Make a Homemade Above Ground Swimming Pool

Pages 700-703, St. Nicholas: a monthly magazine for boys and girls, 1915. Modern additions could include Inexpensive pool liner(recycled billboard tarp),an inexpensive portable pump(for drainage),and some pool sanitizer. I wouldn't use treated wood without a liner because of the potential for leaching dangerous chemicals into the water.

We might try this, or purchase a *300 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank.

Here's a complicated design from a 1971 Popular Science magazine. It stacks away.

Lumber can get expensive; however, lumber salvaged from free wooden pallets might be usable for a pool liner frame.

*Hot tub made from 300 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank. This picture really gives a good idea of how roomy these 300 gallon stock tanks are inside. This stock tank can be ordered online at Ace Hardware, and other places. I'd just use mine as a swimming pool.

Recipe: Black Bean, Sausage, and Sweet Potato Soup

What's for dinner tonight:

Black Bean, Sausage, and Sweet Potato Soup
* 5 1/2 cups water
* 1 1/2 cups dry black beans
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
* 2 cups chicken broth
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1 tablespoon water
* 1/4 pound Italian sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
* 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 pound sweet potatoes
* 3 green onions
* salt to taste
* ground black pepper to taste

Rest here.

The Vintage Wedding

 All are free and in public domain . Printable(right click on image of the page) and downloadable.


The Book of Weddings: a Complete Manual of Good Form in All Matters Connected with the Marriage Ceremony, 1907.

The Wedding Day in Literature and Art, 1900

Golden bells ! What a world of happiness their harmony foretells! Through the balmy air of night How they ring out their delight ! From the molten-golden notes, And all in tune, What a liquid ditty floats To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats On the moon!‎ ~ Edgar Allen Poe

Choosing the trousseau, Good Housekeeping, 1916

The wedding dress

Mother's remedies, Manners and Social Customs

Wedding floral designs, 1888

Book of Etiquette,1922, see Table for Contents for wedding sections.

Fashions for Brides, 1904

Wedding cake recipes:

• Good Housekeeping, 1902.
• Table Talk, 1908, white cake
• The Ornamented Wedding Cake,  1912
• Handy household hints and recipes, Old Fashioned Wedding Cake(currant cake), 1916.
• Book of Etiquette, Weddings, 1921
• Plum Cake, or Old-Fashioned Creole Wedding Cake, Gateau de Noce Creole a l'Ancienne
 

The Bride's Dinner, Harper's Bazaar, 1904

Vintage estate gowns for sale(Edwardian period is pictured).Beautiful workmanship, and inexpensive for the superior quality. See here too, in tiny sizes. Women were smaller back then. These are fun to look at, and it's amazing how fast they sell out.

Home Coiffure—The Simple Pompadour—The Divided Pompadour—The Psyche Knot—The Swirl or Turban Coiffure, 1911. History of hair styles followed by directions.

Using a hair rat(ratt) to achieve the Gibson girl look. More here.
Make your own hair rat(ratt).

Frugal Recipe: Cheesy Collard and Cabbage Chicken Casserole

All ingredients are from Save-A-Lot and Dollar General discount stores. I made this up tonight myself, so measurements are approximate:

Cook together in a pan:

One cup shredded(.59 cents a pound) or chopped chicken
A spoonful of minced garlic(jar)
A few shakes of dried onion(spice bottle)
A little seasoned salt(I use Abodo)
A little sweetener such as honey, sugar, O.J., or maple syrup
One small can of diced tomatoes
A jar of mushrooms(drained)
One can of Glory Southern Style Country Cabbage(drained)
1/3 of a bag of frozen collard greens
One cup of shredded Save-A- Lot pizza blend cheese
One cup of homemade chicken stock and a bit of milk(or half a can cream of chicken soup - Caskey's is very inexpensive at Save-A- Lot)

Cook chicken, onion, and garlic first for about 5 minutes on medium heat, then add the remaining ingredients, cook for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Lightly blend pan ingredients with one small box of cooked elbow macaroni (12-16 ounces) into a medium sized casserole dish. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake uncovered for about 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees until top is browned.

This was very tasty, and we'll have this again.

Pool Weather is Here

Wading pool right outside our patio door, enclosed in a screened tent(mosquito country here) from Dollar General.

I put down green patio carpet extending from the back door to the other side of the pool. This keeps it clean of pebbles and dirt from the ground. We've had this set up in the summer for the past three years, and it has gotten a lot of use. Next year we will probably purchase a larger pool. This is hours of  fun at home during the warm weather months.

Free Homeschool Printables: Vintage Mother's Day Literature

Mother's Day is celebrated in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand (and a good number of other countries) on the second Sunday of May.

Flower of Mother's Day: White carnation, poem here


The following are readable, downloadable, and printable. To print pages at links, right click on the image of the page:


Good Stories for Great Holidays(Mother's Day Stories), 1914 :

• The Lark And Its Young Ones: P. V. Ramaswami Raju, Indian Fables 121
• Cornelia's Jewels: James Baldwin, Fifty Famous Stories Retold 122
• Queen Margaret And The Robbers: Albert F. Blaisdell, Stories from English History 124
• The Revenge Of Coriolanus: Charles Morris, Historical Tales 127
• The Widow And Her Three Sons 132 

Mother's Day entertainment ideas: history, recipes, entertainments - The Mary Dawson Game Book, Mother's Day,  1916.

Fifth grade reader, Bolenius Course in Reading, 1919,An Order for a Picture.
 Sixth grade reader:  The Knight's Toast, Sir Walter Scott

Story hour readings: eighth year(includes comprehension questions):
An Order for a Picture, 423
The Shrine, 427

More later....

Learning to Deal

This was sort of funny when I first read it, but actually it's a bit sad how judgmental people can be...even fellow homeschoolers. After years of homeschooling, I figure they like us or they don't. Life is too short to worry about it. My accountability is with God and to God.

Related: How Will(Homeschool)Children Learn to Deal with Conflict? Interesting post and discussion, especially the comments.

Homeschool Socialization Survey

This is an older survey(2003) addressing socialization.

Survey: Homeschoolers new political force
Refutes 'socialization' concerns posed by thinkers in academia

By Art Moore
WorldNetDaily.com

An unprecedented new study of adults who were homeschooled not only contradicts assertions they lack socialization but shows them far more likely than the average American to be civically minded and engaged in their local communities.

Parents who homeschool often are asked, "Aren't you concerned about your child's socialization?" notes the survey's author, Dr. Brian Ray of the National Home Education Research Institute in Salem, Ore.

Brian Ray

Time magazine, in a feature, posed a similar question, he pointed out: "Homeschooling may turn out better students, but does it create better citizens?"

The answer, he says, is an emphatic yes. But not only does homeschooling turn out more active citizens, it produces Americans who tend in overwhelming numbers to hold conservative values.

Read rest here.

Kitty in the Spring Garden...

his favorite place.










Sharing a public domain vintage paper cut-out. Just click on image to enlarge and save:

Spicy Ginger Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

This came out very nicely tonight with a deep spicy flavor. This is my own recipe, so measurements may be approximate.

Make a pot of rice flavored with some Adobo, or some other seasoned salt. I like to use chicken stock in lieu of water. One cup(dry) will do, but two will stretch the meal. 

In a pan stir fry the following together over medium heat:

• One medium onion(sliced) and a spoon full minced garlic(jar). Caramelize these first in oil and little butter. 
• About half a bag frozen pepper stir fry(chopped green, yellow, and red peppers with onions)
• A cup of cooked shredded chicken
• A good helping of frozen broccoli(chop into smaller pieces while cooking in pan)
• A splash of apple cider vinegar
• A good heavy helping of powdered ginger, to taste
• Garlic salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• Sugar(or honey), about a tablespoon. I used a squirt of agave nectar.
• A dash of Spice Islands' Spicy Pizza and Pasta Topper, Hot and Spicy(on sale at Save-A-Lot, great stuff!!)

When above ingredients are thoroughly cooked, stir in the cooked rice, top off with some good quality soy sauce(the real stuff), and serve.

Layered Collard Greens Casserole

This came out delicious. I had a bag of frozen chopped collard greens and added layers of various items in a casserole dish. Layered as follows:

• 1/2 a bag of frozen collard greens(one pound Save-A-Lot brand)
• One cup shredded chicken(from .59 cent a pound chicken quarters)
• Jar of mushrooms(drained)
• Caramelized onions and garlic(minced from jar)
• Can of seasoned diced tomatoes(Italian or with green chilies: Senora Verde brand - Dollar General)
• Cup of homemade chicken stock and 1/2 a cup of milk
• Remaining half of collard greens

(Poked holes throughout to let soup seep through )

• One 12 ounce bag of shredded cheese( Save-A-Lot brand pizza mix shredded cheese)

Cooked in oven for about 25 minutes at 375 degrees covered, then 20 minutes uncovered. It would have cooked faster if the collard greens were unfrozen. This tasted even better the second night as a leftover.

I cooked this again, and used seasoned black eyed peas(can) in place of the mushrooms, and 1/2 the cheese. Delicious! 

"Like kale, cauliflower and broccoli, collards are descendents of the wild cabbage, a plant thought to have been consumed as food since prehistoric times and to have originated in Asia Minor. From there it spread into Europe, being introduced by groups of Celtic wanderers around 600 B.C. Collards have been cultivated since the times of the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations." Read more here at Tea at Trianon. Collards are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, especially calcium and folate.

Classic Children's Short Stories Online

"STORY LOVERS WORLD SOS: SEARCHING OUT STORIES
from Fairy Tales, Folklore, Fables, Nursery Rhymes,
Myths, Legends, Bible and Classics• BARE BONES STORIES
for Storytellers, Teachers, Librarians,
Parents and Grandparents
100 Years of Story Skeletons from Around the World.
Adapted and shortened for easy telling or reading." Click here

HT to Tea at Trianon .

South America Geography Quiz

I found this twelve question online quiz, a nice supplement to Rod & Staff's Understanding Latin America, grade six. Click here.

Make Your Own Tangrams

Primer of Industry
Author Austin Craig
Publisher World Book Company, 1912
Length 80 pages
Overview(see chapter on Tangrams, scroll down at link to table of contents.
Free to read online and download, and in public domain .

Refashioning a Thrift Store Dress

MJ got this dress off the "Free" rack at a thrift and with a
little ingenuity, she made a custom dress with personality.
See here.

15 Healthy Foods to Have in Your Kitchen

"...Are you stocking your fridge and pantry with the right healthy foods—as in, the ones that give you optimum nutrition for your buck (and shelf space)? Here are the foods to put on your grocery list—and keep there—for a healthy diet." See here.

Sewing for Less

Links to tutorials, free clothing and gift patterns, and money saving tips.