Glad to be of help. :001_smile: I also thought I'd suggest using a good vocabulary course. We use Vocabulary from Classical Roots because of the inclusion of root language. This might be helpful for you as you get into the classical mode. Enjoy the journey! Blessings, Lucinda

For an average of $6.58 a month I can have anything I buy shipped to me and delivered in 2 days (sometimes even less). You just can't beat that deal. Yes, you pay it annually in one chunk ($79), but I LOVE having my Prime membership. As a hs mom and a teacher, I could easily justify Prime membership for books alone. But we get more than that out of it. We buy household items, office supplies and oh so much more. I haven't used the movies much, but I hear the choices are getting better all the time. I can't think of any cons to tell you. Nothing but rave reviews from this house. Blessings, Lucinda

This, I believe, would be a Christian response to your situation. I know how frustrated I can get when I need to talk through an issue, but the other party does not. Some of us process feelings by talking them through while others need time to think and have their space. When I was younger I would not give up and would push and push the other person to talk because I didn't know that. Now that I'm much older I see things differently. I'm now aware of the difference between walking in the flesh and walking in the spirit, and those two options are miles and miles apart. I also agree with the other poster that suggested there might be an issue of depression. Sometimes things that are not intentional are going on that affect a person's behavior. It may also be that there are other personal issues that your friend just can't discuss that have had an impact on how she behaved. It could have even been the result of a homeschool mom being more overwhelmed than she's let on. Maybe giving her the benefit of the doubt on this is needed. Did your friend behave badly? Yes. Did her choices hurt others? Yes. Should she have made an effort to communicate better? Definitely. But here's the deal: love overlooks a multitude of sins. If we as Christians are to love God and "love others as ourselves", then we need to extend a lot of grace. A LOT of grace. We all mess up, but the thing that matters is what we do AFTER we mess up. Even if the other person is more in the wrong than we are, we need to respond and act in love. We need to offer the same grace that God offers to us. I know that when I screw up, I want to be extended grace and forgiveness, and I imagine you do to. And when I've messed up badly, I need it more than ever. So as an older mom and grandmother I'm going to suggest that you reach out in love to your friend one more time. Let the issues of the past go and choose to love her whether she does the right thing or not. You never know, at some point in the future it may all open up for discussion in a very natural way. Maybe just take it prayerfully in baby steps and hold no high expectations. Offer love and forgiveness and see where it goes. This relationship is obviously important to you or you would not have written such a long post to share the whole thing with us. You are clearly upset about the breakdown of this relationship. At this point you have a choice: either move on with your life and let it go (and carry the sorrow and grief with you), or humble yourself and reach out to your friend. Blessings, Lucinda

We are die hard fans of WWS and I have to say that if I had to choose between one or the other - I'd prefer WWS over being in a co-op, even if the history writing is good. But that's just me. I only know how WWS has made a huge impact on my own dd and how her writing has transformed over the past year. We are thrilled to be beta testers for the 2nd level. Blessings, LUcinda P.S. Middle school students still need vocabulary and grammar, no matter what writing program is chosen.

Yes, although quite often it gets left in the car at the absolute inopportune times! :lol: Yeah, you know the stick thing with a curved handle that has a portable mini roof attached? Does come in handy occaisionally. I've even been known to carry a plastic bag to put it in when it's wet and I enter a building. I know....I know....too anal. Blessings, Lucinda

I could have written this myself, and although my situation is different in some ways, it is also very similar. My dh was downsized from high tech, then had a hard time landing on his feet again. He eventually went in to truck driving, but then there were economic and seasonal layoffs with cut hours that forced us to the point of depleting all our reserves. To cap it all off, a little over a year ago he had a stroke and lost his medical card that is required to be a commercial truck driver. Because of all these things, we have been under a huge amount of financial pressure for a full decade. I'm with you in that I have been worn out beyond worn out from all of it. My family depends on me for so much, and I'm also a part time teacher with many, many students. I do the same things you do to stay strong, and I understand your feelings. The only thing I can say that is giving me a new lift more recently is that I've decided to do a total nutritional makeover. The foods that we've been eating over the years have not helped me physically in the least, and so I am consulting with nutritional specialists to help me make better choices. I've decided that my health and well being have to become a priority and that no matter how dh and the rest of the family want to eat and take care of their bodies, I'm going to make changes of my own. I'm increasing my intake of water, fruits and veggies substantially, eating far, far less meat and dairy, eating nuts and legumes and taking a lot of supplements. Right now as I'm at my desk I'm sipping herbal tea and eating about 1/2 lb. of raw carrots LOL! All in all, I think that increasing my activity with more exercise and making these dietary changes will put me in a much better place physically. I have a strong feeling that if I don't take care of myself better from now on, dh and I will both be unable to raise our precious dd to adulthood. Long term stress zaps the life out of a body and this is one of the ways to help replenish what is lost. I'm sure others will chime in with more, but this is currently my big focus and way of dealing with the challenges of life. Blessings to you as you seek more ways to take care of your body, mind and spirit. Lucinda

For some reason, no one told me at first that I'd need to put a nursing pad on the other BooK when baby started nursing. I have a distinct memory of seeing a silver stream of milk shooting up into the air as I saw it in the moonlight from my window. I laughed so hard I'm surprised I didn't drop my baby! That is SO true! I'm a grandmother, and I still cherish the memory of nursing my babies. I remember well the feeling of letdown, and also of looking down at my babies' little heads slightly bobbing as they sucked. There's nothing like it in the whole world. Blessings, Lucinda

I have to say that as a Christian directly involved in the arts, I think this discussion is great! I'm reading your posts and am enjoying the exchange so much. I've been so blessed to read about how several of you view art - and not just the ones that contain nudity. Blessings, Lucinda

Hey, I think I may have you all beat...I was born and raised here, so that means I have been here well over 50 years. I have webbed feet and just don't know any better than to wear a rain slicker and carry an umbrella 9 months out of the year. LOL! Honestly though, I have seen hot days in May and June in the past, and I think the weather patterns have changed over a period of time. 18 years ago dh and I got married on a really hot day in the upper 80's, and that was on June 10th. I also recall very hot Memorial Day weekends in the past - but it's been quite awhile since you could actually count on that. I do remember summers being hotter in June than we see them now, although I do recall a 4th of July back in the 80's when it was pouring down rain and I was holding an umbrella while we watched the fireworks LOL!. For the past 20 years or so it seems that summer fails to launch until July and then lasts until mid to late September. And yeah, that is hard for the kids that go to school. But it does make for some really decent fall camping trips. We've been known to have amazing camping trips in September and October. On the really down side of it all, I have suffered from SAD pretty much all of my adult life. If it weren't for wanting to be close to my grandchildren, I would love to move to another region where the seasons are more distinct. It would be so nice to have a change from a lifetime of cloudy weather. Blessings, Lucinda

You're reminding me of times, oh so long ago now, that my youngest ds did acrobatics while nursing in bed at night. He would often climb up over the top of my head on to the pillow and then latch on while hanging upside down over my shoulder. Sometimes he'd look up at me and laugh then grab back on again. You are right. No one tells you about things like that. Being a mom is sure some adventure, huh? Blessings, Lucinda

You might consider Visual Latin, a fairly new program that includes video instruction. They have a lot of very helpful videos for free, so you could sample it out first and see if you like it or not. The instructor is a well established Latin teacher and has a good sense of humor, plus they provide a lot of electronic books with the course to go along with the lessons. My dd had some Latin in the lower grades, but we're going to do a year of Visual Latin before she enters high school at a private school. Blessings, Lucinda

I purchased Grammarlogues for my own dd next year because it is used in conjunction with actual literature, and it takes only a few minutes each day. I thought I'd throw this into the mix of options for your consideration since you are concerned about time issues. I only have one student, but for a family it looks like a very economical choice. Blessings, Lucinda

Oh Dina, you've got to keep us posted on that one!! What an interesting twist. I can't wait to read about what you find out. Blessings, Lucinda

Well stated. This is how I gauge things too. Blessings, Lucinda

I have never seen this painting until now, and I have to say that I absolutely love it! As a mother and grandmother as well as an artist, I think it's a wonderful picture of life. Thank you for sharing it! Blessings, Lucinda

I think there is a very big difference between nudity and being naked. Nudity in classical art is very natural. There nothing to hide or be ashamed of with nudity because, as others have said, our bodies are miraculous creations and very much a part of life. Now being naked is different because it's about being exposed, and there is both vulnerability and shame in that type of view of the human body. I am not in favor of any type of erotic art in public places, and some of the more modern contemporary works of art present the body in more of a naked view that seems dirty. This, to me, is in very poor taste and I would definitely shield my kids from that. Until I was a student in art school (I have a Bach. of Fine Arts in Art with a concentration in painting), I had never really thought of all this before. As an adult, and as a Christian I had to ponder over it as I studied, but ultimately in the end I walked away with no issues of concern about nudity in classical art. Art is best defined as a definition of what is going on within a particular culture, so the nudity is all part of better understanding that age and time. When I consider the views of many conservative people today in our country that don't see it this way, I think it's just amazing how the Victorian era lingers on in our American culture. I sure wish people would lighten up about it. As an art teacher in a Christian school I have to remain neutral on the subject of nudity. In the history of our school, this was at one time a very big issue. So in order to avoid any possible problems from upset parents, I just don't go there. I want parents to deal with nudity in art with their own children in the way they feel is best. Because of this I have been known to slip black paper sleeves over pages of some books I'm showing to the class in order to keep my students from noticing a particular painting on the opposite side of the book. I also keep some of our books on higher shelves than the others so that the younger boys especially don't grab them and gather over in the corner to giggle and point. This is all out of deference to those families that feel strongly about it, not because I have an issue with it. Our art history teacher at the high school level does have to deal with the subject, but I'm not sure how she deals with it. (I'm going to have to ask her, now that you mention it.) Blessings, Lucinda

Mostly the General board, but I do hang around a lot at the Logic Stage sub board as well as the Sale & Swap too. Blessings, Lucinda

Hi everyone! My name is Lucinda and I live in the Pacific NW. Dh and I have been married 18 yrs and had already raised sons from previous marriages, but later in our lives God gave us a little blond surprise who is now 13 yo. (She is my bio gdd by birth, but we legally adopted her when she was a baby and are raising her as our own.) We started dd out in ps for k, but brought her home after 2nd grade because we felt there was much more focus on social things rather than academic. We also wanted to give dd a Christian education, so we've made a commitment to either hs or send her to the private school where I am on faculty. This will be our 6th year at home, but we plan to send dd to school once she finishes 8th grade next year. I am an artist (graduated with a BFA in Art) and an elementary/secondary art teacher at the above mentioned school and to private students - mostly homeschoolers. I absolutely love my job! Homeschooling has been a rich adventure that I would not have traded for the world. I think I've learned just as much as my dd through the years. I only wish I'd done it sooner with my older children. I think I will always hang around the boards because I enjoy connecting with like-minded people, and I learn a lot from the diversity that is here. Blessings, Lucinda P.S. I actually joined the Hive in 2007 as skypainter_07, but had to go through a name change. So I guess that means I've been here five years now.

By all means, keep it. And don't feel guilty. Parent's need perks too!! Blessings, Lucinda

bump. Just thought the op might like more responses. :D Lucinda

You are So Right!! I am encouraged to have a lively thread going, but as another poster pointed out and I also stated in my first post, one usually gets ignored (if they're going to be ignored) when popping in on a conversation. But I think I'm convinced now that it's just the nature of the beast!! :lol: Blessings, Lucinda

I'm so glad you posted on this thread, and I hope you'll post more often. Just take the risk. I mean, if I can risk ruining my reputation here by baring my soul so freely, you can too! I'm afraid after this that I'm going to be known as a wimpering, overly sensitive, wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve hs mom. But I guess I'd like that better than being known as a an angry you-know-what. Yeah. Done that before too and found it to be very disappointing. Why not? WTM Loners unite!!! Okay, I feel better about that too. I tend to bump a lot and have wondered if it comes across as an attention getter. Again....good to know. I do that too! :) And when I say I'm praying for someone, I really do and will often pm the poster to follow up. Blessings, Lucinda

Amen, amen. :grouphug: Blessings, Lucinda

:iagree::iagree::iagree: ha ha ha ha ha ha But really, I don't expect people to acknowledge every single statement I make, but a little more interaction would be nice. No apologies necessary Tibbie. You haven't let me down, so please don't beat yourself up for anything. Wanna be penpals? (Just kidding.) Blessings, Lucinda

:001_unsure: Well that's reassuring. Thanks for letting me know. Oh I agree, there are some very nice people here. I've had some personal connections from at least three amazing people that reached out to me in kind and generous ways irl, and I have appreciated that so much. Obviously I wouldn't have been here this long if I didn't have some positive experiences to take away. Thank you for your lovely post. I was very touched by it. You do? Awwwwww! Thank you for saying that. And about those little green boxes. I had totally, totally forgotten about them. They were here for awhile when I first came on board. I wouldn't want them again, but I would really like a LIKE button! That was sweet. Thank you! Yes, I would really love to have some of you as homeschooling neighbors as well. I am somewhat of an introvert, but not completely. I need alone space more and more as I get older. But over all, even though I do not live in a virtual world and invest too much of myself in online relationships, I do long for more friends that are like-minded about education and enrichment, an appreciation for culture and history and those that share the same faith as I do - although I do love the diversity here and appreciate input from people who think and perceive the world differently than I do. There are very few people that I know irl that I can connect with at that level. For one, I'm so busy hs'ing and working that there is no time for it -- especially since I live way out in a rural area and have absolutely no neighbors that are friendly. I'm really glad that I started this conversation and appreciate everyone's comments. I'm learning a lot from it about others, about myself and I've gotten a lot of laughs too. Blessings, Lucinda