Hello, BaW friends. I have been away from this thread for several weeks, and I have missed all of you! I have been wrapped up in wrapping up my homeschool career. The youngest finished up on May 10, and we had our graduation party on Sunday. It has been a bit of a whirlwind. I'll try to read through the most recent threads to see what everyone has been up to. A week ago, I went to hear Neil Gaiman speak. It was such a wonderful evening. He talked about making The Good Omens show, and he read three short stories to us.

All good thoughts, thank you. I have this irrational fear of waking up on May 2 and finding out that we didn't do some unknown thing and then he won't have a place at the school. It is silly, I know. The deposit secured his place. Mind you, I was one of those people who had the final exam dream years after I graduated. I'm surprised I haven't had the "we forgot to deposit" dream yet, lol.

I'll nudge him to get this part done ASAP. Housing is guaranteed, but I wonder if the selection is best if done promptly.

DS indeed needs to complete his housing application and some other forms. They are all due June 1, so we will get to them as soon as the DE finals / AP exams crunch passes.

Please reassure me that we have not missed some crucial step. I think we have done what we need to do, but the fear of dropping the ball this late haunts me! Deposit to the chosen school has been paid. The other schools have been notified that he will not attend. He has set up his email account and checks it regularly. We are registered for an orientation session.

Congrats! DS18 received his Silver in time for college apps, and he is continuing forward towards the Gold.

So true, @Alte Veste Academy ! I am six weeks away from being done as a homeschool mom, but I am keeping my TM to Mathematics as a Human Endeavor forever! On the other hand, I do not feel attached to the Jacob's Geometry tests. I'll keep the textbook for sure. I'd like to get rid of the tests. I don't know yet how I feel about letting go of the TM! (If anyone is interested in the 2nd edition test book, shoot me a PM. I'd sell it for a lot less than what I see it currently listed for. I simply do not have time to list things until we get through graduation.) Good luck, OK Bud. I think I did pay nearly $100 for my TM. Farrar's idea of thinking about it as a lease is a good one. It does seem to retain its popularity, unlike some other homeschool books that fall out of favor.

I started reading 1966: The Year the Decade Exploded, a social history of 1966 told through the lens of the music. It is divided into 12 chapters, January through December. Each chapter talks about the #1 hits that month, musicians that were on the rise, the youth culture, and the current events. I am on April, and I would say it is limited to what was happening in (or relevant to, e.g. Vietnam) the USA and the UK. I'm really enjoying it, and I have started making a Spotify playlist to go along with it. @Robin M I thought of you while reading the January chapter! One of the very first songs discussed is Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence." It was the first #1 US song of 1966.

Nice bingo, @Quill ! (I am at a minor league baseball game with my family. I brought my book because baseball is about five innings too long).

Good for you! I spent countless hours on the course descriptions. It really is a big task.

I missed posting last week. Perfect for National Poetry Month, I am in the midst of a book by a young Danish poet: Digte by Yahya Hassan. In 2013, at the young age of 18, Yahya Hassan became a literary sensation in Denmark. He is of Palestinian heritage, and both he and his poems have stirred up a lot of controversy over the years. I think he is enormously talented, and I hope he continues to write and to publish. I finished two books this week: The Blood of Emmett Till. At least four stars, and maybe five. My recent trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture prompted me to read this, and I learned a lot. It fit into two of my 2019 categories: The American South and the 1960s. The murder occurred in 1955, but I can't think of a better place to being reading about the 1960s than this book. The Outsiders. Five stars. I can't believe I never read this before! I think it just might be one of my all-time favorite YA novels. And it is mind-boggling to me that S.E. Hinton wrote it while she was still in high school. It fits into two of my categories: the 1960s and 50 states (Oklahoma). ETA: I think I finished The Goblin Emperor since the last time I posted. 5 stars. Many, many thanks to those who recommended it! I recall that several of you have read it.

I would love that! Since it is on topic, here is an anecdote: We have moved a lot, and I was used to presenting my kids' vaccination records when enrolling them in school. I asked the administrator at the high school if I should give him a copy of my son's vax record, and he replied "Why? Is there something wrong with him that I need to know about?" The recommended vaccines also differ somewhat, which I find interesting.

While living in Denmark (2011-2016), I became a lot lot lot more liberal. I was a free spirit in my youth, and then I had my more conservative phase. Now, I feel like I maybe I've got my old self back. I was never anti-vax. Vaccines are awesome. I hate being sick 🙂

Hi, everyone. I missed most of last week's thread, but plan to go back and read it. I had houseguests from both Denmark and NC last week, which was quite wonderful. One of the highlights of the week was showing my Danish friend around Washington DC. This was her second trip to the USA, but first time on the East Coast. We did tons of things, but I want to talk a bit about the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. This was my second time there, and both times I spent three hours...and did not have time to absorb everything. My friend said it was one of the best museums she has ever visited, and I concur. Somehow, I managed to miss the Memorial to Emmett Till the first time. It is in a corner off the walking route, so unless you look at the map it is easy to miss. Emmett Till's body was exhumed in the 2000s, and the original casket is now the focus of a memorial room to him. It is a powerful exhibit, and now I really want to read The Blood of Emmett Till. Other reading notes: I started Doris Lessing's The Golden Notebook before my guests arrived. I got to about page 100 and found it meh. I had no desire to continue after setting it aside for a week. Instead, I have started The Goblin Emperor which I am loving so far. @Quill You asked about cultural memoirs. You might like Cafe Europa: Life After Communism by Slavenka Drakulic. It is certainly not as lighthearted as The Year of Living Danishly, but I found it an insightful read. The author is Croatian, but the book roams around Europe a bit. Oh, and I also have Chesapeake Requiem on my TBR. If you read it, I would love to know your thoughts.

@tuesdayschild I am glad to know that I can keep my hopes up for Harold. Despite the ending of #3, I plan to continue the series. I will note the spoiler tag for the future. I knew there was a way to do that, but could not recall the details. Fwiw, I typed my spolier in black then changed the font color after typing!