Melissa Wiley's Blog, page 196

If You Plant It, They Will Come

There’s a monarch on our milkweed.

There’s a monarch on our milkweed!

You know how happy that makes me, right?

Here she is (not on the milkweed):

Welcome, little dear. Invite your friends!

Godmothers: Do I Know How to Pick ’Em, Or What?

Last year, Beanie’s godmother wrote this beautiful book.

This year, Huck’s godmother wrote this one.

When I first met Karen Edmisten nearly ten years ago on a homeschooling discussion list, I was struck by her cheerfulness, her good sense, her steadfast and intelligent faith, her warmth, her generosity of heart and spirit. Later, when we finally got to spend time together in person, I saw that those qualities which had shone forth from her writing were radiant in the offscreen woman as well. Both

Because It’s All About the Silhouette

Beanie: “I despise those big fancy guns, don’t you? They’re so bulky. A little cowgirl pistol is much nicer.”

Little House News (Not About Books)

The Wisconsin Historical Society has published some Civil War-era letters written by members of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s family, including one by Caroline Quiner Ingalls (Laura’s mother) to her sister Martha (who was named after “my” Martha, Laura’s great-grandmother).

I haven’t had a chance to read the letters yet—just got the announcement—but it sounds like at least one of them mentions Charlotte, Laura’s grandmother. This batch of letters wasn’t among the family archive material the Laura Ingall

From the Archives: Strawberries

The giant strawberry display in Henry’s this morning reminded me of this post I wrote in February, 2006, back when we lived in Virginia instead of strawberry country. Strawberries here in San Diego are plentiful and cheap months before they hit the Virginia farmers’ markets, but I still get excited when I see them piled in the produce section under a big sale sign.

I wonder if the people who bought our house when we moved left the backyard berries in place?

I have berries on the brain.

Have you se

Now Our Turn to Share

Jane really appreciates the great optical illusions and Escher-art book suggestions. She has added more than a few promising titles to her birthday wish list, so perhaps we’ll have some reviews to share in the months ahead. In the meantime, here’s a nifty YouTube clip we found. Jane was looking for help in drawing “impossible shapes”; I didn’t know what she meant until she showed me pictures in the Harold Jacobs Mathematics book. (Highly recommended, by the way—we have never used the Jacobs book

Interlopers

Did you notice the bee had some company in that last photo? I didn’t, until I looked closely at the next one. Nasty little sapsucking beasties. And yet—they’re rather lovely, aren’t they, all rosy in the morning light?

Fairy Dust

Jane Has a Request

She would like a good book on optical illusions, possibly with instructions for how to draw some of the trickier ones. Escher staircases, that kind of thing. Geometric patterns that mess with your head. Got any favorites?

That IS a Ploblem

Disgruntled 3-year-old reporting on her big brother: “Mommy, he keeps telling me to knock it off! The ploblem is, I don’t want to knock it off.”