Showing posts with label Rose-Marie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rose-Marie. Show all posts

Saturday, 17 October 2015

'Our Island Story' sorted by SOTW chapter




'Our Island Story,' by H. E. Marshall is a popular choice for British history. Well, history and mythology. Some stories are still good for the telling even if they're not entirely factual. Your milage may vary, but this is how I've assigned them. Will be updated as time passes and we stride through history. :)


SOTW 1

Chapter 28, The Roman Empire


Our Island Story pg 1- The Stories of Albion and Brutus

Chapter 35, Caesar the Hero

Our Island Story pg 4- The Coming of the Romans

Our Island Story pg 9- The Romans Come Again


Chapter 36, The Roman Prince

Our Island Story pg 11- How Caligula Conquered Britain


Chapter 40, Rome Begins to Weaken

Our Island Story pg 15- A Warrior Queen

Our Island Story pg 20- The Last of the Romans

Our Island Story pg 24- The Story of St Alban

Our Island Story pg 29- Vortigern and King Constans


SOTW 2

Chapter 2, The Early Days of Britain

Our Island Story pg 33- The Story of the Coming of Hengist and Horsa

Our Island Story pg 39- Hengist's Treachery

Our Island Story pg 43- How Giant's Dance was brought to Britain

Our Island Story pg 48- The Coming of Arthur

Our Island Story pg 52- The Founding of the Round Table

Chapter 3, Christianity Comes to Britain

Our Island Story pg 56- The Story of Gregory

Chapter 15- The First Kings of England

Our Island Story pg 61- How King Alfred Learned to Read

Our Island Story pg 65- King Alfred in the Swineherd's Cottage

Our Island Story pg 70- More about Alfred the Great

Our Island Story pg 74- Ethelred the Unready

Our Island Story pg 78- How Edmund Ironside (Edmund II) fought for the crown

Our Island Story pg 82- Canute and the Waves

Our Island Story pg 85- Edward the Confessor

Our Island Story pg 90- Harold

Our Island Story pg 96- The Battle of Stamford Bridge

Our Island Story pg 102- The Battle of Hastings

Our Island Story pg 109- William the Conqueror

Our Island Story pg 114- William the Conqueror- Death of the King

Chapter 16- England After the Conquest

Our Island Story pg 118- William the Red

Our Island Story pg 121- Henry I

Our Island Story pg 129- King Stephen

Our Island Story pg 133- Henry Plantagenet- The Story of Gilbert and Rohesia

Our Island Story pg 137- Henry Plantagenet- The Story of Thomas a Becket

Our Island Story pg 143- Henry Plantagenet- The Story of the Conquest of Ireland

Chapter 19- A New Kind of King

Our Island Story pg 146- The Story of Richard Coeur de Lion

Our Island Story pg 153- Richard Coeur de Lion- How Blondel Found the King

Our Island Story pg 158- John Lackland- The Story of Prince Arthur

Our Island Story pg 161- John Lackland- The Story of the Great Charter

Our Island Story pg 169- Henry III- The Story of Hubert de Burgh

Our Island Story pg 173- Henry III- The Story of Simon de Montford

Our Island Story pg 178- Henry III- The Story of the Poisoned Dagger

Our Island Story pg 181- Edward I- The Little War of Chalons

Our Island Story pg 185- Edward I- First Prince of Wales

Our Island Story pg 189- Hammer of the Scots

Our Island Story pg 193- Edward II- The Story of Robert the Bruce

Our Island Story pg 198- Edward II- The Battle of Bannockburn (1314)

Chapter 26- France and England at War

Our Island Story pg 201- Edward III- The Story of the Battle of Sluys

Our Island Story pg 204- Edward III- The Story of the Battle of Crecy

Our Island Story pg 211- Edward III- The Story of the Siege of Calais

Our Island Story pg 217- Edward III- The Story of the Battle of Poitiers

Our Island Story pg 221- Richard II- The Story of  Wat Tyler's Rebellion

Our Island Story pg 228- How Richard II lost his throne

Our Island Story pg 230- Henry IV- The Battle of Shrewsbury

Our Island Story pg 234- Henry IV- How Prince Hal was sent to Prison

Our Island Story pg 238- Henry V- The Battle of Agincourt

Our Island Story pg 242- Henry VI- The Story of the Maid of Orleans

Chapter 27- War for the English Throne

Our Island Story pg 247- Henry VI- The Red Rose and the White

Our Island Story pg 253- Edward IV- The Story of Queen Margaret and the Robbers

Our Island Story pg 256- Edward IV- The Story of the Kingmaker

Our Island Story pg 260- The Story of the King Who Was Never Crowned

Our Island Story pg 265- Richard III- The Princes in the Tower

Our Island Story pg 269- Henry VII- The Story of a Make Believe Prince

Our Island Story pg 273- Henry VII- The Story of Another Make Believe Prince

Chapter 34- Martin Luther's New Ideas

Our Island Story pg 278- Henry VIII- The Story of the Field of the Cloth of Gold

Our Island Story pg 284- Henry VIII- How the King Became the Defender of the Faith and How the Great Cardinal Died

Our Island Story pg 290- Henry VIII- The Story of the King's Six Wives

Chapter 38- England's Greatest Queen

Our Island Story pg 294- Story of a Boy King

Our Island Story pg 299- The Story of Lady Jane Grey

Our Island Story pg 303- Mary I- How the Princess Elizabeth Became a Prisoner

Our Island Story pg 307- Mary I- How a Candle was Lit in England which has Never Been Put Out

Our Island Story pg 310- Elizabeth- How The Imprisoned Princess Became a Queen

Our Island Story pg 313- Elizabeth I- The Story of a Most Unhappy Queen

Chapter 42- Empires Collide

Our Island Story pg 318- Elizabeth- The Story of How England was saved from the Spanish

Our Island Story pg 323- Elizabeth- The Story of Sir Walter Raleigh

Our Island Story pg 328- Elizabeth- The Story of the Queen's Favourite




To be continued…










____________________

Rose-Marie was one of those enthusiastic planners who began researching when she was pregnant with her first. She wanted to homeschool because it sounded like an affordable adventure, then she met her kids personally...
Her young daughter has Echolalia, dyscalculia and some processing issues so isn't speaking fluently yet; but she is making good progress as they work and play in Central Victoria, Australia.

Saturday, 8 August 2015

Horrible Histories by SOTW chapter (V.2)



I love the Horrible History tv show. I like it so much I don't care whether my 8 year old learns anything from it or not and include it in our history studies anyway. I bet you like them too, or will when you get your hands on them, so I offer the list of Horrible History clips organised by Story of the World chapter we've used and enjoyed in our homeschool. 

Story of the World, for those who don't know is the popular history curriculum for children in the early years of school, written by Susan Wise Bauer: http://peacehillpress.com/story-of-the-world/

STORY OF THE WORLD, VOLUME TWO- MIDDLE AGES

Chapter 1, The Glory That Was Rome- none (wah!)

Chapter 2, The Early Days of Britain

*Series 1, episode 8, Smashing Saxons: Historical Hairdressers. Presents of dung

*Series 2, episode 6, Smashing Saxons: Saxon weather forecast. Ghost Prevention (a woman violently berates her husband for burning their crops). Anglo-Saxon famine beliefs

*Series 3, episode 3, Smashing Saxons: Invasion, Invasion, Invasion
*Series 3, episode 6, Cut-Throat Celts: Horrible Points of View. Historical Pet Shop: Celt customer
*Series 3, episode 12, Cut-Throats Celts: Celtic poetry banning. "Celtic Boast Battle Song" (song)
*Series 3, episode 12, Savage Stone Age: Comparison between Stonehenge and the pyramids (animated). Cliff Whiteley: Stonehenge purposes

*Series 4, episode 3, Smashing Saxons: Historical dentist. Historical Masterchef
*Series 4, episode 10, Smashing Saxons: Saxon belief in monsters. Historical Dates: Saxon peasant

*Series 5, episode 1, Smashing Saxons: Weekdays Assemble (parody of Avengers Assemble). Saxon farmer's crop-growing solution.

Chapter 3, Christianity Comes to Britain

*Series 1, episode 12, Smashing Saxons: Saxon mealtime charades. The Monk Art Show: how to write like a monk

*Series 2, episode 11, Smashing Saxons: "The Monk Song" (song)

*Series 5, episode 5, Smashing Saxons: Wonders of the Saxon UniverseKing Aethelred meets Brother Augustine.

Chapter 4, The Byzantine Empire- none (alas!)
Chapter 5, The Medieval Indian Empire- none (bother!)
Chapter 6, The Rise of Islam- none (woe!)
Chapter 7, Islam Becomes an Empire- none (boo!)
Chapter 8, The Great Dynasties of China- none (wah!)
Chapter 9, East of  China- none (misery!)
Chapter 10- The Bottom of the World- none (whinge!)
Chapter 11- The Kingdom of the Franks- none (sook!)
Chapter 12- The Islamic Invasion- none (whine!)
Chapter 13- The Great Kings of France- none (grizzle!)

Chapter 14- The Arrival of the Norsemen

*Series 1, Episode 3, Vicious Vikings (partially animated): some Viking beliefs: the origin of the first man and woman, how the sky is held up, life after death (Valhalla or Hell) and the story of Thor searching for his stolen hammer
*Series 1, episode 4, Smashing Saxons: Saxon EastEnders (Weregeld law). Anglo-Saxon Ghost Hunt

*Series 2, episode 1, Vicious Vikings: Vikings navigate with a raven as a compass. "The Viking Song" (song) 
*Seriage traditions

*Series 3, episode 7, Vicious Vikings: Historical Wife Swap: Vikings and Thralls

*Series 4, episode 8, Vicious Vikings: Wonders of the Viking universe. Historical Dates: Viking courting and marriage traditions

*Series 5, episode 2, Vicious Vikings: Vikings settle a dispute peacefully
*Series 5, episode 4, Vicious Vikings: I Can't Believe You Fed Me Seal Blubber! (parody of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!). Erik the Red advertises Greenland (parody of Iceland advertisements).
*Series 5, episode 8, Vicious Vikings: Shouty Man: New Runic Alphabet. Crucifix Con-Artist.. Viking peace (song).

Chapter 15- The First Kings of England

*Series 1, Episode 1, Vicious Vikings: Historical HairdressersWarrior: Viking vs Monk
*Series 1, episode 5, Smashing Saxons: Court of Historical Law: ordeal by cake. Twisted Fairytales: "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" (Saxon punishments)
*Series 1, episode 8, Vicious Vikings: Stupid Deaths: Edmund II. Valhalla Tours (989-1016)
*Series 1, episode 13, Vicious Vikings: HHTV News: Bob Hale's Viking Report. Stupid Deaths: Sigurd the Mighty (875-892AD)

*Series 2, episode 8, Vicious Vikings: Viking war paint. The Lindisfarne attack ~793AD
*Series 2, episode 9, Vicious Vikings: HHTV Sports: Viking feud. Viking chief funeral
*Series 2, episode 10, Measly Middle Ages: News at 1066Now Miserable: Volume 3 (with "special guest" Simon Cowell, a reference to the Pig Piano sketch of Series 1)

*Series 3, episode 2, Smashing Saxons: HHTV News: The Battle of MaldonMonk Magazine (991AD)
*Series 3, episode 8, Vicious Vikings: Winter Cooking with the Hairy Vikings. Historical Desktops: Stained Glass Windows XP
*Series 3, episode 9, Vicious Vikings: Writing a history book. "We Sell Any Monk" (advertisement)

*Series 4, episode 3, Vicious Vikings: New Home Abroad. HH Movie Pitch: King Canute (990-1035)
*Series 4, episode 10, Measly Middle Ages: HHTV News: Saxon Rebellion on Ely. Normanopoly (board game) 1070AD
*Series 4, episode 12, Smashing Saxons: Saxon bank. HH Movie Pitch: Alfred the Great (847-899)

Chapter 16- England After the Conquest

*Series 1, episode 5, Measly Middle Ages: HHTV News: the Domesday Book. William the Conqueror's Funeral 1028-1087
*Series 1, episode 9, Vicious Vikings: Words We Get from the Vikings. Hornless helmets (animated)
*Series 1, episode 11, Vicious Vikings: Words We Get from the Vikings. Viking rhymes

*Series 2, episode 3, Measly Middle Ages: Historical Paramedics. Scary Stories: "The Children of Woolpit"
*Series 2, episode 7, Smashing Saxons: Words We Get from the Saxons. New Saxon sign of the Cross. Engelbert, Edwin and Ergotism
*Series 2, episode 12, Smashing Saxons: Bag-O-Swallow-Chick Stomach Stones (advertisement for a cure for headaches). Saxon Helmet Company. Words We Get from the Saxons

*Series 3, episode 1, Vicious Vikings: Words We Get from the Vikings. Historical Paramedics
*Series 3, episode 2, Nasty Knights: Attacking a castle. The siege forecast
*Series 3, episode 8, Smashing Saxons: Kidnapped (two parts). Words We Get from the Saxons 2
*Series 3, episode 8, Measly Middle Ages: the death of William II. Stupid Deaths: Henry I  1056-1100 and 1068-1135
*Series 3, episode 10, Smashing Saxons: HHTV News: Norman report. The love story of Mud and Matilda. Words We Get from the Normans

*Series 4, episode 4, Measly Middle Ages: HHTV News: The siege of Palermo. Stupid Deaths: Gyrth and Leofwine, King Harold II's brothers, dead in the Battle of Hastings. Words We Get from the Normans

*Series 5, episode 10, Measly Middle Ages: Query of the War of the Bucket. Matilda and Stephen (song). 
*Series 5, episode 11, Measly Middle Ages: Great Historical Country Walks. French word confusion. 

Chapter 17- Knights and Samurai

*Series 1, episode 7, Measly Middle Ages: "I'm a Knight" (song, two parts). That Was EntertainmentJousting on Ice
*Series 1, episode 8, Measly Middle Ages: The confusing name of Wat Tyler. The rules of chivalry. 

Chapter 18- The Age of Crusades

*Series 2, episode 4, Measly Middle Ages: Historical Hospital: European and Arabian medical points of view during the Crusades. Stupid Deaths: Humphrey De Bohun
*Series 2, episode 5, Measly Middle Ages: HHTV News: Bob Hale's Crusades Report. Crusader crones

*Series 3, episode 4, Nasty Knights: HHTV Investigates: Knight Deaths. Stupid Deaths: Knights Templar

*Series 4, episode 11, Nasty Knights: Historical Masterchef. Crusader Presents

Chapter 19- A New Kind of King

*Series 1, episode 6, Measly Middle Ages: Flagellants' beliefs. The made-up planet (animated)  1200's-1300's

*Series 3, episode 5, Measly Middle Ages: John Balliol's release request. Stupid Deaths: Griffith Ap Llewelyn  1239-1314 and ??

*Series 4, episode 1, Measly Middle Ages: HH Movie Pitch: Richard Whittington (1354-1423)
*Series 4, episode 7, Measly Middle Ages: Snowball fight at the Earl of Lancaster's execution. Stupid Deaths: Richard the Raker 1322AD
*Series 4, episode 8, Nasty Knights: Stupid Deaths: Richard the Lionheart. Crusader training course on monsters. Mellified Man
*Series 4, episode 11, Measly Middle Ages: Historical Desktops: King John

*Series 5, episode 1, Measly Middle Ages: A knight goes off fighting with his eyes closed. Richard I goes off crusading
*Series 5, episode 3, Shocking Scotland: Bonnie Prince Charlie. HH Movie Pitch: Robert the Bruce. 1720-1788 and 1274-1329
*Series 5, episode 7, Measly Middle Ages: Gross DesignsEdward IOwain Glyndŵr (song). 1239-1307
*Series 5, episode 8, Shocking Scotland: Black Agnes defends against the Earl of Salisbury's siege of Dunbar Castle. 1312-1369
*Series 5, episode 12, Measly Middle Ages Making It in the Middle Ages, Stupid Deaths: John of Bohemia. 1296-1346

Chapter 20- The Diaspora- none (sadness!)
Chapter 21- The Mongols Devastate the East- none (alas!)
Chapter 22- Exploring the Mysterious East- none (woe!)

Chapter 23- The First Russians

*Series 5, episode 3, Ruthless Rulers: Gross DesignsVlad the Impaler. Stupid Deaths: Ivan the Terrible. 1431-1476 and 1530-1585

Chapter 24- The Ottoman Empire- none (shame!)

Chapter 25- The End of the World

*Series 1, episode 10, Measly Middle Ages: Twisted Fairytales: "The Pied Piper of Hamelin" (plague spreading). "Bring Out You Dead" (song)

*Series 2, episode 11, Measly Middle Ages: The Plague Report. Scottish invasion in England. My Big Fat (Medieval Scottish) Wedding (~1346)

Chapter 26- France and England at War

*Series 1, episode 5, Ruthless Rulers: Louis XI and the Pig Piano, with special guest Simon Cowell (animated) (1423-1483)
*Series 1, episode 11, Measly Middle Ages: Stupid Deaths: The gory Middle Ages. Ready Steady Feast: live from the Siege of Orléans (1428)

*Series 2, episode 7, Measly Middle Ages: knight fight refusal argument. Rattus Rattus fantasizes: Joan of Arc is confused by an angel

*Series 4, episode 9, Measly Middle Ages: Edward III's wedding. HH Movie Pitch: Agincourt: The Movie (1312-1377)

*Series 5, episode 5, Fabulous French: The Dauphin introduces Joan of Arc. Joan of Arc (song).  

Chapter 27- War for the English Throne

*Series 1, episode 13, Terrible Tudors: the history of Shakespeare's Globe (animated). The ghost of Richard III questions the historical accuracy of the Shakespeare play based on his life (1452-1485)

*Series 3, episode 3, Measly Middle Ages: Stupid Deaths: James II of Scotland. "William Wallace Song" (song)  1430-1460 and 1270-1305
*Series 3, episode 6, Measly Middle Ages: HHTV News: Bob Hale's War of the Roses Report. "Richard III Song" (song)

*Series 5, episode 9, Terrible Tudors: Lord Stanley at the Battle of Bosworth Field. "Henry VII" (song). 

Chapter 28- The Kingdoms of Spain and Portugal- none (wah!)
Chapter 29- African Kingdoms- none (woe!)
Chapter 30- India Under the Moghuls- none (alas!)

Chapter 31- Exploring New Worlds

*Series 4, episode 4- Awesome USA: Colonization. "The New World" (song)
*Series 4, episode 5, Radical Renaissance: HHTV News: Bob Hale's Renaissance Report. Leonardo da Vinci's unfinished works 1452-1519
*Series 4, episode 6, Potty Pioneers: Christopher Columbus discovers the West Indies. HH Movie Pitch: Leif Ericsson
*Series 4, episode 9, Radical Renaissance: The corrupt Pope and "The Borgia Family" (song) 1492-1503

Chapter 32- The American Kingdoms
(In civilisation order)

*Series 3, episode 1, Angry Aztecs: Dog steak and pond scum biscuits are on the menu of "Historical Masterchef" (parody of Masterchef). Howler monkeys realise why they're a favourite hunting target
*Series 3, episode 6, Angry Aztecs: "Aztec Come Dine With Me": The annual days of maize and beans have a rather anti-social side effect.
*Series 3, episode 9, Angry Aztecs: "Aztec Gardeners' World" discusses fertilizing fields with human blood. Enjoy hours of family fun with Aztec Whodunnit-o
*Series 3, episode 12, Angry Aztecs: Hi-Tec All-in-One Cactus multipurpose tool and Chuckle Resin chewing gum (advertisements)

*Series 2, episode 1, Incredible Incas: Shouty Man: New! Multi-Purpose Incan Hole. Incan Sham-pee (advertisement)
*Series 2, episode 4, Incredible Incas: Historical Shopping Channel: Inca Hour. "Stay Calmer When You Want to Harm a Llama" (advertisement).
*Series 2, episode 5, Incredible Incas: CD set: "Live like an Incan" (advertisement). An Incan child gets some offbeat birthday presents.
*Series 2, episode 9, Incredible Incas: The Chasqui messenger service turns into a game of Chinese Whispers. HHTV News: Bob Hale's Incan Report
*Series 2, episode 12, Incredible Incas: Francisco Pizarro's "Very Rough Guide" to Mexico

Chapter 33- Spain, Portugal, and the New World- none (woe!)

Chapter 34- Martin Luther's New Ideas

*Series 1, Episode 2, Terrible Tudors: This Is Your Reign: King Henry VIII. Henry VIII sings "Divorced, Beheaded, Died", a song about his six marriages 

*Series 2, episode 12, Terrible Tudors: Horrible Histories World Wrestling: Francis I of France defeats Henry VIII by tripping him up. Rattus Rattus fantasizes: Historical Desktops: Mullions XP (the English Reformation)
*Series 2, episode 11, Terrible Tudors: HHTV News: Bob Hale's Catholic Report. King Henry VIII plays tennis while Anne Boleyn is executed 

*Series 3, episode 6, Terrible Tudors: Henry VIII Tudor diet plan. Historical Paramedics

*Series 4, episode 2, Terrible Tudors: Martin Luther's strange office. Henry VIII goes on Cash in the Abbey. "Hide and Priest" (game)
*Series 4, episode 12, Terrible Tudors: Historical Masterchef. Paranoid Henry VIII

*Series 5, episode 2, Terrible Tudors: Religious Switchover (parody of the Digital Switchover). Thou Hast Been Framed! (parody of You've Been Framed!): Tudor Executions.
*Series 5, episode 7, Terrible Tudors: Who On Earth Are You? (parody of Who Do You Think You Are?). Henry VIII shows off the Tudor King Lift.

Chapter 35- The Renaissance

*Series 5, episode 4, Measly Middle Ages: Anglo-Saxon ChronicleHistorical ApprenticeJohannes Gutenberg vs. Monks.

Chapter 36- Reformation and Counter Reformation- none (wah!)
Chapter 37- The New Universe- none (bah!)

Chapter 38- England's Greatest Queen
(In mostly monarchial order)

*Series 4, episode 10, Terrible Tudors: Edward VI's whipping boy. "Mary I" (song) 

*Series 3, episode 3, Terrible Tudors: Lady Jane Grey is queen for nine days. The invention of the English mile

*Series 3, episode 11, Terrible Tudors: Phillip and Mary: Love Story. Tudor sugar-paste toothpaste

*Series 4, episode 7, Shocking Scotland: Historical Dates: Mary, Queen of Scots. "The Blue-blooded Blues" (Song)
*Series 5, episode 3, Terrible Tudors: Francis Walsingham's postal service advert bloopers. HHTV News: Mary, Queen of Scots report.


*Series 1, episode 4, Terrible Tudors: Elizabeth I's nicknames. Oh Yea! Execution Special. "We're Tudors" (song) 
*Series 3, episode 5, Terrible Tudors: Elizabeth I's Christmas (from the Horrible Christmas Special). Platform shoes (animated). Historical Fashion Fix: peasant to nobility
*Series 3, episode 9, Terrible Tudors: Complicated money currencies. Liz's peculiar laws
*Series 4, episode 3, Terrible Tudors: Historical Desktops: Queen Elizabeth I Online Dating
*Series 5, episode 8, Terrible Tudors: Edward De Vere passes wind in Elizabeth I's court. Stupid Deaths: Diane de Poitiers.

Chapter 39- England's Greatest Playwright

*Series 2, episode 1, Terrible Tudors: Elizabeth I likes only one of her portraits. Historical Mastermind: Shakespeare flaunts the words he has invented

*Series 4, episode 5, Terrible Tudors: William Shakespeare gets into a rap battle. Oh Yea! Magazine: Elizabeth I
*Series 4, episode 11, Terrible Tudors: News in Tudor criminal slang (with signer for hard of hearing). Tudor Spelling Bee. Shakespeare and the Quills (song)

Chapter 40- New Ventures to the Americas - none (woe!)
Chapter 41- Explorations in the North- none (boo!)

Chapter 42- Empires Collide

*Series 4, episode 1, Terrible Tudors: The Spanish Armada (film, two parts). Stupid Deaths: Tudor archers

*Series 5, episode 5, Terrible Tudors: Tudor Wildlife Magazine. Stupid Deaths: Hans Steininger. d.1567






____________________
Rose-Marie was one of those enthusiastic planners who began researching when she was pregnant with her first. She wanted to homeschool because it sounded like an affordable adventure, then she met her kids personally...

Her young daughter has Echolalia, dyscalculia and some processing issues so isn't speaking fluently yet; but she is making good progress as they work and play in Central Victoria, Australia.

Sunday, 21 June 2015

Days of Significance- June 21

Rose-Marie was celebrating Yule.

And honestly, this recipe is all you really need to know about that.

Gingernut Ripple Cake

300g thickened cream
2 tbsp icing sugar (I left it out but it's a holyday, so if you want sugar, eat sugar!)
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g ginger nut biscuits (and by biscuits, of course I mean cookies.)
A wee bit of ginger powder

Beat cream, sugar and vanilla extract within an inch of it's life. Use it to cement the biscuits together into an attractive Yule log arrangement. Cover the lot with more cream because you can't have too much cream unless you're lactose intolerant and sprinkle with the wee bit of ginger powder.



___________________
Rose-Marie was one of those enthusiastic planners who began researching when she was pregnant with her first. She wanted to homeschool because it sounded like an affordable adventure, then she met her kids personally...
Her young daughter has Echolalia, dyscalculia and some processing issues so isn't speaking fluently yet; but she is making good progress as they work and play in Central Victoria, Australia.

Saturday, 16 May 2015

Horrible Histories and Fairy Tales




For the younger, but not too squeamish amongst us:


Series 1, Episode 1, Gorgeous Georgians
- THREE LITTLE PIGS

Series 1, Episode 2, Awful Egyptians
- PRINCESS AND THE PEA

Series 1, Episode 3, Wicked Witches
- THE FROG PRINCE

Series 1, Episode 5, Smashing Saxons
- GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

Series 1, Episode 6, Frightful First World War
- THE OLD WOMAN WHO LIVED IN A SHOE

Series 1, Episode 7, Woeful Second World War
- CINDERELLA

Series 1, Episode 9, Terrible Tudors
- THUMBELINA

Series 1, Episode 10- Measly Middle Ages
- PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN

Series 1, Episode 11, Groovy Greeks
- SLEEPING BEAUTY

Series 1, Episode 12, Measly Middle Ages
- UGLY DUCKLING


You could read the stories, lovely versions with beautiful illustrations of course, not the horrible originals, then watch these. Ideal mini-unit studies for preschoolers!
*evil chuckle*







____________________

Rose-Marie was one of those enthusiastic planners who began researching when she was pregnant with her first. She wanted to homeschool because it sounded like an affordable adventure, then she met her kids personally...
Her young daughter has Echolalia, dyscalculia and some processing issues so isn't speaking fluently yet; but she is making good progress as they work and play in Central Victoria, Australia.

Sunday, 3 May 2015

Days of Significance- May 1

Rose-Marie was celebrating Samhain.
(Our usual contributors in the Northern Hemisphere refused to contribute to this article because the Spring weather was too nice and they wanted to be outside, lol.)



Samhain is basically the Pagan's Day of the Dead. The three candles on the left represent my important deceased people. I'd like to be able to say ancestors, but this is the first year I've had to make that blue candle. The candle on the right is stuck with animal shaped hat pins. They represent and honour (for what that is worth to the animals involved) the animals we eat and the animals lost due to environmental reasons, such as deforestation.

For Samhain dinner I also eat foods that I associate with the people represented by those candles. For my grandpa, I eat French toast. I cooked French toast for him once, when I was a kid, and he was so enthusiastic about it I can't even describe it. Dear Grandpa could have eaten French toast for breakfast every morning for all I'd know. He was the kind of grandpa who would behave as though it was gourmet fare even if you'd burnt the edges. :) For Grandma we eat apple pie and ice cream. She always had apple pie and ice cream in the freezer, waiting for us to show up. I don't even have a fridge, let alone a freezer, but when I have grandkids, I will buy one. Because I *know* proper grandmas have apple pie and ice cream in the freezer. :) I now also eat watermelon on Samhain because my boy was the watermelon eating-est kind of boy. I would like to post a picture, but I don't think his father would like it, so I'll leave you to imagine a skinny, blonde, 5 year old boy sitting in a perfectly natural pose behind half a watermelon. The posture is saying "this is my watermelon" and the facial expression is saying "this is not *your* watermelon!"




____________________
Rose-Marie was one of those enthusiastic planners who began researching when she was pregnant with her first. She wanted to homeschool because it sounded like an affordable adventure, then she met her kids personally...
Her young daughter has Echolalia, dyscalculia and some processing issues so isn't speaking fluently yet; but she is making good progress as they work and play in Central Victoria, Australia.

Sunday, 22 March 2015

Days of Significance- March 21st

Amira was celebrating Nooruz


When we moved to Kyrgyzstan the first time 10 years ago, one of the things I most looked forward to was Nooruz. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowruz We had had some Uzbek friends in Idaho who told us about the holiday and invited us to their celebration and I wanted to see what it was like in Kyrgyzstan.  We've since celebrated Nooruz many times (that's the Kyrgyz spelling- there are lots of variations depending on what part of the Iranic or Turkic world you're in) and one of my favorite things to do is to eat laghman.  They're long pulled wheat noodles that probably orignated in China.  These specific noodles aren't necessarily traditional for Nooruz, but eating noodles is.  I love to celebrate this holiday, not only because it reminds me of being in Kyrgyzstan, but because it's been celebrated for thousands of years by many different people.

This version of laghman is a simpler way to do it than the flung and folded way.  More power to you if you can pull that off.  Most people in Central Asia make laghman this way.

Mix about 4 cups all-purpose flour (this is the only recipe where I don't use whole wheat flour- it just doesn't work well), 2 eggs, 1 tsp salt, and enough water to make a stiffish dough, then knead it a bit.  You can do this in a mixer or food processor if you like.  Shape the dough into a ball, cover, and let sit for at least two hours. 




Break off walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll them into long, pencil-thin strips. After forming each strip, oil it, then coil it on an oiled plate (start in the middle and work your way out, then when the plate is full, start a second layer till the dough is all used up). Cover the coiled dough mound with plastic and let it sit till you're ready to cook the noodles (you want to let it sit for at least 30 minutes and much more time is better- at least two hours).  As you can see, you don't have to be perfect.
Take each noodle one at a time and pull it with both hands into a very long, thinner noodle. Work carefully so you don't break the noodles. Leave each pulled strip in a separate little heap on the counter until the water boils.
Holding your hands out, about 18 inches apart with the palms facing each other, take the ends of three or four little heaps together between your thumb and your palm and run them around the back of your hand. Bring the dough on top of your other hand and then down across the back of your hand. Bring the first hand around to pick the dough up again on top of the hand and then around the back. Repeat that motion to make a sort of figure-8 with the noodles. 
When you have all three strands wrapped around your hands, pull the noodles again by moving your hands farther apart (don't break them, but do give them a good pull), then drop them off your hands into the boiling water.Stir the noodles to prevent sticking. They'll float to the top as the water comes back to a boil. Fish them out with the strainer about a minute or less after the water boils again. Dip them into the cold water, then transfer to a plate. It's easiest to keep each batch on separate plates because the noodles are so long that they're hard to get out of a communal bowl.

If you're making a lot of noodles, they'll get cold before you get them all done, so briefly dip them back in the hot water before serving to warm them up.  Or you can fry them which is what my son prefers and I have to say that's a really tasty option.

Get a large pot of water boiling and have a bowl of cold water and a big strainer scooper thing (I don't know what they're called) ready. While the water is getting hot, start stretching the noodles. Take each noodle one at a time and pull it with both hands into a very long, thinner noodle. Work carefully so you don't break the noodles. Leave each pulled strip in a separate little heap on the counter until the water boils.



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Rose-Marie was celebrating Mabon.

Once it stopped begin too hot to move without putting the air con on, I got stuck into the very much needed Mabon cleaning. It's not that I'm fond of housework, or anything, but by the time Mabon comes around, I find myself glad to be able to get stuck into it. We worked on it a little each day for over a week. I didn't want to inspire rebellion in my daughter!

Here's a pic of my other trusty cleaning companion, the vacuum cleaner that used to be mine, that I handed over to my mother because she has more carpet and a house big enough to fit it in!


Hooray for the vacuum cleaner! Spiders, you must rebuild!


We also harvested. This year, living somewhere with better quality soil and more reliable water, we finally got enough popcorn to eat, not just to plant next year! It looks pretty, doesn't it, sitting in my lovely fruit bowl made of red gum burl. We haven't eaten any yet, but we can and that's nice to know! I will certainly plant more this summer. 6 plants wasn't enough. The plants are so large, but only produce about two cobs. That's not going to keep anyone in afternoon snacks for long, is it?





This being temperate Australia, it is not only a time of harvest. We get a winter growing season, so it is also time to start off seedlings. Daughter and I planted out some old seed we had left over on Mabon, expecting nothing to germinate and for us to have to take a trip to a nursery for seedlings come Samhain, but lo! We had much better luck than expected! Look at that! 











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Amira is a peripatetic homeschooler currently living in Mexico.  She loves food, books, geysers, ruins, rain, and rocky beaches. She blogs at http://amiralace.blogspot.com.au

Rose-Marie was one of those enthusiastic planners who began researching when she was pregnant with her first. She wanted to homeschool because it sounded like an affordable adventure, then she met her kids personally...

Saturday, 7 February 2015

Days of Significance- 2nd February 2015

A few 'Investigate the Landscape' authors are celebrating something today!




Rose-Marie celebrated Lammas

Feb 2nd, give or take a day or two, is Lammas for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere who follow the neo-Pagan Wheel of the Year. It is supposed to be the first of the three harvest festivals, but that is not quite reality in my area. Our growing seasons are obviously not the same as in Europe, where the 'Wheel of the Year' came from, and at this time of year the harvest for some crops is finishing up around about now (give or take a month or two) and others are being sown (give or take a different month or two!)

In my home garden, I've been harvesting leeks for several weeks, but nothing else is ready! But I still wanted to harvest something, so Daughter and I made our second attempt at cheese making. Here's a pic of the cooling ricotta! Or what will be the ricotta when it has cooled and drained!


The intention is to eat it with the first ripe tomato from my mum's garden. She does not celebrate Lammas herself, but is all in favour of home made cheese and home grown tomatoes. I hope to have better luck with tomato growing myself next year. This year, none of my seeds even sprouted and I didn't notice until it was too late to try again.


Now, if you are waiting for the devilish, baby eating part of my Pagan celebration, I'm afraid you will be disappointed. The other thing I do for Lammas is even more mundane than cheese making. I wash blankets. See?



Lammas may well be the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, but we've got another month of summer, at least, and the worst part of summer too. Lammas is the last spoke of the Wheel I can be sure to get my blankets dry. Alain de Botton talked about holy days as being appointments with ideas. In this case, I think that is a very good idea. It would be so easy to forget to wash blankets and wouldn't I regret that when the weather cools down and I pulled out that nice fluffy blanket featured above, and found it too dusty to use and the weather too drizzly to wash it? Yes indeedy, so Lammas is my appointment with blanket washing.

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Amira celebrated Candalaria

I live in Mexico right now so Candelaria is the holiday for February 2nd.  For a few years now, starting before we lived in Mexico, I've been taking the tree down on February 2nd.  Not only is it one of the traditional end dates for the Christmas season, I also like to have the light from the tree during for the three dark months of the northern hemisphere.  It's not as dark in central Mexico as it is farther north, but I like the tradition anyway.  February 2nd is still firmly winter in other places I've lived like Idaho and Kyrgyzstan, but it's the end of "winter" in Mexico and we're starting to warm up for the hot, dry spring.

I love putting the tree up and taking it down because we have ornaments from so many different place we've lived.







Another tradition that we've picked up in Mexico and that we'll keep after leaving is making tamales on Candelaria.  On Kings Day, January 6th, most Mexicans eat Kings Bread, or Rosca de Reyes, that has a little Jesus figurine baked into it.  Whoever gets the figurine has to provide tamales for everyone on February 2nd.  The tamales come from an older pre-Hispanic Aztec festival in February that honored Tlaloc, the rain god.  Most of the rituals from all of those festivals aren't practiced anymore, but a few Christian holidays like Candelmas and especially All Saints Day have Mexican traditions included. So I made horneados and lots of steamed tamales like pollo verde, chocolate, and rajas con queso.  Yum.

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Aura celebrated Imbolc

I use the sabbats as well as other holidays as a way to focus my energy and thoughts during the different times of the year. For me, Imbolc is a time of hope, of hidden beginnings, of things stirring underneath the surface. It's a good time to focus on beginnings, to think things through, to look at where I'm at now and where the path I'm on will lead.

I try to associate the sabbats with something more familiar to me, so in this case, it would be Groundhog Day. This is the time that, much like the groundhog looking for his shadow, I can look around me and forecast what is likely to come. (Talking about the idea behind the groundhog seeing his shadow...not that I actually believe the groundhog is going to predict the onset of spring.)

Below is a couple of pictures of my altar...which simply looks like a little seasonal home decor, except that each item has meaning and is there to remind me of what the “theme” is for this season.

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The wall art is a circle and a spiral, representing the wheel of the year and the changes it brings. Each turn of the wheel brings new things into focus, but everything is connected.

The hedgehog is the closest I found to a groundhog. It burrows, but not as deeply. And it's really cute! Here's a link talking about hedgehogs and their spirit meanings: http://spirit-animals.com/hedgehog/

African violets represent spirituality. I'm still trying to get my violet to bloom again, but at least she seems to have recovered from being repotted and appears to enjoy her spot at the center of my altar.

The two-tiered stand with bowls was a wedding gift. It’s the closest I have to a well and will serve as a stand-in. The well is a symbol of Brighid, the goddess associated with Imbolc. You can read more about her here: http://www.paganspath.com/magik/celtic/imbolg.htm. Personally, the gods and goddesses are not beings that I worship or even believe really exist. I consider them representations of differing aspects of The Universe. They bring to light many things to think about and consider: lessons to be learned and principles to be applied.

The top bowl holds moonstone, which is associated with the goddess. I particularly feel the need to have more of her influence in my life. It is a definite counter to balance out the patriarchal influences.

The bottom holds pinecones and sweetgum balls. Both are seeds, of a sort, particularly easy to find this time of year (at least in my backyard they are!) and represent beginnings and rebirth as well as abundance. Both are protective and purifying/repelling of negativity. Both are considered masculine, but I offset this by placing them inside a bowl, which is feminine. I don’t wish to ignore or to shut out the masculine, because it is as necessary as the feminine, but simply to balance it out.

I always have at least one candle, to represent the Universe, and to represent magick and spirituality. In this case, I have one white candle.

Imbolc is sometimes called Candlemas or the Festival of Lights (though they may actually be different cultural or religious observations of the same turning of the wheel). The candles and lights symbolizes the warmth of the flame banishing the cold of winter and the coming of spring. To represent the coming thaw, I have lighted floral stems mixed with willow branches. Willow is also associated with Imbolc, though I haven't researched it that much...still, I like the lights mixed with the willow stems.

There are a lot of personal preferences mixed in my altar. Some things I place on it just because I think it adds a “finishing touch.” But altars are personal things, and I believe it’s okay to add things just because it feels right to you. The spirit often communicates very subtly. In my process of learning, I have often found that my attraction to something actually reflects a spiritual significance to which I was previously unaware.

I will leave this altar up until Ostara, March 21, when I will change it to reflect that sabbat and the upcoming Easter holiday.

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Rose-Marie was one of those enthusiastic planners who began researching when she was pregnant with her first. She wanted to homeschool because it sounded like an affordable adventure, then she met her kids personally...
Her young daughter has Echolalia, dyscalculia and some processing issues so isn't speaking fluently yet; but she is making good progress as they work and play in Central Victoria, Australia.


Amira is a peripatetic homeschooler currently living in Mexico. She loves food, books, geysers, ruins, rain, and rocky beaches. She blogs at http://amiralace.blogspot.com.au


Aura is a homeschooling mom in North America and an eclectic witch who is still “in the broom closet” with most who know her in person. She does not ascribe to any particular religion, believing that spiritual paths are unique and personal. She enjoys learning and writing about the spiritual and magickal.