Did I tell you that I got a dog?

I've always been a cat person. Since the time I got married in 1970 until now, we've always had cats. (I did have one dog, but it was when I had little babies and I honestly don't remember "having" a dog.) We always had a pair of cats, at a minimum. Sometimes, we had three!

Two years ago, my husband's cat died. We discussed it and decided that after mine died, we would quit having pets so that we could do some traveling. Unfortunately, my daughter wasn't in on the conversation, and before you know it, she brought over a small baby kitten for my husband. He couldn't say no.

Eventually, my cat died. I decided that since Bill has a young cat, I might as well get one too. So, I went out and bought a cat from the local pet shop. He was just plain mean! He didn't like me and I have trouble liking him. I finally got mad and decided to go out and get a 3rd cat just for me.

I made the rounds to the various pet shelters and shops and decided that the one I saw at the first place was the one I wanted. But, when I got back to the shelter, there was this cage full of the most adorable puppies I have ever seen. I had to have one!

I brought home Oreo. She is a Shitzhu-Jack Russell mix and what a joy! I am now a converted dog lover! She is my pride and joy. I've had here over a year now, and I can't imagine life without her.

The Dancing Master - A Review

You can’t go wrong with a book by Julie Klassen. I’ve read everyone, and I’m never disappointed. She tells a great story, a story that is clean and uplifting; and, when I’m done reading the story, I always feel like it was time well spent because I have a positive outlook on life.

The Dancing Master is no exception. Reading it is like going back in time to visit a place you've never been and people you’ve never met. The characters are true to the period. The plot is enjoyable and fulfilling. And you'll learn something along the way.

No, this is not one of those "grip-you-by-the-seat-of-your-pants" novels. There's no life or death threat, no kidnappings, no murders, or other vices that are included in so many novels today. It's just a comfortable story about life in another time and place and how the people interact with each other during that era. There's just enough romance to make you smile; and, no, there are no sex scenes. Just innocent, sweet romance.

If you're looking for an entertaining read with good moral values, I highly recommend any book Klassen has written, including this one, The Dancing Master.

Call of the Prairie by Vickie McDonough

I received an advance copy of Vickie McDonough's new book, "Call of the Prairie. However, when I read the back cover of the book, my first thought was, "What has Vickie done now?" I mean really, a book about a girl with asthma? I was NOT interested. 

I decided to put it aside and try to "get through it later," but because I was eating my lunch and sitting down, I opened up to the first page and started to read. Before my lunch was done, I was on page 35 and didn't want to stop.  By the next day, I had finished the book. So much for boring! On the contrary, the book was great! It was everything I look for in a book: romance, handsome heroes, and beautiful, independent heroines, mixed in with a touch of mystery and a very happy ending.

Vickie McDonough is one of the few writer's who can make any subject interesting, including a girl with asthma! You won't want to  miss this one! 

Note: Call of the Prairie is Book 2 in the Pioneer Promises series and will be in book stores in January 2014. 

One of my best days yet!

Today was a special day for me. I've been ill with the flu and had to find a substitute for my classes.  How excited it was to turn to my own daughter, Shelly, who has a Master's Degree in English, to take over my classes!

So, she did what she does best - she taught them a bit about Shakespeare. Next, she had them act out a portion of Star Wars in Shakespearean English. Finally, she had them write Get Well notes for me using what they learned. How much fun I had reading these notes! Here's two samples (some of them were pages long!):

"Hello thither, Mrs. Downes, I hearth thou hath fallen ill. Thou not weepeth, Maddam, for we be not shrewd in your absence. Thy daughter hath best us to learn greatly. Hark, we hath, and fain too. Cowish we hath obeyed thy spawn beautifully. I hopeth thou lurch over your illness and thou returneth soon. Alex"

"Harken unto me thither instructor. Word through the grapevine is that thou hast been bent by a cowish disease. Fie! To this abomination! Castest it out and returneth post haste. Joshiah"

Shelly had to give me a Shakespeare dictionary so I could interpret the letters. I sure am proud today of both my daughter for taking on all six of my classes and doing such a good job, and also of my students for being the best students in the state of Oklahoma! 

My Newest Article

Oklahoma Living Magazine just published my article on Chisholm Trail Heritage Center. You can read the article on their website (pg. 14-15).

Published Dec. 2013

More Adventures in Tutoring

TUTORING! 

I've been so busy tutoring that I haven't kept up with my blogs and websites. This past month, I've learned more about Biology than I ever did in school. I'm using Apologia's high school biology with a class of 9-12th graders. There are 12 students in the class - all fabulous kids, by the way! We've examined fungus, grown micro-organisms in pond water, and learned a bit of chemistry. This week, we're going to do the edible cell project just for fun!

I have 19 students in Beginning Composition and 12 students in Intermediate Composition. Again, all fabulous students! There are some excellent writers in the class, and it will be fun watching them get even better. I expect a few of them will be authors one day!

The other two classes I have are younger students. The first semester, I taught a Kids Can Write class for 3rd-6th graders. We've had fun scrapbooking and writing. We've learned about alliteration, metaphors, similes, and personification. This week, we will be writing letters and then scrapbooking Christmas cards and envelopes to send them in. The second half of the year will be Oklahoma History.

The other class is a CSI class for 3-6th. Besides having a Broken Arrow CSI come to the class and tell them that I was telling them all the wrong stuff, it's been fun! We've learned about fingerprinting, blood spatters, blood typing, forensic anthropology, bite marks, and handwriting analysis. This week, we're going to study evidence in soil. The second half of this class will be in electronics.

I never thought that after I graduated my own two kids from homeschool, I would be teaching others. But, I am so enjoying it. The kids keep me young and ON MY TOES!

If you want to know more about the tutoring center where I teach, check out the Cornerstone Tutorial Center webpage. They offer one class or lots of classes for homeschoolers. Just pay for the class you want to take. We are beginning the process of starting some online classes, as well.

Going Back to School

My article, Going Back to School With My Kids, was featured in the Old Schoolhouse Magazine this month. You can read it for free online.

This is the last article I have written for this magazine. I have one more article coming out in December for another magazine; then I am taking a writing break. With some much of my time devoted to teaching at Cornerstone, I just can't find the time to write. Once I get my curriculum "perfected," I'll start writing for publication again.