little ways one can show they care.  Sometimes it’s hard to leave MY STUFF in order for his needs and concerns to be met.

I so often lose that battle.  

But the more I ask myself these questions, the easier I think it will be.
1. How do I glorify God in my relationship with my hubby?
2. How can I walk in a manner pleasing to God? 
3. How can I live for Christ this day?  This minute?   

Seeking the softer way, the quieter way, the humbler way.. instead of the what do I want, need, desire, demand way.  

What about you?    

If you want to follow along in this series, you can find the books via Amazon Affiliate Links:
  Amazon.ca: The Excellent Wife: A Biblical Perspective

 Amazon.com: The Excellent Wife: A Biblical Perspective

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/

K is for Karst

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Welcome to another week of blogging through the alphabet. Amanda and I are delighted to have you join us (for this week or every week) with the Letter K.

You can read others in the series:

A: Sidney Altman, Canadian Scientist.
B: Beavers!
C: Chant National/O Canada.
D: Dog Sledding.
E: Edgewalk.
F. Tailed Frogs.
G: Greats of Canada.
H: Henry Hudson.
I: Igloos and Inukshuks Work

Karst is “a distinctive topography in which the landscape is largely shaped by the dissolving action of water on carbonate bedrock (usually limestone, dolomite, or marble).” (source)

source: http://www.cancaver.ca/docs/karst.htm

Karst is a geological process that takes a long time to form, it is the result of “the carbon dioxide cascade”. The result of this process is the formation of sinkholes, vertical shafts, streams that disappear, and complex underground drainage and caves.

As rain falls through the atmosphere it picks up carbon dioxide, and when it lands on the ground it picks up more carbon dioxide… this causes it to form a weak acidic solution called carbonic acid.

This weak solution filters into cracks and crevices, naturally exploiting them…. overtime this leads to the formation of subsurface caves.

This happens in areas where there is a lot of limestone, dolomite and/or marble.

Karst is found in large quantities in Quebec at Ile d’Anticosti, the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island, large patches beneath glacial-lake clays like Lake Agassiz (Winnipeg area) and in the Northwest Territories.   Small patches can be found in Hamilton, Montreal and Ottawa.   The mountains in British Columbia can also host Karst. 
See this site for more information.

A protected cave system in British Columbia. It became protected because of vandalism issues. Cavers asked the government to help protect the cave system, thus leading to the guided tour system today.

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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/