Mrs. Happy Housewife

Links for 2012-09-10 [del.icio.us]

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 00:00:00 PDT

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Links for 2012-07-11 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 00:00:00 PDT

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Cross-Stitch: A Secret Statement of Defiance

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:27:34 -0500

Seldom has it been said cross-stitch saved a captured man from insanity or that a sampler was used by the resistance against a conquering foe. But such things are always possible.

Today, the Daily Mail has a great story of how a World War II British soldier, Major Alexis Casdagli, used cross-stitch to endure years in Nazi POW camps. The article includes some photographs of Major Casdagli's cross-stitch samplers from during his POW years. On the first sampler, the Major hid two repeating statements defying the Nazis in stitched Morse Code. In the four years of the Major's imprisonment, these secret statements were never deduced by his captors. Had the Nazis discovered what Major Casdagli wrote, the Major would never have made it home to England and his family at the end of the war, where he taught his son, Tony, how to cross-stitch. Tony still lives in London with his wife and continues to cross-stitch to this day.

A Ben & Jerry's Failure

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 09:44:40 -0500

Although certain members of our family are interested in trying the new flavor from Ben & Jerry's (vanilla ice cream with a hint of rum and fudge-covered rum and milk chocolate malt balls), I'd rather replicate the recipe in our ice cream maker than support the new vulgar name the company chose.

Apparently One Million Moms, a division of the American Family Association feels the same way. "The vulgar new flavor has turned something as innocent as ice cream into something repulsive. Not exactly what you want a child asking for at the supermarket."

The Triplets That Doctors Wanted to Terminate

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 19:24:20 -0500

Kandace Smith, 20, has cystic fibrosis and a single birth could lead to her death, but her fetal scan showed three heart beats. The doctors said she had no choice, but to terminate the pregnancy. Kandace, however, had already decided to take the risk for her unborn children.

With daily medication for Kandace, she was able to last until 28 weeks gestation. "I was so worried about them because they were being born so early. I just had to pray that they would all survive." They did survive and the identical girls Brooklyn, Savannah, and Dakota have also entered the scientific journals for cystic fibrosis childbirths. With that kind of entrance into the world, who know's what awaits these young ladies in the future?

Just another case of God's miracle turning out better than man's plan.

When in Rome...

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:03:25 -0500

"...The top 10 percent of earners pay nearly 70 percent of all income taxes, according to the I.R.S. People in the richest 1 percent pay 31 percent of their income to the federal government while the average worker pays less than 14 percent, according to the Congressional Budget Office." - from "The New York Times"

If I didn't know better, I'd think President Obama was trying to morph America into Ancient Rome. There, too, a rich minority supported a majority welfare state.

And Rome fell.

The Lost National Anthem Verses

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 20:41:08 -0500

Every year this time, amid grilled foods and sparkling projectiles, someone you know will still be patriotic enough to sing the National Anthem. "The Star-Spangled Banner" is difficult to sing and God bless the singer who makes it through, but would it surprise you to know that there are three more verses?

Here's a YouTube video showing a former Marine singing the National Anthem's final verse:

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation.
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust;"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Let's not let these pieces of our history disappear.

Links for 2011-04-08 [del.icio.us]

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 00:00:00 PDT

The History Channel Club Articles

Links for 2011-04-03 [del.icio.us]

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:00:00 PDT

Links for 2011-03-21 [del.icio.us]

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 PDT

DNA Extraction

Poetry Friday: Barter

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 13:00:22 -0500

Life has loveliness to sell,
All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder like a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit's still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,
Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstasy
Give all you have been, or could be.

~Sara Teasdale

Links for 2011-03-17 [del.icio.us]

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:00:00 PDT

Free Easy Plans to Build a Laundry Basket Dresser

Links for 2011-03-16 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 PDT

Vigee Le Brun Gallery

Vase With 12 Sunflowers

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 15:42:31 -0500

This is Vincent Van Gogh's Vase With 12 Sunflowers - painted in 1888. It is one of several inexpensive art posters we have around the house. I love the Impressionists and I love sunflowers, so here is a double blessing. (Yes, I know Van Gogh was actually a Post-Impressionist. Let's not nitpick.)

I have the children sketch a still life every other week, but D was inspired by an episode of Doctor Who (featuring Van Gogh) to instead sketch this painting using pencil with a bit of colored pencil added for clarity.

She wanted me to post the original painting along with her hasty sketch. I believe she likes Van Gogh's art a lot. I know we both wish someone could have calmed his tumultuous mind.

My 2010 Bookshelf

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:13:13 -0500

My 2010 Bookshelf:

You can check out my 2010 reading list at Goodreads, my favorite site for bookworms. Sadly, my 2010 total was only eight books. George W. Bush read far more than that while leader of the free world and it looks like Obama also enjoys reading. If they can find the time to read several books a year, I think I should, too. I would like to at least complete one book per month.

What sort of books did I read this year? Two were children's books. One was an autobiography. Two were mysteries. Two were classics. Four were written in modern times. Six were set during the French Revolution and/or Napoleonic Era.

I have one book already on my to-be-read list for 2011:The Histories by Herodotus. I began it two years ago and really need to complete it. Anyone have any reading recommendations?

Happy 2011!

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 18:54:48 -0500

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

Chorus.-For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year! God bless you!

Homemade Ricotta

Sat, 13 Nov 2010 16:29:01 -0500

From As Cozy As Spring I discovered an easy recipe for homemade Ricotta - courtesy of Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP.

Homemade Ricotta
Makes about 2 cups
4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons good white wine vinegar
Set a large sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with the cheesecloth.
Pour the milk and stream into a stainless steel or enameled pot such as Le Creuset. Stir in the salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).
Pour the mixture into a cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta. (I tend to like mine on the thicker side but some prefer it moister.) Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining whey. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.

Sounds delicious, especially with fresh herbs added as Paltrow did with her Ricotta.

Not Quite "Rocketeer"

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 19:29:16 -0500

Martin Aircraft is developing a commercial jetpack. It's a far cry from the Rocketeer, but people who dream of jetting around may soon enjoy owning their own jetpack in the near future - if you have $100,000 to spend.

Caravaggio Slideshow

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 09:50:41 -0500

Jean-Honore Fragonard

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:27:40 -0500

Jean-Honore Fragonard

Late French Rococo

1732-1806

Student of Chardin and Boucher.

Experimented with Neoclassicism.

Great-uncle of Berthe Morisot.

Influenced Impressionism, particularly Morisot and Renoir.

Rococo: French rocaille "stone" + coquilles "shells"

Rococo originally a derogatory colloquialism meaning "old-fashioned"

Rococo "usually covers the kind of ornament, style and design associated with Louis XV's reign and the beginning of that of Louis XVI"; art style of Mid-18th Century France; also called Late Baroque

Rococo paintings are often hazy, pastel, and ornate.

Notable Paintings:

Blind Man's Bluff - c.1760 - Toledo Museum of Art.

The Swing - c.1767 - Wallace Collection, London.

Young Girl Reading (The Reader) - c.1776 - NGA, Washington DC.

Year 6 - Tentative

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 17:50:20 -0500

*=Term 1 **=Term 2 ***=Term 3

Bible

Bible Study

*The United Kindom

**The Wisdom

***The Divided Kingdom

* ** ***Liturgical Year

World History

Stream of Civilizations Vol. 2 by

*Forward-Chapter 5

**Chapter 6-Chapter 10

***Chapter 11-Chapter 17

An Island Story

U.S. History

A History of US by Joy Hakim.

*A Reconstructing America

**An Age of Extremes

***War, Peace, and All That Jazz

***All the People: Since 1945

Biographies

Geography

* ** ***National Geographic Magazine

* ** ***Smithsonian Magazine

Citizenship

Plutarch: TBD

Current Events

Literature

Shakespeare: TBD

**.

***

Poetry

*Alexander Pope

**William Cowper

***Lord Byron

Language Arts

Two written narrations per week.

Math

Saxon 87

* Lesson 1 - Investigation 4

** Lesson 41 - Investigation 8

*** Lesson 81 - Investigation 12

Science

Apologia's General Science by Dr. Jay Wile.

*Module 1-5

**Module 6-11

***Module 12-16

Lab Work

Nature Study

Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock.

* ** ***Birds

Nature Journal

Birds of America by John James Audubon.

Art

*Caravaggio (1571-1610) Italian Baroque (composer Vivaldi, Baroque)

**Jean Honore Fragonard (1732-1806) French Rococo (composer Mozart, Early classical/Rococo)

***Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) American Illustrator (20th Century American Music: Blues, Jazz, Big Band)

Music

*Vivaldi

**Mozart

***Blues/Jazz/BigBand

Folk Songs

Hymns

Foreign Language

Latin

Spanish

Free Reading

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls.
The Von Trapp Family Singers by Maria Von Trapp
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry.
Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott.
Little Men by Louisa May Alcott.
Jack and Jill by Louisa May Alcott.
The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne.
Penrod by Booth Tarkington.
A Little Brother to the Bear by William J. Long.

Year 9 - Tentative

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 02:42:31 -0500

*=Term 1 **=Term 2 ***=Term 3

Bible

* ** ***My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers.

Bible Study

*The United Kindom

**The Wisdom

***The Divided Kingdom

* ** ***Liturgical Year

World History

Stream of Civilizations Vol. 2 by

*Forward-Chapter 5

**Chapter 6-Chapter 10

***Chapter 11-Chapter 17

A History of the English-Speaking Peoples by Winston Churchill.

U.S. History

A History of US by Joy Hakim.

*A Reconstructing America

**An Age of Extremes

***War, Peace, and All That Jazz

***All the People: Since 1945

Biographies

*John Adams by David McCollough.

**Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, a Slave by Frederick Douglass.

**Up From Slavery, an Autobiography by Booker T. Washington.

**The Diary of Mary Chesnut by Mary Chesnut.

**Her Little Majesty by

***TBD.

Possiblities:

Theodore Roosevelt, an Autobiography by Theodore Roosevelt.

The Spirit of St. Louis by Charles Lindbergh.

Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

Geography

*Recollections of a Tour Made in Scotland by Dorothy Wordsworth.

**The Oregon Trail by Francis Parkman.

***South by Sir Ernest Shackleton.

* ** ***National Geographic Magazine

* ** ***Smithsonian Magazine

Citizenship

Ourselves

Plutarch: TBD

Current Events

Literature

History of English Literature

Shakespeare: TBD

*A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

*The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy.

**Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beacher Stowe.

***TBD

Poetry

*Alexander Pope

**William Cowper

***Lord Byron

The Roar on the Other Side

Language Arts

Two written narrations per week.

One creative narration per week.

Commonplace Book

Public Speaking

Math

Algebra I: Structure and Method

*Chapter 1-4

**Chapter 5-8

***Chapter 9-12

Science

Apologia's Physical Science by Dr. Jay Wile.

*Module 1-5

**Module 6-12

***Module 13-16

Lab Work

Nature Study

Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Comstock.

* ** ***Birds

Nature Journal

Birds of America by John James Audubon.

Logic

How to read a book

The Fallacy Detective?

Art

The Story of Painting by

*Caravaggio (1571-1610) Italian Baroque (composer Vivaldi, Baroque)

**Jean Honore Fragonard (1732-1806) French Rococo (composer Mozart, Early classical/Rococo)

***Norman Rockwell (1894-1978) American Illustrator (20th Century American Music: Blues, Jazz, Big Band)

Music

*Vivaldi **Mozart ***Blues/Jazz/BigBand

Folk Songs

Hymns

Foreign Language

Latin

Spanish

Health

Free Reading

Mrs. Happy Housewife

Links for 2012-09-10 [del.icio.us]

Links for 2012-07-11 [del.icio.us]

Cross-Stitch: A Secret Statement of Defiance

A Ben & Jerry's Failure

The Triplets That Doctors Wanted to Terminate

When in Rome...

The Lost National Anthem Verses

Links for 2011-04-08 [del.icio.us]

Links for 2011-04-03 [del.icio.us]

Links for 2011-03-21 [del.icio.us]

Poetry Friday: Barter

Links for 2011-03-17 [del.icio.us]

Links for 2011-03-16 [del.icio.us]

Vase With 12 Sunflowers

My 2010 Bookshelf

Happy 2011!

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne? Chorus.-For auld lang syne, my dear, For auld lang syne. We'll take a cup o' kindness yet, For auld lang syne.

Homemade Ricotta

Homemade Ricotta

Not Quite "Rocketeer"

Caravaggio Slideshow

Jean-Honore Fragonard

Year 6 - Tentative

Year 9 - Tentative

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?

Chorus.-For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.