Read-Aloud Thursday: Pigeon Post by Arthur Ransome

Book Description:

The crew's on holiday for their sixth adventure, and they turn their energies to mining for gold, aided by pigeon messengers Homer, Sophocles, and Sappho. The adventurers comb the nearby hills for a fabled lost claim, while being shadowed by a mysterious figure they dub "Squashy Hat." Undeterred by drought, sudden brushfires, and the continuing presence of Squashy Hat, the young prospectors persevere in their quest — with surprising results. Full of the dangers and dark adventures of old mines and forgotten claims, Pigeon Post has an irresistible appeal to the persistent explorer in every child.

My thoughts:
Pigeon Post is the sixth book in the Swallows & Amazons Series by Arthur Ransome. True to form this story was a fun and very engaging read.

In this story we meet up with all the chilren, the  Walker's  (Swallows), the Blackett girls (Amazons), and the D's. While on holiday they have great plans to go on a mining expedition to discover gold for Captain Flint who will be arriving soon from his latest travels. They also are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the mysterious Timothy, who they think must be an armadillo, from Captain Flint.

Despite a drought and a the mysterious prospector who they name "Slouchy Hat" they kids are able to set up camp as they prospect for gold. To make everything okay they use messenger pigeons to send an update to Mrs. Blackett to keep her informed daily. They then begin a new adventure that involves espionage, finding water with a forked stick, a cave-in, mining, and the discovery of gold. They also are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Captain Flint and the mysterious Timothy, who they feel must of died at sea.

Great disappointment sets in when their gold turns into dust, but is quickly forgotten when a brush fire starts. Soon everyone is helping to put out the fire including "Slouchy Hat", who they discover trying to jump their claim. The pigeons save the day when one arrives with the message of 'Fire' and they are helped with the arrival of Captain Flint and the fire brigade. Soon everything is put to rights and their mining expedition turn out to be a success when Captain Flint uncovers what they really discovered.

This was such a great read aloud. I think my favorite part was when I had an inkling of what Timothy (the supposed armadillo) was early in the story and my kids didn't. It wasn't until near the end of the book that they figured out what Timothy was. This made it so much fun for me to watch them as it dawned on them.

Again, I highly recommend Pigeon Post along with all the others in the series. We are having so much fun reading through these and have already started the next one, We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea.

Other's we have read:
 

Swallows and Amazons

Swallowdale

Peter Duck

Winter Holiday

Coot Club

See what others are reading aloud over at Hope is the Word.

Happy Birthday, Chantry!

Eleven years ago we welcomed this little bundle of joy!

He isn't little any more but he still bring a lot of joy to this house.

 

 Happy 11th Birthday, Chant!

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!



Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry

"I couldn't hit the broadside of a barn," I said. "Lucky for you." p. 108

The Homeschool Mother's Journal - Finished (Almost)!

 
1.Chantry finished up math & spelling. 2. Yeah! Caleb has finished Geometry.
3. Delani is learning how to swing. She almost has it figured out.
4-6. Baseball, baseball, baseball. 
7-8. My purchases from the used curriculum sale.

In my life this week... 

This week I worked hard at getting things back into shape. I did a lot of ironing and picking up, though I still have quite a bit left it did give me a feeling of accomplishment! Monday the kids had a make-up game for baseball and instead of going to work on Tuesday I went to a used curriculum sale. I didn't find anything on my list, but I found a few books that I had my eyes open for, plus one that I didn't. I also broke down a bought the Alpha-Phonics. I'm not sure what I'm going to use for Delani, but the price was right and I figured it will be used in some way or fashion. I went to work on Wednesday and after that all of were messed up on what day of the week it was. We finished the week with another baseball game! 

In our homeschool this week… 

The kids only have a few things left, but boy were they sure drawing them out. I finally put my foot down and told the boys that there work was to be finished up by Friday. So they did that.

Caleb finished up Math-U-See Geometry (woohoo!) and Practical Happiness by Bob Schultz. Chantry finished up Math-U-See Delta and Rod & Staff Spelling. Destini is the only one with just a biography and spelling to finish up.

Since I'm on TOS Review Crew we do have some reviews that we are working on:

-Science for High School - Physical Science

-KidCoder Web Design

-Classical Conversations Cursive - Prescripts Cursive Passages and Illuminations

and a few more. 

The three older kids are signed up for Exodus Books Summer Reading Program and have been working on their reading for that. They also signed up for our local library's summer reading program.

We also finished reading Pigeon Post by Arthur Ransome. I will be reviewing this next week.
 

My favorite thing this week was…

Chantry was reading the Outside of a Dog Book List from Exodus Books and announced with great sarcasm, "Now that is a delightful title, My Brother Sam is Dead!"

Things I’m working on… 

• My ironing pile!
• My curriculum list for next school year. I will be attending our state's homeschool convention this coming week.
• I also put the Homeschool Helper app onto my iPad and started entering things for next school year. I'm not sure if I'm going to like this, but I'm trying.

I’m cooking…

This wasn't the week for cooking, but I did get a decent meal on the table on Friday: Tator-tot casserole, roasted green beans, brownies.
 

I'm reading...

 

I’m grateful for…

A godly dad and husband who is a great father to our kids.

 

A photo, video, link, or quote to share…
This picture is a couple of years ago, but here I am with my Dad.

 

The Hidden Art of Homemaking - Food

 

Chapter 8 - Food

...Cooking is an art - 'Hidden Art', if you want to call it so - should be recognized and then developed in everyone who has to cook, want to cook, or could cook! Cooking should not be thought of as a drudgery, but as an art. p. 117 

I like food for the most part. I'm not the healthiest eater and I much prefer steak and potatoes over a salad any day. Veggies have to cooked in just the right way to get me to eat them. Fruit makes my throat itch (unless it is cooked with a lot of sugar and such.). So I tend to gravitate toward easy foods.  And then it comes down to cooking food for a meal. There lies the crux of my problem--cooking is a drudgery.

For the most part I don't enjoy cooking, I do like to bake, but cooking is another kettle of fish. Yes, I have improved over the years. Yes, I do attempt to learn some new skill to cooking that I have never done, but for the most part it just is something that honestly, stresses me out. Meal planning escapes me. I have been better in this area, but I have found myself in a new quandary with my kids eating more and my recipes not being big enough to feed everyone. I will admit that I am a little more cynical about this right now due to my boys playing baseball and it messes up our meals big time.

So enough of my griping since this chapter not only talks about food, but how food brings people together. There is something about food and fellowship that makes everything more pleasurable.
When we have a family or church get together at my house I feel very contented when it is finished. I forget that I was even freaking out before everyone got there!

Food for a church wedding shower. Otherwise knows as

a 'Costco Party".

As Mrs. Schaeffer points out:

Food cannot take care of spiritual, psychological and emotional problems, but the feeling of being loved and cared for, the actual comfort of the beauty and flavour of food, the increase of blood sugar and physical well-being, help one to go on during the next hours better equipped to meet problems. p. 124 

Food and meal-times shared have always been thought of as a closer kind of communication than simply talking to people, without eating together. p. 126

When I have guests over I am very intentional in what I prepare and I need to take this idea or 'hidden art' and apply it to my family, since that is who I spend the most time with. No, maybe not everything will be 'homemade', but it will be put on the table with thought, and thus love. So with that in mind I'm off to make a pan of brownies, yes, from a box, but I know my kids (or husband) won't mind.

My bread making repertoire only consists of homemade

pizza dough.

 



More from this series:

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5 - Part 1
Chapter 5 - Part 2
Chapter 6
Chapter 7

I am linking up with Cindy at Ordo Amoris.

The Hidden Art of Homemaking - Flower Arrangements

Chapter 7 - Flower Arrangements

I'm a little late, but here are my thoughts on Chapter 7 which made me laugh when I read the title of this chapter since arranging flowers, either artificial or real, completely escapes me. Thankfully, this isn't all Mrs. Schaeffer is talking about here.

I feel very strongly that this modern fear of the home becoming non-existent can be countered only if those of us who want to be sure our little spot is really a home take very practical measure to be sure that it is just that, and not a collection of furniture sitting in some sort of enclosure being protected from wind and storm. Of course, human relationships make a house into a home: either the relationships within the house, or the welcome and understanding that guests find. Human relationships depend upon communication.

But this communication takes time. It is also helped by atmosphere, and the atmosphere is helped by the 'things' which are arranged with love and with an expression of creativity in a visible form. p. 99

I would say I have at times tried create an atmosphere either with flowers or arranging a side table with books laid out in a pleasing arrangement. I am better about doing this when I know guests are coming over or my parents are coming to stay, but unfortunately I usually ignore doing this since it can seem overwhelming with life happening in our house.

I was challenged by this chapter to be more intentional in producing small spots of beauty for my family. As Mrs. Schaeffer puts it:

The only way to start, is to start. p.111

Here is the perfect place to start!

More from this series:

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5 - Part 1
Chapter 5 - Part 2
Chapter 6

I am linking up with Cindy at Ordo Amoris.

Read A-loud Thursday - Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

Book Description:

A story filled with danger and excitement, Johnny Tremain tells of the turbulent, passionate times in Boston just before the Revolutionary War. Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught up in a dramatic involvement with James Otis, John Hancock,and John and Samuel Adams in the exciting currents and undercurrents that were to lead to the Boston Tea Party and the Battle of Lexington -- and finally, a touching resolution of Johnny's personal life.

My thoughts:
Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes was on the AO Year 4 free read and fit in very nicely with what we had been studying in history. It made many of the people and events we had read about in our history spine come alive. People such as Paul Revere, John Hancock, Sam Adams, and events such as the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere's ride, and the first battle between the minutemen and the British.

Weaved through out this historical events is the story of Johnny Tremain an apprentice silversmith. When Johnny is first introduced he is very cocky and very sure of himself. When an accident happens that makes it impossible for Johnny to continue being a silversmith, Johnny finds himself having to find a new way to survive in the world. He makes friends with Rab, a printer's apprentice, and is introduced to the Sons of Liberty and becomes a part of the American Revolution. Also interwoven throughout the story is Johnny discovering his family and learning how to rise above unfortunate circumstances that we face in life.

My kids really got into the story of Johnny Tremain and begged me to read it to them during the day at during our evening read-aloud times. This was a story filled with suspense and adventure. They did find the ending a let down since they wanted to find out what happened to Johnny after Battle of Lexington, but overall it will go down as a great read in the Starr house.

On a side note: I was glad I read this aloud since there were quite a few 'cuss' words that aren't allowed to be said in our house. Yes, they were mainly used when the older men and the Generals were talking, but I was surprised to see them in a book written in 1943.

See what others are reading aloud over at Hope is the Word.