Somewhere between starting dinner and mopping the floor, I decided to write this article. And somewhere between the big kids and the girls, I dreamed that my husband and I would eat dinner out every night, as in the routine of Regis Philbin. Hasn’t happened, partly because we enjoy fresh seafood, which is hard […]
Marlene’s This and That
Observations – Perspectives – Inspirational A collection of articles on family, homeschool, and life.
Marlboro Country
Cigarette commercials on television are a thing of the past, but they were numerous in the 1960’s. One such commercial that impressed my grandmother (and in turn influenced me) were Marlboro Cigarette commercials. Neither my grandmother, nor her children, were smokers. It was the nature of the advertisement that piqued her interest. Scenes of the […]
Coffee Perks – What is Chicory?
Wearing creepy gym suits and having to shower at school were two things I did not like about high-school P.E. When I elected to take archery, that was a different story. I really enjoyed the class. Just as in Grandpa Davey’s “Ticket to Freedom” in which responsibilities and commitments delayed his dream of becoming a mountain […]
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
When mothers talk about the depression of the empty nest, they’re not mourning the passing of all those wet towels on the floor, or the music that numbs your teeth, or even the bottle of capless shampoo dribbling down the shower drain. They’re upset because they’ve gone from supervisor of a child’s life to a […]
Thrifty
With talk of our depressed economy, I am reminded of my Granny’s insistence of waste not. “Don’t fill the bathtub with more than two inches of water,” she would say. “And don’t flush the toilet for number one”. Memories of conserving water give examples of her frugality, while a freezer of frozen Hershey Bars to […]
Little Gem in the Woods
After a long winter and a cold spring it was time to put on our hiking boots again and head out into the mountains. The weather was sunny and hot on this late June day. In the midst of mosquito season, the snow shower that had delighted the valley a couple of weeks earlier seemed […]
Connections – One Thing Leads to Another
I once watched a documentary titled “Connections”. Each week the host, James Burke, would take us on a fascinating journey establishing how history, science, and modern technology are connected. One thing would lead to another and I found it one of the most compelling ways to learn history. My own life has proven to be […]
Missing Hiker in Glacier National Park – Yi Jien Hwa
It’s Monday August 25, 2008, and Yi-Jien Hwa, the 27 year old hiker from Kentucky is still missing after not returning as anticipated from an ambitious hike in Glacier National Park. Hwa, a married seminary student, embarked on a challenging 7 day hike alone, August 11, 2008, into the backcountry of Glacier with the intention […]
Ten Sixty-Six: A Homeschool Lesson
As far as I’m concerned, learning is an all the time, anytime kind of thing. And as such, last Father’s Day was the perfect opportunity to inspire a lesson about The Battle of Hastings. We had gone out to Glacier National Park to enjoy the ideal weather and to barbecue at Fish Creek picnic area. […]