the brew*crew adventure

Our 9 year old daughter, T, has been wanting me to "do a real horse-study" with her for months now, and finally, we have begun. Yes, today, on Friday, at the end of the week we've officially started our study. *smiles* She is so ready and was literally begging to start this afternoon, rather than waiting until next week . Our study guide, Beautiful Feet's History of the Horse: A Literature Approach to Equine History arrived in the mail yesterday. I've admired it for years, knowing that eventually we'd get it and dive in together.

T was/is ecstatic and has been perusing it since it got here, savoring it... has all of the other books for the study all stacked up neatly in a pile, awaiting their turn to be called upon for use/reading in the study.  After having her already waiting for practically a year to start, I didn't want her to have to wait any longer... especially now that with this guide, she really needs minimal direction from me anyhow. So, why not? I said and today we did the first lesson together.

With T being the horse lover that she is, I found that we already owned most of the books recommended for the study, and I was then able to acquire the few that we didn't already have from Paperback Swap. So, I've only had to actually buy the guide itself. We were doubly blessed that copies of the books we did receive from pbs were in like-new condition.

Today we read about Arabians from her Encyclopedia of Horses and she started her notebook, an aspect of the study that she's relishing, and I'm so glad that this guide provides direction for. For her first notebook page she found and then drew a diagram of the horse from the front of her encyclopedia, and then labeled the parts of the horse (most of which she already had memorized). Next she read about Arabians from her Album of Horses (an absolutely beautifully illustrated book), gave a narration as to why Arabians make such good desert horses and then drew a side view of a horse rearing, from her Draw 50 Horses book. Underneath the picture she wrote the quote, "And God took a handful of southerly wind, blew His breath over it and created the horse." which is from a Bedouin legend, the entirety of which she read to me from her horse encyclopedia. And all that was just lesson 1. She asked me if she could work on it over the weekend, and wants to do lesson 2 tomorrow... Why did I wait so long to get this for her?

For lesson 2, she'll begin reading King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry (first two chapters) and will then also begin a glossary of terms in the back of her notebook by defining bloodlines, stud and mare, and she'll study a pedigree/bloodline graph. We'll discuss a bit of how breeding works as well as how bloodlines are traced, along with some more vocabulary. There are some discussion questions listed as well regarding her reading of King of the Wind. She'll then draw a map of Morocco, marking the Atlas Mountains and the Strait of Gibraltar. In the next, third lesson, she's to read two more chapters from King of the Wind, discuss some questions regarding her reading (narration prompts), will color the map of Morocco and paste it into her notebook, and will also begin the Bible memory verses section of her notebook (copy and memory work), the first entry of which is described as being "just how the Arabian reacts when it hears the trumpet sounding war.";

“Have you given the horse strength?
Have you clothed his neck with thunder?

Can you frighten him like a locust?
His majestic snorting strikes terror.

 He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He gallops into the clash of arms.

He mocks at fear, and is not frightened;
Nor does he turn back from the sword.

The quiver rattles against him,
The glittering spear and javelin.

He devours the distance with fierceness and rage;
Nor does he come to a halt because the trumpet has sounded.

At the blast of the trumpet he says, ‘Aha!’
He smells the battle from afar,
The thunder of captains and shouting.

~Job  39.19-25

I know that this is going to be a wonderful study for T, as it seems already to have been custom made for her. So far I really appreciate how it's so clearly organized and the lessons seem to be just the right amount of work for her to enjoy, yet be a bit challenged by. Also, she'll finally have guided opportunity to get the most enjoyment from all of these lovely horse books she's been collecting over the years, only a couple of which she's read. Today, she excitedly exclaimed to me, between reading pages of her Horse Encyclopedia aloud, "I'm really getting into this! This is the first time that I read all of the words on the pages of this book. Before I just looked at all the pictures!" It's been admired and "looked at" for years by her, how fun (and probably perfect timing actually) to now delve deeper into it with her. How my heart leaped to see the sparkle in her eyes and hear the anticipation in her voice. I think that the notebook will turn out to be a beautiful keepsake too. She's already excitedly mentioned her using the guide "to someday teach baby S about horses when she's bigger".

Here's a listing of the other books that she'll be using in her horse study this year.

Technorati Tags: horses, literature, curriculum, horse study, beautiful feet guides, literature guide, equine history

Homeschool e-store has another great offer this week, Biblical Feasts and Holy Days Level 3-4 Teacher Edition <<click here to go check it out!) This one is particularly timely, for those of you who may be interested in knowing more about the Biblical Feasts & Holy Days, their Christian significance, and would like a framework from which to study/teach them with/to your kids. Here's a description of the study offered in pdf, e-book form. I've downloaded it too, and will eventually print it out. It looks great!

Have you ever wondered why God established the feasts and holy days of the Old Testament? Teach your student what God expected from His people when they celebrated and observed the feasts and holy days. Discover how Jesus fulfilled some of the feasts with His first coming and will fulfill the other feasts in the future. Read about New Testament references to the feasts and holy days and events that took place on theses special days. This study will enable you to give your students a better understanding of the New Testament and all that Jesus did for us.

This teacher-friendly book contains lesson notes and drawings, memory verses, and reviews. Limited preparation time makes this an idea study for today’s teachers. Begin your study today!

Teachers can:
• Introduce students to the timeline of the feasts and holy days.
• Teach the feasts and holy days from both the Old and New Testament references.
• Show how Jesus has fulfilled some of the feasts with His first coming.
• Reveal to their students various aspects of the gospel in relation to the feasts and holy days.

But hurry! It's normally $14.95, and yours FREE until Oct 9th only!  (I sound like quite the salesman, huh? LOL) Can't beat it though! And I promise, there's no catch. I've downloaded and printed out quite a few e-books and notebooking pages from them already. You have to sign up for an account though, but that's free too, with no strings attached. They just email you weekly to let you know what the featured free item of the week is. Oh, and if you do happen to buy anything, let them know that I sent ya, and I'll get a bit of spending credit there too.

My vagabond friend, Joelle (whom I've even had the pleasure of meeting in *real* life after meeting her in blogosphere, very cool!), tagged me with this one (like, weeks ago!), and I'm finally getting around to doing it (again, lost it the first time)! Since it's all about favorite books and authors, it should be especially FUN! :^)

Five favorite fiction writers:

1) George MacDonald (oh, ALL of them, and I've read some of his non-fiction works too, but esp. loved the series that begins with The Fisherman's Lady!)
2) C. S. Lewis, esp. The Screwtape Letters & The Pilgrim's Regress (and the Narnia series too!)
3) Walter Wangerin Jr., esp. The Book of the Dun Cow & The Book of Sorrows
4) John Bunyan, his fictional (or arguably non-fiction, eh?) allegory The Pilgrim's Progress is my all-time favorite (and my son's too), a MUST read! I'm looking forward to reading it aloud together soon, I'll share the unabridged version with the kids this time.
5) Calvin Miller, A Requiem for Love (I couldn't put this down, read it in college, in one sitting - need to read it again!) & The Singer Trilogy

Oh, there's SO many more, but alas (see Jo, it happens to me too, writing just brings out the the wordsmith with a bent for drama in us!) meme says only 5!!

Five favorite non-fiction writers:
(off the top of my head)
1) Ruth Beechick
2) Watchman Nee
3) Matthew Henry
4) Oswald Chambers
5) Richard Booker

Five favorite children's authors:

(only five?!... no way to even begin to tell then! But, in no particular order then)
A. A. Milne, Robert Louis Stevenson, Homelund Minarik, Arnold Lobel, Shel Silverstein's The Giving Tree & Where the Sidewalk Ends, C.S. Lewis, Rudyard Kipling, James Herriot & Laura Ingalls Wilder, Edgar & Ingri d'Aulaire, Holling C. Holling, William Steig, esp. Sylvester & the Magic Pebble and Yellow & Pink & Bill Peet, Hans Christian Anderson, fairy tales, etc., etc.

Favorite book read in 2005:

Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers
I wrote about it here.

Book you're most looking forward to reading in 2006:

The Bible - I hope to read it through this year.
E. M. Bounds on Prayer

Five books on faith that you would recommend:

1) The Bible (naturally)
2) Song of Songs, Watchman Nee
3) The Miracle of the Scarlet Thread, Booker
4) Our Father Abraham, Dr. Marvin Wilson
5) Foxe's Book of Martyrs, by John Foxe

Five books that made you laugh out loud:

(mine are all childrens' books that have made us all laugh out loud together in the last two months)
1) Amelia Bedelia books, Peggy Parish
2) Just So Stories, Rudyard Kipling
3) Where the Sidewalk Ends, Shel Silverstein
4) The Crow and Mrs. Gaddy, Wilson Gage
5) Mr. Gumpy's Outing, John Birmingham & The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

A fictional character you would like to emulate:

I guess Mary Ingles from Follow the River (see below).

A fictional character you have had a crush on:

Dr. MacNeill from Christy, by Catherine Marshall (One of my favorites, an amazing historical fiction book I highly recommend!)

The best biography you've ever read:

Hmmm... that's a tough one... I can't choose from the various biographies I've read, most have been the stories of the lives of great men and women of Faith, each with their own unique attributes. I simply can't pick a favorite there!!
A book you love with a short review:

Follow the River by James Alexander Thom
This novel gripped me from the beginning... It's about the true ordeal of Mary Draper Ingles, a 23 yo pregnant Mother of two who is kidnapped by Shawnee Indians, along with her children and two other adults after their Virginia settlement is attacked in 1755. This woman had such amazing faith and fortitude! She eventually escapes from the Shawnee Indians (after having her child one night, during their month+ long journey to their camp-and having to ride immediately afterwards, clinging to her newborn and 2 terrified young sons) and French trappers who "own" her, and then makes her way back home, to her beloved husband... a 1000 mile trek, barefoot, with only a tomahawk and a blanket, and a Dutch woman (fellow prisoner).

She has to leave her children behind, but is then reunited with her oldest son, years later. There are so many detailed ways that this true story touched my heart and challenged my own spirit, but I do not want to give away the story any more. I just lent it to a friend, who just told me last Sat. that she'd stayed up all night finishing it, it's THAT good!

This illiterate (she couldn't read nor write, but had something so much more valuable within her!) woman's legacy of true love and real faith has given me much perspective. I shall never forget her, and shall always be thankful that one of her sons took the time to write down her story for her, and that Thom took the time to research and trace her steps... Now as I drive through this country side, I am haunted by the lives of those who lived here long ago, thrilled by the fullness of their journeying. I yearn for a life so lived... so true, so full.

There's another good review here, and a post, by a local historian, about her ordeal here.

Five people to tag:

How about, if you'd like to do this meme, please do, and leave me a comment to let me know. I'd love to read your answers! thanks

Little Bitty Baby Learns Hebrew
by Johannah Bluedorn

This book truly is as sweet as it sounds! For some time I have been interested in learning Biblical Hebrew with our children. Recently, we have begun the task of committing the Hebrew alphabet to our memories, pulling from various resources. Then this precious little book found its way into our hands, Little Bitty Baby Learns Hebrew. It has been a timely gift to me, and to my children, and is now our most practical first guide. Each letter has easy step by step instructions as to how it is to be formed correctly. The pronunciation of each letter is clearly given, complete with picture associations (Johannah's lovely illustrations to go along with each letter) to aid in one's remembrance of it.

It's been a joy for us to receive, read and to use, and has now become our favorite Hebrew primer! Though it's a board book, and as the title suggests, is appropriately designed for much younger students than myself, and my 6yo daughter and 9yo son, it's simplistic approach does, however, lend itself to otherwise apprehensive beginners of all ages. We have therefore found that it is appropriate and enjoyable for older students as well. My kids haven't been put off by the name at all... rather they think it's funny to say over and over again!

Due to this book's being a "board book", it is nice and sturdy, which is coming in handy for all of the use it's getting at our dining room table lately, as we pass it around in the mornings to copy our letter formations and practice pronunciation. This book is simply lovely, and such a pleasure to learn from! I'm thankful to have found such a sweet picture book from which to commit these most special Hebrew characters to my childrens' memories. So, don't let the name fool you, nor the fact that it's a board book... If your children love beautiful, sweet picture books as mine do, or if you're in the market for a simple Hebrew alefbet primer, then I highly recommend this book!

We're on our way, finally learning the Hebrew alefbet together!;-) I'm eager to check out the Greek Alphabetarion next!

Nathanael (who will be 10yo next month) says, "I like the shapes of the Hebrew letters, and this book makes it easy to write them. It's easy to understand."

Pete and Maribel Hernandez describe their work as Where the Bible, Logic, Family Medicine, Medical Botany and Biblical Worldview intersect in blogosphere.

That truly is quite a claim, but I must say that in my estimation they are truly living up to it! I've so enjoyed using this luxurious salve, P&M Dermasalve, that Maribel Hernandez of Family Medicine from a Biblical Worldview, and Co-founder of Alternative Phyto-Med Formulators sent me a sample of last month. I say "I", but really I should say "we" since everyone in my immediate family here has now tried it for something or other in the last month we've had it...and I think we're hooked!

Upon its arrival in the mail, I was initially a bit surprised by how very tiny the little vial is (okay, okay, what should I expect from a "sample" afterall?:-), but have since found that, as with most strong medicines, a little truly does go a long way! But what is truly special about it is that despite its potency, this salve is simultaneously gentle enough for a young child's skin, and therefore has been gentle enough for any of our family's extremely fair-complexioned/sensitive skin.

This non-toxic skin product is made of 100% fresh organic oils, herbs and minerals especially formulated to deeply penetrate the fungi foot/hand. This product is therefore completely natural and of the highest quality, the ingredients of which are ALL fully disclosed on an information sheet (among many) that came with the sample. It contains No artificial ingredients, No chemicals, No toxins and No dyes.

Due to its rich ingredients, two of which are Essential Lavendar Oil and Essential Cajuput Oil, it not only has a variety of healing properties, but also emits a very soothingly aromatic fragrance. My 6yo daughter even wanted to use just a dab of it under her nose nightly, while she recovered from a cold. I begrudgingly (this is valuable stuff!) allowed her to do so.;-)

It's arrival was especially timely, as my 6yod had a cold sore coming on, and they usually get quite nasty (as did mine when I was little - spreading all around her mouth, and lasting a long time). I didn't have any lemon balm on hand, and was just kicking myself, when this P&M Dermasalve sample arrived in the mail! I thanked Maribel profusely (in my mind, as I read the rather extensive list of its possible uses) as it occurred to me that I could use this green, slightly gritty stuff to possibly relieve Tabitha's condition.

Some recommended uses are (but not limited to, as I've found out):

• Eczema
• Rashes
• Psoriasis
• Athlete's Foot/hand fungus (Tinea Pedis)
• Acne
• Warts ~I'll have to try it on a couple of warts my 6yod has on her elbow.
• Skin softener
• Contact Dermatitis
• Lacerations to the skin, 1st 2nd and 3rd degree ~I tried it for this too, after applying pressure for over a minute to a cut that wouldn't stop bleeding, I dabbed a bit of this salve to it, and then pressed it into the wound with a tissue, and WA-LA the bleeding stopped immediately! It literally sealed against my skin, in a nonobtrusive manner (it was on my face) and the wound healed quickly, with minimal scabbing/no scarring).
• Diaper Rash
• Vaginal Papules/Male Papules (For more info. read P&M Dermasalve letter)

At this point, though I was sure the product must be pure and good (coming from Maribel), I wasn't sure just how effective it would be for a cold sore (esp. the bad ones like she and my son get). But what did I have to lose? Well, my daughter loved it ("her medicine"), and due to her cold sore's healing much faster than usual (and NOT spreading one iota!) I love it too! Then my husband, Chris, used it on a cold sore he got not long afterwards, with the same wonderful results (quick healing and no spreading).

Thank YOU so much Pete and Maribel for such a great product, and for allowing me the pleasure of sampling it!

Pete and Maribel Hernandez have so much helpful wisdom (not just knowledge, but truly Biblical Wisdom ~ Knowledge applied in a meaningful/relevant way) to offer to every family, over at their homes on the web. I encourage you to visit their sites, read their articles, learn from them and try their products. You won't be disappointed, and you'll be supporting a great ministry to families everywhere, as well as your own, by becoming more informed yourself and encouraging this couple (who are fellow homeschooling parents of 7!) who have invested so much into their vision for educating others. They are truly on the cutting edge of Medical Botany, a great asset to Biblically Natural Medicine applied through Christian concepts.

If you would like to purchase P&M Dermasalve, you may contact Pete and Maribel Hernandez of Alternative Phyto-Med Formulators.

You may read a very thoughtful article by the Hernandezes featured at Reliable Answers.com here; Medical Skills for Homeschoolers

Okay Maribel... here's my review, now where's my nifty little APM graphic to hang on my blog, so's I can link back to you for all the world to see?

Disclaimer: P&M Dermasalve was a gift that I received from APM Formulators, at no charge, for my review here on my blog.