Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival

Today, be sure to hop over

and enjoy the newest edition of the

Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival.

Multitude Monday: One Thousand Gifts

681.  Girls + friends + sleepover = Lots of Giggles and Smiles.

682.  Dear friend coming to check on our injured horse.

683.  Successful last horse show of the season for SVHC.

683.  Volunteering for 4H Fundraising.

684.  Rain.

685.  Bareback pads for comfy riding.

686.  Herd order sorted out – peace prevailing.

687.  Soft eyes, two ears up – happy horses.

688.  Friend’s recommendation for Dr. S (vet) as our vet is away.

689.  Dr. K.S.’s visit for Applejack’s eye – lots of meds, and a hopeful prognosis.

690.  Dumma’s surprise weekend visit.

691.  Watching my mom smile while hanging out with Button.

692.  Hearing my mom say “Yes, MY little pony.”  She loves her Button.

693.  Cherub 2 napping on Applejack’s back – a beautiful bond has begun.

694.  Smiling Cherubs while learning to work with our horses.

695.  Fall cleaning completed ahead of schedule.

696.  Polar Bear Play Time (our 2 Great Pyrs playing together)

697.  We are “in the swing” of our school routine now.

698.  Fun camping trip with Scouts for DadToCherubs and the boys.

699.  Protection of L.E. (dirt bike accident, hospital, minimal injuries, home resting).

700.  Freezer stocked with farm-raised beef.

701.  Basket filled with  fresh apples.

702.  Orchard Grass Hay – loving the soft scent !!

703.  Homemade bread baking – is there anything that smells better ?

704.  Coffee in the morning.

705.  The fall colors are b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l.

706.  Acorns, chestnuts, pecans --- pockets full of fall.

707.  Local fields and haying time.

708.  Nearing the end of lawnmowing season.

709.  Enzamatic Therapy’s Beef Liver Extract.

710.  Our new Homeschool Group.

711.  It’s almost Election Day.

712.  Aloe plant on the window sill.

713.  Sweet, silly cats … laughing Cherubs who love them dearly.

714.  The honor of praying for our vet (Dr. M) who is in Africa, serving Our Lord.

715.  Applejack’s eye seems to be improving, bringing great comfort to Cherub 2.

For more information about the Gratitude Community, visit Ann Voskamp's A Holy Experience.

A Bit Of Creativity

... or perhaps an over-abundance of it ....

is that even possible ?!?!

Wilson, the Hand Puppet

Great job Cherub 2 .... 

and, errrrr, Wilson.

URGENT: Calling All Prayer Warriors

This is an urgent, very special request
for friends of family friends ...
who are in need of prayer ... are crying out. 
Please read The Matthews Story ...
and pray for little Ezra, for his precious family,
for the doctors and professionals involved in his care,
and most of all for his health as he fights for his life.

Nature Study Via Feline

Our resident Bad Boys, Sylvie and Sandy (6 month old red tabby kittens) captured a "friend" today ... and they enjoyed playing with him so much that he died.  Yuck.

NOTICE:  When we found the Bad Boys and their "friend", he had long since expired - so we weren't able to "save" him.  And he received a proper burial after this photo was snapped, much to the dismay of our Bad Boys.

Now really ....
what good homeschool Mom can pass up

an Educational Moment like this ?

Well, probably many.  But not me !!
At least not this time.

Their "friend" was a Mole.  We knew they existed, and have seen their tunnels near the woods, but because they live underground we had never actually seen a mole.  We find Voles all the time which are mouse-sized or smaller, care of the 6 felines who live here, but never before a Mole.

So -- upon further study, we discovered that he was an Eastern Mole.

He was approximately 5" long, and according to our nature guide they can range from 4 1/2" - 6 1/2" in length in our area (and even bigger elsewhere !).  They are solitary creatures who live almost all of their lives under ground.

Look at those fantastic front feet, specifically designed to dig up to 18 feet in a single day (WOW !) ... and to move more than 32x their body weight in soil at a time.  WOW !!

I know .... ewwwwwwwwwww .... gross.  But I couldn't resist .... I might never see one ever again (as I am inclined to live above ground) .... and thought perhaps other's hadn't seen one before either.

Carpe Diem.

Sunny's Shower

Horse'n Around

On Saturday we FINALLY had almost a whole

day at home.  And the bareback pads we'd

ordered arrived ....

No one had been riding since

Applejack and Button arrived.

We'd been giving all 4 horses a chance

to settle ... to sort our their herd order ...

and have been "bonding"

with Applejack and Button.

So yesterday afternoon, Cherub 2

and Cherub 5

got our the bridles and the new

bareback pads ....

and took their first rides

on the new horses.

Cherub 5 rode Button.

And Cherub 2 rode Applejack first,

and then took a few spins on

Button.

 

Cinnamon and Sunny watched ...

and got lots of pets and love.

Everyone had a great time.

(photos taken with my phone, because

I totally forget to bring my camera

out to the pasture.  Ugggg.)

CM Blog Carnival

The newest edition of the

Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival

was posted.

Enjoy.

Multitude Monday: One Thousand Gifts

To learn more about, or to join, the Gratitude Community, visit here.

646.  Crockpot of beef stew.

647.  Homemade bread; Cherub 3 is quite a talented baker.

648.  Tractor in the field – and Cherub 6’ smile.  He loves tractors !

649.  Freshly mowed pastures.

650.  Freshly mowed golden fields around town, speckled with round bales.

651.  Math lessons without errors.

652.  Cozy sweaters on chilly mornings.

653.  Stalls of fresh shavings – pine fresh.

654.  Chicken soup IS good for the soul.  And good for dinner too.

655.  Giggles with Cherubs.

656.  Reading Dr. Seuss …again.  Those stories never lose their “magic”.

657.  Great weekend for camping – crisp, cool, but not cold.  And no rain.

658.  Three boys (and DadToCherubs) who had a grand time at the Camporee.

659.  Texting helps my memory.  HA !

660.  Deep conversations with our teens; their perspectives, their dreams.

661.  Herbal teas to soothe Cherub’s fall allergies.

662.  Cluck cluck of chickens roaming about.

663.  Laundry is eternal – but is, for now, caught up again.

664.  Exchanging flip flops for boots, shorts for jeans, t-shirts for sweaters.

665.  Apologia’s Astronomy with our 3 younger Cherubs.

666.  Autumn’s wildflowers – ironweed, goldenrod.  How lovely.

667.  Hauling a horse trailer to Crossville to pick up horses; no issues.

668.  Picking up Applejack and Button, to bring them home.

669.  Standing by, watching, as Cinnamon and Applejack sort things out.

670.  Watching as Cherub 2 enters the field, and Applejack comes to her side.

671.  Brushing “our” new horses – bonding time.

672.  Morning winnies from Sunny in the barn – Good Morning, she says.

673.  Peppermint tea before bedtime

674.  We’re never too old for bedtime stories.  Right now we’re reading Misty of Chincoteague (Marguerite Henry).

675.  Watching Cherub 1 sink into his studies with joy – Oceanography, Ecology, Natural Science.

676.  Cherub 6’s excitement as he heads to Boxing lessons.

677.  Bella’s new haircut  - clean and fresh (but might need her coat).

678.  Being loved, honored, cherished by my husband … every day.

679.  Horsemanship lessons … gaining confidence … a trusted teacher to guide.

680.  Alarm clocks on sleepy mornings.