1. Shakespeare 2. The Odyssey – Homer 3. The Aeneid – Virgil/Penelope Lively 4. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens 5. To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee 6. The short story “A Crazy Tale” by G.K. Chesterton 7. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe to teach 8. “A Day of Pleasure” by Isaac Bashevis Singer 9. “Wakefield” by Nathaniel Hawthorne 10. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell 11. Animal Farm – George Orwell 12. Helen Keller (The Story of My Life) 13. Watership Down – Richard Adams 14. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Louis Stevenson 15. King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table – Roger Lancelyn Greene 16. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – Jules Verne 17. Kidnapped – Robert Louis Stevenson

Greetings to all! I totally missed last week's thread! I've had way too many distractions lately - some fun and others that were not so fun as they involved "adulting." I'm plodding along with W&P - I seem to have got bogged down a bit. I must say that reading Natasha's Dance along with W&P has provided a great deal of insight to Russian history and culture that I would not have had otherwise. I recently read Refuge by Dina Nayeri and highly commend it to you BAWers. The story is focused primarily on the relationship between two characters: a young woman who immigrated from Iran as a child and her father - a dentist and opium addict who remained behind in Iran. I learned a lot about what it felt like to be a refugee as well as details of addiction. 4.5 Stars Also, I've just discovered the works of Aviva Chomsky. In addition to her work as a professor at Salem State University, she writes about labor uniions and also immigration. She spoke in a town near me recently and I was unable to attend. Alas. I've got two of her books in my TBR pile, but it may be a while before I get to them. Her father is Noam Chomsky.

Where's Toto: Excellent selections! Last year I borrowed "How to be a SuperStar Student" from our local library. DS really liked it. Our current library has lots of the Great Courses. However, the library system in the town we're moving to doesn't have much.

PM the tech guy - OtherJohn. I think he's in on Tuesday. What a bizarre problem this is!

PM the tech guy - OtherJohn. I think he's in on Tuesdays. This is truly weird.

Thanks for both responses! I decided to order the Life Planner, hourly version. The Teacher Planner just didn't really apply to our situation (one kid) as it was really set up for a classroom. And, thanks for the Michaels tip! I may decide to do that next year!

Thanks! I'm thinking of using it to supplement Medieval History and Literature and maybe Environmental Science.

Does anyone have a subscription for streaming Great Courses? If so, was it worth the money? How did you use it?

If I want to use this for homeschool planning for one student, do I want the Life Planner or the Teacher's Lesson Planner?

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

Well, there goes my theory. I wonder why I can open it....

I'm not a member of the social group and I was able to open it. However, that may be due to my moderator status. The best advice I have is to send OtherJohn a PM. What a weird thing to have happen!

I looked at the high school forum and the thread is pinned there. Check this link.

Ah. Maybe if you add the word "international" to your thread title, some of the folks who've done similar international moves would have some ideas.

Can you mail anything there ahead of time? Can you drive there with a U-Haul? We're moving within the next 3 months and I find it mind-boggling for just a regular move (several states away).

It's good leftover and we can eat it cold!

Excellent list! We get blizzards as well. I would add lock de-icers in case your car locks freeze and you can't get into the car. Do not store the lock de-icers in the car!! Ask me how I know.

Thinking of all you in the path of Harvey. Here's my PLOP Preparation List (PLOP = Potential Loss Of Power) in case it helps anyone. AKA PLOP System (Potential Loss of Power)1. Showers for all 3. Dishwasher loads 4. Washer loads 5. Transfer station run 6. Gas tank filled 7. Grocery Store run 8. Flashlights within reach and in both bedrooms 9. Bird feeders full (bring in when the winds start) 10. Water in pots 11. Spouse home from work 12. Bake muffins, cookies, and bread 13. Make pizza 14. Move gas grill to garage 15. Pre-grind coffee and find French Press and/or buy instant coffee; make a pot of coffee before power goes out 16. Run another load of dishes 17. Charge cell phone 18. Find corded phone for landline 19. Charge cell phones, tablets, and laptop 20. Non-electric can opener handy 21. Make sure all prescription and OTC meds are on hand 22. If you have enough time, stop by the library to stock up on reading material. 23. Make hard-boiled eggs 24. Freeze drink containers and gallon ziplocs of water lying flat, so we’ll have ice to keep items in the refrigerator/freezer cold. 25. Paper plates, etc to minimize dishes 26. One glass used per person to minimize dishes 27. Solar driveway lights can double as emergency lighting. Juice up before storm and then use for area lighting during the storm. 28. Keep fire extinguisher handy. 29. Make sure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are working (with back-up batteries) 30. Make sure that tripping hazards are removed from floor and stairs. (Well, that’s a lost cause.)

Don't Do It!!! Block his number or get a new unlisted number (though that might complicate your work). If you need to talk to someone IRL, call a domestic violence hotline.

Meant to add: There are all sorts of youtube videos in Spanish - from easy stories to Destinos (a soap opera).

DS is going to use Breaking the Barrier for 9th grade Spanish as well. He has had some prior instruction, but took last year off from languages. He'll create some flashcards to use; he may or may not do Duolingo, I haven't decided yet. Second semester he'll start some conversational Spanish with a friend of mine. I'm contemplating getting a subscription to News in Slow Spanish.

Watermelon gazpacho. Watermelon lemonade from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods Frozen watermelon chunks Diced cucumbers Parsley Scallions

The going rate in my area starts at $50 an hour.

Thanks for mentioning this title. I now have it on my TBR list. And thanks for this, as well. I was leaning towards The Iliad, so DS and I will have that on our list this year.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes! I had an excellent day that involved bookstores and now I have even more books to pack!