Here is a clip of Benjamin Bagby performing part of Beowulf. It's pretty fun.

I feel the same way. Usually I am happily and busily planning for the next year by the end of June, and this year I'm just blah. We're finishing up our current school year this week and I'm hoping that my motivation picks up again by mid-July. I blame covid too. Everything has just felt like it's been on hold for months now and there's no sign of it letting up.

I'm too chicken to hike by myself. I don't even like to go with just myself and my kids. People worry me more than animals. My kids are loud enough that we will never take a bear or cougar by surprise. lol. The possibility of injury is the major factor. There's no cell service in many of the places we hike and stuck in the woods with a hurt mom is not a situation I'd like my kids to experience.

All-in-one (-math): Build Your Library (K-12 plus unit studies), Blossom and Root (prek-3rd or 4th as of now), Torchlight (K-3rd or 4th as of now), Wee Folk Art (K-early elementary) LA: Brave Writer Science: ACS Middle School Chemistry

Wee Folk Art has a variety of country studies called Cultural Connections. They are really meant for early elementary, but the recipes, crafts, and picture books are engaging for older kids too, and it's high on the "fun" side. My 12 y/o still looks at some of the books that we used for those units, especially the Lonely Planet Travel Book. WFA also has a US state study. Have you ever looked at the Beautiful Feet geography guide that goes with the Holling C. Holling books? I'm planning on using it this year and my kids are excited about it. The maps are really nice and my kiddos can't wait to attack them with their Prismacolors. lol

Our church governing body recently sent out a letter suggesting that congregations prepare for being closed to in-person large gatherings through the end of the year at least, and possibly well into 2021. I'm sad about the situation, but understand where they're coming from. We had been changing some of our practices starting in February--no more joining hands to sing--but this is tough.

I am interested! Most of the homeschool groups on fb seem to center around specific curricula or philosophies, so I think that your anticipated page would fill an open niche.

Have you ever watched the comedian Mike Birbiglia’s standup routines? He has a condition called Rem sleep behavior disorder and he talks about it a lot during his comedy shows. Some of what you describe sounds similar to his descriptions, but it’s an actual medical diagnosis and not a phenomenon like sleep paralysis that can be self-diagnosed.

How long have your seedling been outside? I find that it takes a bit of time for seedlings to get over their transplant shock, especially if they were started in a warm house and are now outside where it's colder. I'm zone 8a, but in the PNW where it never gets very cold, but also seldom gets very warm.

It seems to almost be homeschool lore that any hs math program is so advanced that it should be used a year behind. I just don't see it most of the time. BA covers the topics usually covered in third grade, but breezes past some and goes deep in others. We love BA here, but I see levels 2 and 3, at least, as being firmly on grade level. When we need extra practice or review with a particular topic, I usually pull a few pages from MEP to fill in.

We had to stalk Craigslist and Facebook marketplace to get bikes. Bikes were selling within minutes of being listed. The local bike repair guys are busy too.

I like Love It or List It. “I need the renovation to add three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a mudroom, two home offices, reconfigure the kitchen, and lift up the entire house to add a basement. You don’t know it now, but you’re going to come across a leak that has caused mold to grow throughout the crawl space, the electrical will have to be completely replaced because it’s knob and tube and you’re adding half of a house’s worth of service, and there will be a tornado during the reno that will cause you to have to start over halfway through. We’re having a baby in six weeks so we need it done before then. And you have $35,000 to do it all!”

Not necessarily a high outbreak area, but an early outbreak area--Seattle area.

It is hard to know what to do now. We are so ready to be social again, but one of my high school friends is a pulmonologist at a local hospital and what she is seeing is just scary. Our church recently indicated that we might not meet in person for a year. I feel fortunate that our main homeschool circles are taking this seriously, but unfortunate that many of our usual activities seem to be especially high risk (choir, band, etc). We are trying to do more family activities that are on the safer side--mostly outdoor recreation--but my 12 y/o needs more social time with his friends.

It's a back-saver--I can pull a whole yard of dandelion and hairy cat's ear without bending over once!