Spiders and Crickets and Ants, Oh My!

It is a beautiful day, and I allowed the kids to carry their lunches out to the backyard and eat in their new fort. After about ten minutes, to my surprise, they all came in and settled at the dining table.

Me: Why did you come back inside?

Mariel: The terrors of the outside world were too much for us.

Triss: There were spiders out there.

Clearly, we need to be doing a lot more nature study than we are currently.

Service

I have no inspiration to write at the moment. What is going on? Perhaps I am more in a collecting-of-thoughts mode and not an expressive mode. Anyway, here is another George Washington Carver quote. We are using these for copywork, along with some Laura Ingalls Wilder quotes that came in the paper doll book Mariel purchased in Mansfield.

"Selfishness and self are at the bottom of a lot of troubles in the world. So many people fail to realize that serving God and one's fellowmen are the only worthwhile things in life. It is service that counts." --Dr. George Washington Carver

(Side note: GWC did not patent his inventions because he wanted his ideas to benefit everyone. He died a respectable man, but not wealthy, and served God and his fellow man to the end.)

Back Safe, Home Again

We made a short trip to Missouri last week. It was refreshing and relaxing, although we missed Mr. Honey, who had to stay home and work. We got home Sunday evening around 10:30 and leaped into regular schoolwork yesterday morning, as we had speech and debate commitments yesterday afternoon.

I have a lot I want to post about the trip. We got to go to the Laura Ingalls Wilder home on Rocky Ridge in Mansfield, Missouri; and we were also blessed to visit the George Washington Carver National Monument on our way home. Missouri is beautiful, both the city and the country. We saw trees and hills and even prairie. We stayed part of the time with friends who live in the heart of Springfield, and the rest of our time on the farm of friends in southeastern Missouri. There is good shopping too. Our friends in Springfield took us to one of the flea markets they frequently buy old books from, and I made some wonderful purchases.

I'm pretty scattered now, and I will be posting soon, but right now we are unpacking, doing laundry, reinstituting routines, and trying to do all with cheerful hearts, which is sometimes a struggle after a fun trip. So here is my favorite George Washington Carver quote and I will post more later:

"There is no short cut to achievement. Life requires thorough preparation-- veneer isn't worth anything."

I wonder if he knew or read Charlotte Mason?