Shell Collecting

We've been collecting shells this week.  The beach is full of them because of the sand replenishment project that occurred recently.  The beach on Long Beach Island , NJ was diminishing and recently sand was taken from the bottom of the ocean in order to add to the beach.  There are cool shells everywhere.  My nephew found 5 sand-dollars which is really unusual.  The rest of us found many small conch shells and snail shells in perfect condition.

Reading Partners

It was so terribly hot yesterday yet the kids ages: 9, 6, 5, 3, and 1.5 were a little wild or shall I say, very energetic: jumping around, running after one another.  It was my first day with the whole troop alone, I'm watching my nephew for a couple of weeks.  He is actually very mellow but my 4 girls can be quite a handful.  Anyway, I puzzled over how I would calm them down without TV. So I said, "Okay, now let's have reading time.  Everyone find a partner."  Amazingly, they all chose a partner, sat down and started to read to one another!!!  They were all suddenly very calm and very engaged in their books: "Where the Sidewalk Ends,"  "Captain Cat" by Syd Hoff, "Daisy says Coo."  It was a wonderful moment.  While they read, I made dinner.

The Princess and the Pea Soup

Last weekend, I illustrated my picture book entitled The Princess and the Pea Soup. It's a retelling of the classic by Hans Christian Andersen. In my version, the princess finds the pea and instead of complaining about her back ache, she plants the pea which becomes a pea plant. She harvests the pea and then makes pea soup which she gives out to the hungry.

In the illustrations were mixed media: watercolor paint, pen and collage. It was incredibly engaging and I hope to do another project soon.

Making art in the presence of children has its challenges though. They always seem to need snacks and of course they want to make art too. So I tried to set them all up with paper, water, brushes and paint. It was the stopping and starting for meals and attempting to keep the house tidy while doing this project that plain wore me out!

Dining at the Lowood School

Charlotte Bronte

I find it so interesting that orphan school girls were given coffee to drink in the novel Jane Eyre.  Little Jane Eyre loved it!  Coffee and bread sure beats burnt porridge, that was her lunch.

Soon after five p.m. we had another meal, consisting of a small mug of coffee, and half-a-slice of brown bread. I devoured my bread and drank my coffee with relish; but I should have been glad of as much more--I was still hungry. Half-an-hour's recreation succeeded, then study; then the glass of water and the piece of oat-cake, prayers, and bed. Such was my first day at Lowood.

Marie Antoinette

Here is a letter that Marie Antoinette wrote to her mother directly after becoming the queen of France after Louis XV died of smallpox May 10, 1774.

CHOISY, May 14, 1774

Madame, my very dear mother:

Count Mercy [the Austrian ambassador to France] has doubtless informed you of the details of our misfortune. Happily his cruel malady left the king fully conscious to the last moment, and his end was very edifying. The new king seems to have gained the heart of the people. Two days before his grandfather's death he had two hundred thousand francs distributed to the poor, which produced a fine effect. Since the late king's death he has worked constantly, and replies with his own hand to the ministers, whom he is not able to see yet, and to many other letters. One thing is certain; he has a taste for economy, and his greatest anxiety is to make his peo ple happy. In short, his eagerness to learn is equal to his need of information, and I trust that God will bless his good will.

The public are looking for many changes just now. But the king has confined himself to sending away that creature to a convent and driving from court all connected with her. The king owed this example to the people of Versailles, who at the time of the catastrophe attacked Madame de Mazarin, one of the most humble domestics of the favorite. I am often urged to preach clemency to the king toward a num ber of corrupt souls who have been up to much evil during the last few years. . . .

They have just come to forbid me to visit my Aunt Ade laide, who has a high fever and pain in her loins ; they fear smallpox. I tremble and dare not think of the consequences. It is terrible for her to pay so speedily for the sacrifice she has made [in nursing the late, king]. I am delighted that Marshal Lascy was pleased with me. I confess, dear mamma, that I was much affected when he took leave of me, as I thought how rarely it happened that I saw people of my own country, particularly those who have the additional happiness of approaching you. . . .

The king has left me, as queen, free to fill the vacant positions in my household. I took pleasure in according a mark of attention to the people of Lorraine by select ing Abbe Sabran as my first almoner [a person chosen to distribute charitable funds], - an upright man of exalted birth and already appointed to the bishopric of Nancy, which has just been created.

Although it pleased God to cause me to be born to the station I occupy to-day, I cannot but wonder at the dispen sation of Providence, who chose me, the youngest of your children, for the finest kingdom of Europe. I feel more than ever all that I owe to the affection of my august mother, who has been at such pains and trouble to secure this beautiful position for me. I have never so longed to be able to throw myself at her feet, kiss her, show her my whole soul, and let her see how it is filled with respect, love, and gratitude. . . .

[The king here adds in his own hand:]

I am very glad to have an opportunity, my dear mamma, to express my love and attachment. I would that I might have your advice in these days which are so full of embar rassment. I should be delighted to be able to satisfy you, and to prove in that way the affection and gratitude that I owe you for granting me your daughter, with whom I could not be better satisfied.

[The queen then closes : ]

The king would not let my letter go without adding a word for himself. I am sensible that he might have been expected to write a letter of his own, but I beg that my dear mamma will excuse him in view of the great number of things he has to occupy him and also a little on account of his natural timidity and shyness. You can see, dear mamma, by what he says at the end, that while he is fond enough of me he does not spoil me with insipid compliments.

I wish I could know what he said!  It's interesting that she refers to him as timid and shy.  Their marriage was not consummated for 7 years because of that shyness.

Carl Orff

Carl Orff who was born in 1895 in Munich started an educational method for children called Schulwerk. It combined music, movement, singing, playing and improvisation.  It was known for its innovative practice of channelling children's natural energy for play and exploration into music.   His instruments are wonderful.  I especially love the xylophones.

He is perhaps most famous for his composition, Carmina Burana, the movement entitled Fortuna.  If the name doesn't sound familiar,  you might recognize it as the very dramatic oratorio from 'Excalibur', 1981.   It also was used in these other films: 'Glory' 1989,  'Hunt for Red October', 1990, 'The Doors', 1991,  'Natural Born killers', 1994,  'The Bachelor', 1999,  'Jackass: the Movie', 2002,  'Cheaper By the Dozen', 2003, 'Epic Movie', 2007,  'G-Force', 2009', The General's Daughter, 1999.  

The first performance of Carmina Burana was in 1937 in Germany.  Hitler loved it!  Yeeeks!  Think of that, the next time you want to put it in your movie or blast it in your car.  It was the signature song Nazis.  Not surprising, as Carmina Burana was actually some lusty and raunchy poetry from the Middle Ages written by the some heretical monks.

Potholder Looms and Loops

Our new interest is making potholders!  Except we won't be using them as potholders. They will be rugs for small stuffed animals.


At the present time, we have a couple of plastic looms but plastic tends to break as we found with our last spool knitter. Soon we will be investing in a wooden loom with notches for our weaving projects.


Potholder looms require loops made of cotton blend cloth. The colors that came with the looms were not particularly pretty so I thought that cutting up old tights might work. And they did. I cut up an old pair of pink tights -- the legs cut horizontally make perfect loops for the looms.

There are no photos of the pink loops (or the rugs) yet.