Thanksgiving 2020
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Pretty much always has been, because, well… FOOD. I love the food. I love the deep fried turkey, I love the dressing (which I call stuffing even though it’s never stuffed in anything because you don’t stuff that which you deep fry), my cranberry sauce (which is apparently somewhat unique and more of a salsa or relish, a blend of: wholeberry cranberry, cranberry sauce, orange marmalade, apple cider vinegar, chopped onion, chopped cilantro, chopped jalapeño, and a sprinkle of orange peel). For dessert, I prefer my marble pumpkin cheesecake over pumpkin pie, some years I’ve made Pumpkin Rolls — another bite of perfection. And I’ve always loved that above all, Thanksgiving is about being thankful to God for what we already have and the burden of gifts are not involved.
This year, our history studies coincided perfectly with the holiday: We studied William Bradford, the Mayflower, and the Pilgrims.
William Bradford: Pilgrim Boy by Bradford Smith is a gentle middle grade chapter book that tells the story of the Puritan governor William Bradford. From his childhood with his grandfather, through his schooling, to Holland, and across the sea to lead a new colony to religious freedom. Understanding his story helps flesh out understanding for King James, the King James Bible, British politics, and early America. Without knowing William Bradford, do you really know what the Pilgrims were thankful for?
During the weeks I read this aloud, Kiddo was reading a book called Pilgrim Stories by Margaret Pumphrey, published by Beautiful Feet. We caught one error in the book, at the beginning the writers seem to be confused about Mary Tudor and Mary Stuart. We revisited our Rhyming History of Britain and memorized a few stanzas to ensure Kiddo didn’t remember the wrong information. It helped to clarify how James VI of Scotland became James I of England. Memorizing rhymes is one of our favorite activities (so much so that we spent November 5th celebrating Guy Fawkes Day memorizing the infamous poem… Remember, remember the fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot…).
I read The Landing of the Pilgrims as a child, I really love the old Landmark Books and make a point of collecting them, and this was another one I made Kiddo read on her own this time. I find at this age when I can assign independent reading, instead of me reading out loud less, we just cover twice as many books per topic.
My husband read The Adventures of Myles Standish out loud and we both marveled over the beauty of the timeline across the bottom of Harness’s lovely biography (so much so, we started stocking up on other biographies in the same series for the future).
P.J. Lynch’s The Boy Who Fell Off the Mayflower might be one of my all time favorite Thanksgiving books. The illustrations are simply beyond gorgeous and take my breath away. Lewis Buzbee talks about children’s picture books in The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop and how they’re meant to be read over and over again, by children and adults alike… this is one of those books, a perfect work of art I am pleased to own and revisit. I paid full price for it (something I rarely do, as the majority of my books are bought used), and have no regrets.
Thanksgiving Day, Kiddo insisted on dressing like a Wampanoag child. She was very disappointed that not a single article of clothing her dress up basket included authentic Wampanoag attire. Instead she’s wrapped in a touristy Navajo blanket sent to us for our donations to some reservation school or another. (My mother spent much of her childhood near the Navajo and they are the one tribe we feel a familial attachment to despite a lack of native blood. I grew up singing bible school songs in Navajo, as she was taught.) I know some in the world would consider this cultural appropriation at the worst or at best possibly roll their eyes at us, but we study these things and she dresses up out of the highest level of respect, empathy, and intrigue. This is childhood, children learn through stories and play.
By afternoon, she’d shed half her costume and settled into the life of Squanto while I read the Mayflower Papers over dessert.
Education is a lifetime pursuit and I’m thankful for the opportunity to share my love of learning through the discipleship of homeschooling.
Spelling V
Title: Spelling V
Author: Meb Bryant
Format: Kindle
I finally found a cover for my kindle – one that fits, one that I like. It’s a little brown leather ditty with quotes embossed in ink-black cursive. Finally, it has the feel of a book rather than a device; something I can set down and not tuck away in the box it was shipped to me from Amazon.
I bought the cover at Half Price Books last night. First thing this morning I charged my kindle and chose what book to tackle first.
Then I remembered Meb Bryant.
“She had an orange belt in karate… he had a leather belt in the loops of his jeans.” I read that and snickered. Good one, Meb.
Bryant is clever and has a way of writing something shocking with prose that urges you to continue to read something horrific and not be shocked. Think Nabakov writing Lolita – except with stories Bentley Little would be proud of. The only way Spelling V could be more disturbing is if Bryant had lingered over the story for a few hundred pages.
Bryant artfully maps out the lifetime of a control freak, a codependent, and psychopath, and it’s pretty darn riveting. I especially love that one of the characters reads Bryant’s novel Harbinger of Evil. I’m a huge sucker for when authors do this. I like the idea of one interconnected world within an authors fantasies.
Give the best holiday gift this season: buy yourself a short story to read in between holiday meals and excitement and leave a review. You deserve a break and indie authors thrive on reviews.
The Snail and the Whale
I used to do a Weekly Low Down on Kids Books. Well, I used to pretend to do them, and really they were haphazard and sporadic at best, but sort of happened a few times a month at least.
I’m back. I’m back with a mission to share all the marvelous books we’ve been reading. Because, well, we have been reading more than we’ve let on. I know, our silence is stifling.
Title: The Snail and the Whale
Author:Julia Donaldson
Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
I bought The Snail and the Whale on impulse. I’ve been trying to do less of that lately, but it was too darn cute and the kiddo had been working on a snail painting. Plus, I was feeling a little bit guilty over keeping Christmas as sparse as I was.
A few new picture books seemed a good addition to a Jake and the Neverland Pirate lego set (the third set to polish off the Jake collection); but we purposely are trying to keep Christmas gifting simple… “What you want, what you need, what you’ll wear, and what you’ll read.” Accumulatively, we’d like for her to get no more than 4 presents from each category once all the grandparents have pitched in. Ideally I’d keep it to four items total, but I’m practical and I know the family members won’t let that fly.
So she got the rest of her desired lego collection, a Frozen tiara and tambourine, socks, new boots, and a handful of new picture books. There were some stocking stuffers and some other odds and ends – a geode science project for her school work, new paints, a painting apron, some canvases – and they were given to her in waves, not all at once on Christmas day. It gave her time to enjoy each gift before getting overwhelmed with another. We enjoyed it. She was spoiled without being spoiled. It felt like a nice simple holiday, yet kiddo managed to get everything she’d asked for.
Although The Snail and the Whale feels like a summer book – crossing oceans, travelling the world, visiting islands – we were excited to read it while cozied up in blankets and pjs. I can’t wait to read it to her at the beach once it warms up, though.
Working on her Snail painting, which has an actual shell glued to the canvas.
After reading this book for the second or third time, I finally asked kiddo, “So what are your thoughts?”
Kiddo, age four, says, “Other kids should read it, that’s my thought! But how about we put it where people can’t find it. So no one can tear it up.”
I think she was missing the point of the conversation. We started talking about the illustrations and what she thought. She likes the pictures, but thinks they got the font “mixed up.” I think the font is appropriately cute, but she’s learning to read and I think some of the swirly snail words were hard for her to recognize.
The book, however, is wonderful. The rhymes are fun, the pictures are fun. It’s all about adventure, having courage, and taking care of your friends. It’s definitely a great gift book for any little one, no matter what season.
Oh The Holidays of April…
4-20, Easter Sunday, Resurrection Sunday, Spring Equinox, Earth Day (on the 22nd)… so many things to celebrate. Today, we hid from them all and took to the woods after doing some spring cleaning and moving of furniture.
So as we practiced the catechism (“Who made you?” “God made me.” “What else did God make?” “All things.” And so on), we gathered wildflowers in an ‘Easter’ basket and frolicked in the sunshine.
It looked a bit like this:
This time in the woods was refreshing, as always. And much needed after the exciting week we had. All day yesterday I was out celebrating Earth Day with S. Smith on her last day in Houston, while kiddo was with her Grandmom dyeing Easter eggs (a tradition I can only get behind because I love eating hard boiled eggs).
Below are pictures from the Earth Day Celebration Seed Savers Signings at HPB Humble and then HPB Montrose.
There’s more celebrating to be had. S.Smith will be touring San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas before she heads back to Oregon; and HPB Humble will be giving away reusable bags to the first 25 customers Tuesday morning. Next Saturday (HPB Humble) there will also be a seed
Book Coma
I’ve been a slacker these last few weeks. At least it feels that way. I am behind on my reading – but when am I not? My house is not nearly as clean as I would like it to be – since when is this news? And I’ve been doing an awful lot of just ‘hanging out.’
Just thinking about the act of doing nothing makes me cringe sometimes. I’m a doer. Albeit a relaxed doer, but a doer nonetheless.
Then, I realized, it’s family season. I’m supposed to be hanging out. Thanksgiving just passed. It’s almost Christmas.
Plus, sometimes the reading bug is in a coma because it’s still caught up in the last book you read.
You know that one, “the book hangover.” You can’t move on to a new title with the same level of zest because your brain keeps lulling back to old characters. I felt that way pretty heavily after I finished reading The Hunger Games series in a two-to-three day stint. And now, I have half a mind to re-read the book that has induced this coma… Heirloom by S.Smith.
It is not uncommon to find me looking something like this… and my house does look something like that.
How appropriate that in this season of friends and family, Heirloom has such a gloriously familial title.
There’s just nothing more appropriate in the holiday season than a search for a missing father. Questions that rise up in every little girl’s heart, whether her father is present or missing are subtly addressed in Smith’s book as Lily asks, “Do you think my father will like me?”
Of course, another character responds, you’re his daughter so he loves you.
Little girls just can’t hear that enough.
Then as Lily finally (*spoilers*) makes her way home, I just want to bask in the hominess of it all. I’ve been lurking around in a Seed Savers hominess fog for weeks. In my impatience I want to scream, “When do I get a copy of Keeper!?”
My only response is the last page of Heirloom, “Keeper, Coming in 2014.”
2014 cannot get here fast enough.
If you haven’t purchased your copy of Seed Savers: Heirloom
Happy Homey Holidays
I am currently reading A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg, I thought it would be a nice holiday book that has nothing to do with the holidays. Instead, it’s about the warmth of family and the joys of a well-used kitchen. However, I’m not very far into it, and that’s not really what this post is about.
I adore homey, cozy things. A thick homemade quilt, a pie, a dog, a cup of coffee, a good book (like the one mentioned above), these are all things that make my home feel like the kind of home I want people to remember. A big part of my home, too, is Scentsy.
I adore Scentsy mostly because candles got way too expensive for how quickly I go through them, and a wickless candle lasts much, much longer. There’s all the familiar smells: Hazelnut Latte, Baked Apple Pie, the usual suspects in my candle purchases, but instead of a $5 candle that lasts a few days, I can get a $5 bar of wax that lasts months.
I’m sharing this with you for several reasons:
1. It has truly helped me maintain an affordable good smelling home. Glade plugins and candles were becoming way too much in this economy, and my house smelling good is too high of a priority (for me with 3 dogs and a kid) to just stop buying those kinds of things that help me feel relaxed. Although those old school gel cones from Wally World are awesome, I also like being able to have my things out in sight of visitors, something that produces ambiance.
2. It is Christmas and they make great gifts. Order online and get it shipped straight to the intended person.
3. Money is much tighter than usual, and being a stay at home Mom/ part time Event Coordinator/ Writer/ Scentsy Consultant /Kung Fu Instructor without a solid and dependable source of income of my own, I could really use the cash. Ha! There, I said it, this post is in part a ploy to get you to open your wallet.
So all pride aside, I present in a link My Scentsy Site and offer a heartfelt thank you to my followers for reading my blog, whether you are a Scentsy shopper or not, I truly appreciate you all and hope you’ll forgive my groveling.
Cyber Monday
If you plan to do your Holiday Shopping at Amazon.com, I would appreciate it if you would kindly Click Here.
If Scentsy products are on your list of needs or wants, please shop: https://akklemm.scentsy.us/Scentsy/Home
Dickens on the Strand is Coming Up!
Do you have tickets yet? If not, win some at Half Price Books in Humble!
Falling Back with Scentsy
It is a bit silly that during the time of the year when money is the tightest for my family, I feel highly unmotivated to push my Scentsy products. Mostly because I have few summer scents that inspire me. Just Breathe is heavenly and Pixie and Cerise are both a bit like crack in that you start sniffing them and you just can’t stop. But for the rest, eh, they aren’t my cup of tea.
Fall and Winter on the other hand is divine. So divine, in fact, that before last year’s Fall/Winter catalogue expired, I found myself stocking up on Honey Pear Cider bars and Cozy Fireside room sprays. As my best friend will tell you, ‘the house always smells like cinnamon and food.’
Well, now they are back. Caramel Pear Crisp, Clove and Cinnamon, Cinnamon Pear. Check out the catalog: https://akklemm.scentsy.us/Scentsy/Browse
I am a little sad that last year’s December Scent of the Month did not return (Comfort and Joy), I uncharacteristically adored it and warmed in 24-7 until I was all out. For some reason a lot of people thought it smelled like soap. I thought it smelled like a clean Christmas morning.
With or Without Comfort and Joy this season, know that the Scentsy pairings will be back for fall. I’ve been warming Weathered Leather for almost every book I’ve read this summer, but it will soon change! Expect to know what smells are tickling my nose.
Reason for the Season?
I’m not a big fan of Christmas. I hate the consumerism, I hate the blow up creepy Santa Clause’s in people’s yards. Oh, also, I’m a Christian. That being said,
Nothing chaps my hide more than hearing fellow Christians tell me: “Remember the reason for the season!”
The reason for the season, if they looked a bit closer into history was to help aid in the conversion of pagans who already celebrated December 25th, Yule, Mother’s Night, Winter Solstice (whatever you wish to call it) with carnivals, gifts, food, and lots of hooplala. The theory was to keep the month of partying and give the holiday Christian symbolism so that they would not feel such a loss of fun when they converted.
For instance, mistletoe was a plant collected by Druids to ward off witch craft and protect the carrier, pretty much an all around healer. Now, we use it as an excuse to kiss people in doorways. Either way, it has nothing to do with Christianity and everything to do with “Christmas” or Winter Solstice Celebrations.
Now, with all that being said, I don’t mind that Christians today use it to celebrate the birth of Christ. I think the birth of Christ should be celebrated. But don’t tell me to remember the reason for the season when the season existed long before this particular reason. If you want to celebrate the birth of Christ without the consumerism and drunken partying – don’t overlap it on a holiday that was created thousands of years ago for that exact purpose. Pick a different day and celebrate it with all your reasons in tact and no distractions.
Anakalian Whims 