Friday's Encouraging Expressions

Got a problem?  An issue?  A question?  Here's the solution - just use the 'Gandalf Problem Solving Flowchart':

All problems are now solved!

Have a good Friday!

Linda.

NSW Floods - Part 2

Without doubt, it’s been a scary couple of days.  As the reports came out that the river had peaked, we breathed a sigh of relief.  But the waters kept rising.  We watched as the water broke the levee to the left of our home, and poured over the bank.  Before we knew it, we had a secondary river – in front of our house, and over the course of the next few hours, the highway disappeared under a never-ending flow of water.

Bill and I hopped into the car to see if we could round up some more sandbags, but the town seemed deserted – plenty of cars on the highway – in fact, there were cars parked everywhere – just no people!  Everyone had moved their vehicles to higher ground, and had then returned home to save what they could.  

The main street was under water, as were many homes and businesses along the highway.  It became very obvious that we were in fact, very blessed – our house had not yet gone under, and was obviously on higher ground than many of the houses in town.

As we drove home again, we ventured a little further north to see what the water was like up to near the ferry – and boy, was that flooding in!  It was pouring over the sand bags, straight across the highway, and was inundating the poor house across the road.  The cows were NOT happy!  

After a few minutes, we headed home, parked the car on high ground, and settled ourselves in, hoping for the best – at that point, it was all we could do.  By now, the weather was hot and humid, and I was not feeling well at all.  So, I grabbed my computer and headed for a lie down.  And what do you do when your house is about to flood, and there’s nothing you can do about it?  Call on all your Gmail chat buddies, and start a group chat!  We all had a great afternoon, chatting away about the flood, crocodiles, Christmas jingles and totally random stuff – thanks, guys  – you really are all very entertaining!  All the while, emails and Facebook posts of support kept coming in, as did the text messages on my phone.  Once again, I was reminded of what true friendship is all about - I really do have a bunch of wonderful, supportive, and caring friends, and I’m so grateful for you all!

After that, we again checked the water level and the sandbags, and organised some dinner.  Fortunately, we still had power, and so were able to cook without an issue.  But the waters were still rising.  At one point, a large wave came right over the bank and water gushed into our yard.  That was the one real ‘scary moment’, when I truly thought that we were going to say ‘goodbye’ to our carpets and have water in our home, but no, God is good.  The waters held back, and over the course of the next few hours, they began to recede.  And finally, we really could breathe a sigh of relief!

These two photos show best how high the river rose – the first shows the back corner of our yard, with the railing that is above our stone steps, which normally leads down to the river (that's the little 'stick' poking out of the water).  The second shows the tree in our back yard that is right on the top of the levee  - the water came right up to, and around, it (just twelve paces from our back patio).

 

And this shows the empty block next door, with the waters pouring in over the levee:

So, we were stranded.  The highway was cut off and deserted – quite a different sight from normal, when the trucks are usually boring along at top speed!  It was nice, for a change, not to have to put up with all that traffic, but it was eerie.  Somehow, I think I prefer the roar of the traffic rather than the silent, sneaking waters coming up behind the house.  I kept checking the website – and it was a bit scary to read that everywhere around, the waters were going down – except at Ulmarra, our little town! 

Here’s our mailbox and the end of our driveway:

Eventually, though, the waters did begin to recede, and by 9pm, although the waters were still pouring over the levee onto the empty block next door, the river did look as if it were down a little.  I’d taken a few more photos before darkness set in – including this lovely one of the sun setting over the river:

At this point, lack of sleep and exhaustion caught up with me, and I crashed out, leaving my family with the hourly checks and keeping an eye on it all.  I awoke at 4am to a very quiet house, with everyone sound asleep.  That, I figured, must be a good sign!  Grabbing a torch, I headed outside, and literally gasped at the sight – what a difference a few hours can make!  The river had definitely receded, and the water line had dropped around 10cm.  But the biggest difference was our ‘river’ out the front and to the side.  The empty block next door had been completely covered in water, as had the highway.  But by 4am, this had become more like a large puddle, rather than a secondary stream.  No longer was water flowing through the channels that Bill had dug, and no longer was there a huge puddle in our back patio.  The worst was over.  The river was indeed dropping.  Our house had been saved.  Breathing one final sigh of relief, I headed back inside, had a nice cup of tea, and grabbed a few more hours sleep.

Today, we ventured a little further along the highway - it's absolutely amazing how far the water travelled - and several houses on the other side of the highway are still under water.  Although the highway is now clear of water, the pools still stretch for what look like miles on the other side.  Seeing all the extent of the damage once again made us realise how lucky we were;  because our house is on a slight rise, all the water had gone over the levee and straight passed us - amazing!

Of course, the highway is still closed to general traffic.  And that meant only one thing - we just HAD to take the opportunity to dance and sing on the road that is usually swarming with trucks, buses and cars, and grab the chance to do something that would normally be impossible:

How often would you get to do THAT on one of Australia's busiest highways?

Again, thankyou to everyone who offered their support; I cannot tell you how much it meant to know that my friends and family were thinking of us, and to know we were not alone. And thankyou, too, to those who contacted us with offers of accommodation – we may have been in NSW for only a short time, but it’s wonderful to know that we are already making friends who are quick to ensure our family is ok, and who were more than willing to offer us all a bed. No doubt there will be similar times in the years to come, but they say this was the worst flood that Ulmarra has ever experienced, so hopefully, the next flood is a little less dramatic!  It’s certainly been an interesting welcome to NSW, that is for sure.  Mind you, my friend in Grafton tells me I still have one more thing to experience – flood mud!  Apparently, the stench is something we still have to ‘look forward’ to over the coming days.  Lovely!

God bless,

Linda.

So yes, the River Certainly Does 'Run'!

The past 24 hours has seen the Clarence River (out our back door) rise, and rise, and rise - until it has now come over the levee.

On January 3, the section at the bottom of the levee looked like this:

Yesterday, we watched as the river rose up and up, and eventually covered those trees completely:

Today, it is right at the top of the levee - and now, the river is just 12 paces from our back door:

Out the side of our house, it is flowing over the levee, and down to the highway:

We now pretty much live on an island!  As one person said, we currently have the 'Clarence River' out the back, and the 'Pacific River' out the front!  Sandbags are in place, and we currently are waiting to see if the river has peaked, or if it will continue to rise. I just got a message from my friend in Grafton sayting it 'ain't finished yet'! so we shall see. The river is currently reported to be at 6.02 metres - and our levee is 6.00 metres.

And, it is moving fast - the speed at which is is flowing by our back door is amazing - I admit, I've been most amused to see  the poor little ducks go racing by, often facing backwards, quacking at the top of their lungs! 

The main concern has been the speed of the water, and the waves - it's been simply amazing to witness just how high the waves have been.  We have been on evacuation alert since yesterday - and still may need to leave yet;  time will tell.


Thankyou to all who have phoned, emailed and left messages - we have sure appreciated it, and it's wonderful to know that so many are thinking of us.  We're simply unable to get back to you all, but thankyou so much!  For now, we are fine - but watching very carefully.  No doubt, though, I'll have more blog posts to do in the coming days!

God bless,

Bill and Linda.

Blogs and Spelling Mistakes

Anyone feel this way when you read a post full of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes?

Have a great Friday!

Linda.

Campion Summer School - Sydney

Last week, our son attended Summer School at Campion College in Sydney.

Well, he had an absolute ball!  He hasn't stopped talking about it since his return, and it's been wonderful to hear so much about his time away, and about Campion.

There were many activities during the week, including a game of soccer on the beach, a walk through the blue mountains, and a ballroom evening.  There were also training sessions in trust, group activities, and of course, time spent in the classroom with lectures on Latin, Leadership, and Essay Writing.

 

 

 

 

 

I have heard a little rumour that our Daniel went to great lengths to dress up for Ballroom Night, inspiring his mates to do the same.  He headed off to his room wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and emerged a little while later in black pants and a white shirt.  He even asked one of the lecturers if he could borrow a tie!  When the guys asked why, he replied simply, 'Well, it IS Ballroom Night!'  I tell you, that boy is sooo much like his father, it's scary!

He has also been busy telling us many of the 'funny moments' during the camp, such as the several times when someone would walk past him and look at his name tag (which of course said 'Daniel').  Daniel would smile and say something like, 'Yes, my name is Daniel, not Frank'.  And the person would look very confused, nod, and keep walking.....   And of course, Daniel made great use of the opportunity to show off his voice, singing every song that was suggested to him, including Whitney Houston's, 'I will always love you' - IN his high voice, of course.  I hear they were quite impressed with his versatility!

From a homeschool mum's point of view, probably the most exciting part was hearing about the classroom lessons.  What thrilled me most was hearing about Latin, Leadership, and, of course, Essay Writing.

Firstly, Latin.  Daniel was keen to let me know that all those Latin lessons would certainly not be wasted at Campion.  We had covered most of what was put up on the board, however, there is a point to hearing these things explained a different way, and from a different person.  Several concepts that Daniel never quite grasped suddenly became clear, and things clicked into place.  Although it was the same material, it suddenly all made sense, and Daniel came away from Campion with a much greater understanding of the Latin Language.

Next, Leadership Presentation.  Some of the time at Campion was devoted to the students preparing and presenting a speech to the class.  Daniel, because he had completed Speech Boot Camp, found himself very well prepared, and more than ready to tackle the task.  I guess he always was confident in front of a group, but he commented to me that Speech Boot Camp was certainly a great preparation for this activity.  And I hear that several of the presentations were most entertaining!

And finally, my favourite, Essay Writing.  I was absolutely delighted to hear all about this session!  The lecturer explained to the students how to write an essay, and it turns out that their suggestions allign very well with the 'Institute for Excellence in Writing' programme.  The 5-paragraph essay was discussed, which included three topics, and an introduction and a conclusion - exactly what we teach with IEW. The big difference Daniel noticed was the length of the paragraphs - the lecturer in charge suggested that all paragraphs be about a page long.  Too long, in my opinion, but a big part of the IEW course as taught in our 'Advanced Communication Series' , is how to write in accordance with the requirements of a particular college or lecturer. Once again, Daniel found himself very well prepared, and ready to research and write whatever essays were expected of him.

It's amazing how many hours we homeschool mums spend researching and preparing curricula, and hoping that we have made the right choices for our children.  I simply cannot put into words how absolutely thrilled I am to learn that in these three areas our choices have well prepared our son (and any daughters who may wish to attend in the future) for Campion.

Daniel returned home excited, full of life, and of course, in touch with a bunch of new friends.  He seriously considered signing up and heading off to Sydney this year, however, he is also very much looking forward to his TAFE course and singing lessons, both of which he had already committed to for 2013.  So, he's decided to stay here for the time, and make the most of the opportunities that are right here at home.  Campion, though, will be something he will most certainly think about for next year.

Considering that our son wasn't even that interested in Summer School, I'm so glad we made the decision to send him along - it's given him much food for thought, and I feel it will open many doors for him in the years to come.  I'd highly recommend it to anyone!

Linda.

Friday's Encouraging Expressions

So what exactly is normal, anyhow?

Have a great Friday!

Linda.

Curriculum Planning = DONE (We hope)!

So, I think have the whole 'planning' thing under control! 

Here's our plans for the four children who will be homeschooling full-time.  Our 18 year old and 17 year old will be attending TAFE, but still have a few things to finish up here as well - such as our 'Lord of the Rings' literacy curriculum and the Apologetics Course.

For the rest, though, here is 'The Plan':

COURSE OF STUDY

Name of Student:  Margaret Maher_(Aged 15)

Year:  ___2013_____

Subject	Books and Materials
English*	English for Australian Schools Book 1 Essential Spelling List Australian History-Based Writing Lessons Literacy Lessons with Lord of the Rings Drama Group  --   Reading List DLP Through Poetry Memorization + My Country
Mathematics*	Life of Fred:  Beginning Algebra
Science*	Apologia Physical Science
Human Society and It’s Environment*	Weather and Climate Australia, Land of the Rainbow Gold Australian History in Films
Languages*	Latina Christiana Book 1
Technical and Applied Studies*	Pure and Simple Sewing Digital Art
Creative Arts*	Piano Lessons,  Sewing, Digital Art The Wonderful Art of Drawing Horses How Great Thou Art Book 1 Drama Group,  Sing Australia
Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education*	Home Economics Course (Alpha-Omega) Youth Group, Homeschool  Group Sports Days, Trampoline, Swimming
Logic	The Fallacy Detective The Thinking Toolbox
Religion	Introduction to Catholicism Beginning Apologetics

COURSE OF STUDY

Name of Student:  Emily Maher  (Aged 14)_

Year:  ___2013_____

Subject	Books and Materials
English*	Growing with Grammar 5 SPA Spelling, then The Phonetic Zoo Ancient History-Based Writing Lessons Drama Group  --   Reading List Read Aloud – Wide Range Readers DLP Through Poetry Memorization + My Country
Mathematics*	Signpost 6 /  Teaching Textbooks Pre-Algebra Calculadder Drill
Science*	Apologia General Science
Human Society and It’s Environment*	Famous Men of Rome / Greece + Greek Myths Australia, The Wide Brown Land for Me! Australian Geography, Mapping Skills
Languages*	Latina Christiana Book 1
Technical and Applied Studies*	Logo Adventures Typing Tutor Deluxe
Creative Arts*	Flute Lessons, Sing Australia, Drama Group The Wonderful Art of Drawing Horses Lamb’s Book of Art Stories of the Great Composers
Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education*	Youth Group, Homeschool Group, Incl. Sports Days, Trampoline, Swimming
Logic	Building Thinking Skills
Religion	Golden Children’s Bible Faith Folders:  Apostles Creed,  Gifts of the Holy Spirit

COURSE OF STUDY

Name of Student:  _Lizzie Maher _(Aged 12)__

Year:  _2013___________

Subject	Books and Materials
English*	Growing with Grammar SPA Spelling then The Phonetic Zoo Ancient History-Based Writing Lessons Reading / Novels (see List) Read Aloud – Wide Range Readers DLP Through Poetry Memorization + My Country
Mathematics*	Signpost Maths 5 / 6 Calculadder
Science and Technology*	Science in the Creation Week NOEO Science – Chemistry
Human Society and It’s Environment*	Famous Men of Rome and Greece + Greek Myths Australia, The Wide Brown Land for Me! Australian Geography and Map Skills
Languages	Latina Christiana 1
Technical and Applied Studies*	Logo Adventures Typing Tutor Deluxe
Creative and Practical Arts*	Trumpet Lessons, Sing Australia, Drama Group Artistic Pursuits Book 1, Lamb’s Book of Art Stories of the Great Composers Child-Size Masterpieces
Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education*	Youth Group, Homeschool Group,  incl.  Sports Days Swimming, Trampoline, Fishing
Logic	Building Thinking Skills
Religion	Golden Children’s Bible Faith Folders:  Apostles Creed,  Gifts of the Holy Spirit

COURSE OF STUDY

Name of Student:  _Aimee Maher  (Aged 10)_

Year:  ___2013____

Subject	Books and Materials
English*	Growing with Grammar SPA Spelling then The Phonetic Zoo Ancient History-Based Writing Lessons Reading / Novels (see List) Read Aloud – Endeavour Readers DLP  Through Poetry Memorization + My Country
Mathematics*	Signpost Maths 4 Calculadder
Science and Technology*	Science in the Creation Week NOEO Science – Chemistry
Human Society and It’s Environment*	Famous Men of Rome and Greece + Greek Myths Australia, The Wide Brown Land for Me! Australian Geography and Map Skills
Languages	Latina Christiana 1
Technical and Applied Studies*	Logo Adventures Typing Tutor Deluxe
Creative and Practical Arts*	Piano Lessons, Sing Australia, Drama Group Artistic Pursuits Book 1, Lamb’s Book of Art Stories of the Great Composers Child-Size Masterpieces
Personal Development, Health, and Physical Education*	Youth Group, Homeschool Group,  incl.  Sports Days Swimming, Trampoline, Fishing
Logic	Building Thinking Skills
Religion	Golden Children’s Bible Faith Folders:  Apostles Creed,  Gifts of the Holy Spirit

As always, it's flexible, and there will be things we plan to do that we don't, and other things that we will add that aren't on my original list - but, we have a plan!

God bless,

Linda.

A Birthday Celebration

On Saturday, it was my birthday - the first one I would celebrate in our new home.

The day was so, so busy!  A never-ending stream of phone calls, messages and emails kept me well and truly occupied - and I was definitely 'feeling the love'!  Thankyou so much to all who sent me birthday wishes; your kind words and messages were very much appreciated - I love you guys!

In the evening, we had a few friends over for dinner, some games, and of course, the cake.

We decided to be super-slack, and order pizza for dinner:

Then, it was time for a very 'serious' game of poker:

Some ended up very happy - while others - not so much....

 

As well as poker, the Air Hockey Table was running hot, as was the Wii machine, and there were quite a few successful challenges on Song Pop, too!

Then it was time for the cake:

 

OK - Let's try that again.......

All in all, it was a marvellous day, and an evening filled with lots of laughter and fun.

Thankyou to everyone who remembered, and helped make my day so special!

Linda.

Here's One for all the Writers Out There.....

OK Homeschool Mums.  Tell me if these make you cringe......

Have a great day!

Linda.

Feeling Sad?

Good friends will never part - always, you are in my heart.

May God bless you on your journey, and may you always find peace, joy, strength, and happiness.


Have a wonderful Friday!  


Linda.

What If.....

Linda.

Fishing on the River

They say that life is all about new experiences - well, I have certainly had one of those this past week! 

For the first time in my life, I went fishing - and what's more, it was right in my own backyard.

My son had been fishing before, so he knew a little about the whole thing, but fortunately, we had another couple of friends around who also knew bits 'n pieces, and together, we soon had the fishing poles out, ready, and cast into the water.

Before long, the guys were reeling them in:

  

Including this catch by our own Daniel (an eel!):

 

 

Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of great fish to find in our river, and the day mainly consisted of pulling in  catfish.  I took a while to be able to cast the line out correctly, and hadn't caught a thing, but finally, I felt that 'tug', and was most excited to discover I was pulling something in!  It turned out to be an eel.  The guys stepped into help:

 

and we sent the poor creature back the watery depths.

Even the girls had a go:

 

 

 

 

The catch of the day was brought in by our friend from across the river:

 

Yep, it was a catfish, but one of a very decent size!  Even though some had said that catfish were no good for eating, we decided we'd give this one a try.  The poor thing was soon gutted and diced, and later in the day, Daniel cooked it up - there wasn't much of it, but it actually didn't tast too bad at all.

So there you go - another activity to chalk up in the 'yep, I've done that!' category - fishing! 

Linda.