tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166Wed, 20 Jul 2016 15:18:05 +0000photosTOSreviewHomeschoolbook reviewFamily LiferandomAll About Medaybook memeWednesday HodgepodgeGiveawaymiddle sonyoungestfield tripoldest sonvideoFamily Funweight lossGratitude Challengeblog tourboysmoviememeChristmascontestsmemoriesmusicFriday's Fave FiveL-girlbirthdaysvacationjust for funmathrandom dozenKregelhomeschool memoirsProject 365Blog CruiseCrew ReviewPropellerDVDfamilywinterHot 100Thanksgiving challengechallengehubby90 Days Bible challengehot for the holidayssummerweekly wrap-upBlog walkhistorynaturephoto challengeH-girlSummer Reading ChallengeTOS Crew blog hopwinnersfall reading challengefriendsBibleartbooksfunscrapbookingtot timechickenssciencecraftsmy momswimmingAwanaBook SneezeMaineMaking a Messblog awardgame reviewsspring reading challengeAnnieChristmas funFamily ChangesI Heart FacesMOPSScrapbook Challengeautumndaily lifereadingrecipessnowBest GiftTop Ten TuesdayWednesday WickednessWomen of Faithbaseballblog challengeblog rollcurriculumfreebienephewpreschoolread aloudsmilebox layouttrainswriting4HCDInsta-FridayNaBloPoMoPotting TrainingTackle it Tuesdayanimalsfamily movie nightfrugal findsgirlshikinghouseprayersspellingwedding5QFridayCanadaMOPS craftMaggieMyBlogSparkThursday LoveTiny Talk TuesdayTour de Cureblog funcomputersdiabetesgardenholidaysnieceornamentsphoto contestsleddingsummer challengetoddlersvent alertyear in review2009201220137 Quick TakesBible StudyCompassionLentMagicstickMr. T.Muffin Tin MondayOLWPEPowerocksWord Filmsanniversarybabyblogblog hopbonus boysbrady's smile blanketsbuildingbunniescampcharityconcertcouponscousineggsexercisefeeling femininefine artsfun quotesgamegeographygetting healthygoalshandwritinghelp for growing familieshigh schoolhomeschool swaplegoslink lovelovemrHnewborn photosparentingparkplanesportable chargerpraisesheepslideshowwalkword of the yearyougest2013-2014201640 bags 40 days5 DaysABC bloggingABSee MemeBible memory challengeBostonChristianDiana WaringFive Minute FridayFlyByFreezer challengeHH-boyHaitiMake a differenceNaNoWriMoNewboysPBSPaint NiteQuebecSWAKSocial SparkSong for SundayTBTTVTeenPactThanksgivingThurday LoveTitus 2UBPVBSactivitiesadvent craftbeachbike ridingblessingsblog carnivalcatcleaningcreative lessonscreativitiycreativitydeclutteringdogdogseBooksextracurricularfPhoto Fridayfairfallfamily historyfarm lifefitness swapflowersfoodfor salefree softwarefreezer cookingfun schoolgiftsguest posthealthhomemadehomeschool memoris memehomeschool mother's journalhorseshouse buildingincomek'nexkaratekidskittylladies eventslandscapinglaughterlighthousemmarriagemartial artsmega memory month challengemessy artmissionsmonday memory memenovelorganizingoutside classespaintingpetspicnik editplanningplaypoemspoliticsquiet timerecord keepingrelativesscheduleseaseasonsshutterflysincerely 'fro me to youslidessoftballsonsspringspring walkstatsstocking swapstrawberriestaggedteeththeatertrampolineunit studywinter reading challengewomenwriting challengeThe Berry Patchhttp://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)Blogger1707125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-101356698665590858Wed, 20 Jul 2016 15:18:00 +00002016-07-20T11:18:05.966-04:00book reviewKregelreview{Review} The Cantaloupe Thief by Deb Richardson-Moore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vhoBEzSeaRw/V1iqtU4lsDI/AAAAAAAAiXA/_t68_WUBa9Q7gSuymga7puSP4bW4jsn5QCLcB/s1600/51-4n7VPU4L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vhoBEzSeaRw/V1iqtU4lsDI/AAAAAAAAiXA/_t68_WUBa9Q7gSuymga7puSP4bW4jsn5QCLcB/s320/51-4n7VPU4L.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cantaloupe-Thief-Branigan-Powers-Mystery/dp/1782641920?ie=UTF8&amp;keywords=The%20Cantaloupe%20Thief&amp;qid=1465428571&amp;ref_=sr_1_1&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Cantaloupe Thief</a> is the debut novel by Deb Richardson-Moore. Richardson-Moore is a former journalist from South Carolina who left the field and went to seminary. She ended up becoming a pastor at an inner city non-denominational mission church for the homeless. When one is a writer, they are told to "write what you know." She has done just that.<br /><br />The protagonist of the novel, Branigan Powers, is a journalist for a small newspaper in a small southern town. She tried big city living once and didn't like it. She came back to her hometown and works for the local newspaper. She lives alone on a farm in the country with her dog, Cleo.<br /><br />Her former co-worker, Liam, left the business and is now a pastor at a church with a homeless shelter attached.<br /><br />The novel goes back and forth between "present day" and "ten years ago" as Branigan researches the only unsolved murder for their small town. There seems to be an element that points to the homeless population in town - the invisible population.<br /><br />As Branigan delves into the mystery more and more it seems there are people out to stop her. She meets resistance and learns things are not always as they seem.<br /><br />The plot twists in this novel were excellent. It kept me guessing right up until the end.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kBHzpbzrcsk/V4-Vrb9TNdI/AAAAAAAAjgU/-XPUaloO_REqFxkuJRrbF_vz-wBfMeANQCLcB/s1600/KregelBlogButton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kBHzpbzrcsk/V4-Vrb9TNdI/AAAAAAAAjgU/-XPUaloO_REqFxkuJRrbF_vz-wBfMeANQCLcB/s1600/KregelBlogButton.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" /><br /><span style="background-color: #cec5aa; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.7969px;">Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.</span><br /><br />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/07/review-cantaloupe-thief-by-deb.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-3628581672568713976Thu, 14 Jul 2016 05:30:00 +00002016-07-14T01:30:03.467-04:00MaggiePhotographic Kitty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MfMc1UtoDrQ/V4UyVY6NrZI/AAAAAAAAjWI/zn4C4LvJwYkP4ZERRHqNhBQIN-rWCxyOACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160701_181851596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MfMc1UtoDrQ/V4UyVY6NrZI/AAAAAAAAjWI/zn4C4LvJwYkP4ZERRHqNhBQIN-rWCxyOACLcB/s320/IMG_20160701_181851596.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last summer added a cute little kitten to our family. Maggie was just over one pound when she came to us at five weeks old. It's hard to believe that she was <i>ever</i>&nbsp;that tiny...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tmj4U3E1KYU/V4U0QdwA1xI/AAAAAAAAjWU/kuDWHXu1xpECpoXEiuwHHzuZTBsruJz8gCLcB/s1600/IMG_20150721_082307967_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tmj4U3E1KYU/V4U0QdwA1xI/AAAAAAAAjWU/kuDWHXu1xpECpoXEiuwHHzuZTBsruJz8gCLcB/s320/IMG_20150721_082307967_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>I have no idea how much she weighs now, but I'm guessing (from the pain she inflicts when she jumps on us) that she's at least ten pounds now. But still pretty cute.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_FXn8_G3pzA/V4U0r8UxRwI/AAAAAAAAjWY/dbDr6mqPgM4mGCKFXhaDYL6cuam4e_BiQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160708_131553055_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_FXn8_G3pzA/V4U0r8UxRwI/AAAAAAAAjWY/dbDr6mqPgM4mGCKFXhaDYL6cuam4e_BiQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160708_131553055_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NGNCjEdH0Tw/V4U1fCsOprI/AAAAAAAAjWk/8BDpljfohG0SbRx-t54Ljp7TuO5XkMXZQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160701_182444449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NGNCjEdH0Tw/V4U1fCsOprI/AAAAAAAAjWk/8BDpljfohG0SbRx-t54Ljp7TuO5XkMXZQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160701_182444449.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/07/photographic-kitty.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-8630374324440438009Wed, 13 Jul 2016 05:00:00 +00002016-07-13T01:00:08.176-04:00randomWednesday HodgepodgeWednesday Hodgepodge<div style="text-align: center;"><a border="0" href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/SincerelyShannon-designs/Blog%20Buttons/Hodgepodgebutton.jpg" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: x-small;">From This Side of the Pond</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>1. Do you find yourself influencing your world, or is it more the other way around?<br /><br /><i>Philosophical&nbsp;question to start off this week's Hodgepodge I see. I honestly have to say I think it's both. I think I influence my small part of the world, but I also think that my small part of the world influences me as well.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i>2. July 14th is National Tape Measure Day...the device was patented on this date in 1868. When did you last use a tape measure?<br /><br /><i>Last week. Body measurements. Helps me stay on track to getting fit.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i>Do you always know where to find one in your house?<br /><i><br /></i><i>Yes, in my bathroom. I have a regular one in my bedside table as well. So I </i>will<i>&nbsp;know where to find one when I need it.</i><br /><br />Tell us one way in which you feel blessed 'beyond measure'. <br /><br /><i>With my family. Our home. Our life. Very blessed.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i>3.The Plaza Hotel (Eloise), The Land of Oz (The Wizard of Oz), Narnia (The Chronicles of Narnia), The Hundred Acre Wood (Winnie the Pooh), Wonderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland), or Never Never Land (Peter Pan)...which storybook land (on this list!) would you most like to visit and why? <br /><br /><i>Narnia. Hands down! I love that whole series of books and if there was a chance to meet Aslan, I would definitely take it.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i>4. Where and when do you get your best ideas?<br /><i><br /></i><i>Whenever I can't write them down. While driving, showering, or getting ready to sleep. Those are my best thinking times.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i>5. So what have you been watching on TV this summer? Anything good?<br /><br /><i>My hubby and I are watching </i>How I Met Your Mother<i>&nbsp;via Netflix. We started the series years ago but my hubby finished it without me one day when he was sick. So we started it over and we're now up to where we stopped the first time. I never did get to see who the mom was!</i><br /><i><br /></i>6. 'Don't swim for an hour after you eat', 'Dog days of summer', 'Knee high by the Fourth of July'...choose a summer saying from the list or share one of your own, then tell us what image or memory comes to mind when you hear it spoken.<br /><br /><i>"Don't swim for an hour after you eat." Reminds me of the summers I spent with my grandparents and my aunt and uncle when I was small. My aunt and uncle had a pool so I remember this being enforced. And my grandparents lived near the water so again, enforced. I have wonderful memories of spending weeks every summer from the time I was very small (about age 2) until about age 9-10 with them.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i>7. In a single sentence, sum up one life lesson you've learned. <br /><br /><i>This too shall pass.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>No matter what is going on in your life at the moment, better days are coming. It may seem like the worse continues on forever, but it doesn't. Things always get better. Maybe not in the way we would hope, but they do.</i><br /><i><br /></i>8. Insert your own random thought here. <br /><br /><i>I'm finding it very hard to believe that July is here and almost half-over. My middle son went on his first mission trip last month to New York (a work trip to help those in need). My younger son goes to camp in a couple of weeks. And my oldest son leaves for college in just about a month. Life is passing by far too fast for my liking lately.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/07/wednesday-hodgepodge_13.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-706495562835775266Tue, 12 Jul 2016 17:46:00 +00002016-07-12T13:46:25.352-04:00bonus boysboyssummerReady, Aim, Fire!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Enehk8l1omo/V4Un4hXNNZI/AAAAAAAAjU4/zySOUht_accZpkx87Ioed0rzU1vay0W1wCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160712_122411963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Enehk8l1omo/V4Un4hXNNZI/AAAAAAAAjU4/zySOUht_accZpkx87Ioed0rzU1vay0W1wCLcB/s320/IMG_20160712_122411963.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />A few days so far this summer, I've had an extra boy or two for the day. I've been trying to find something to keep them all occupied outside or away from video/TV as much as I can. Last week I found these at a local box store...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8C9iP_9qPA/V4Upufq9gDI/AAAAAAAAjVE/bh8BQDjdh68NkX9hgVJ0dclKnW_KLiyNQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160711_150418173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8C9iP_9qPA/V4Upufq9gDI/AAAAAAAAjVE/bh8BQDjdh68NkX9hgVJ0dclKnW_KLiyNQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160711_150418173.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was a bit leery when I first saw these but a local friend had shared their experience with them on Facebook so I opted to give it a try. They are a bit pricey but an occasional fun event I think.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had a few that didn't inflate and a couple with holes right off the bat, but overall the boys had a good lot to work with. We had quite a few that bounced right off the kids though (and hurt!) before breaking on the ground. And the color ones didn't mark the clothes much as all so I don't think that will be a concern for most.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UONkUF9Dvc0/V4UrkH6HBKI/AAAAAAAAjVQ/pleUG1VvjpEd8e3vCz2NI5-J3rR5_-wvACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160712_122407969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UONkUF9Dvc0/V4UrkH6HBKI/AAAAAAAAjVQ/pleUG1VvjpEd8e3vCz2NI5-J3rR5_-wvACLcB/s320/IMG_20160712_122407969.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Filling them up.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uosc1JNZAR0/V4Ur6lClxsI/AAAAAAAAjVY/zcddRvFI8MU6_OwXzz3I3-A_yWHQoidtACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160712_123539398_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Uosc1JNZAR0/V4Ur6lClxsI/AAAAAAAAjVY/zcddRvFI8MU6_OwXzz3I3-A_yWHQoidtACLcB/s320/IMG_20160712_123539398_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Getting ready to go!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KQlkn7BGsNU/V4UsMFHiCfI/AAAAAAAAjVc/8Rv_UszxnksASz2pluxq30SiuywYiNXvQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160712_123553440_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KQlkn7BGsNU/V4UsMFHiCfI/AAAAAAAAjVc/8Rv_UszxnksASz2pluxq30SiuywYiNXvQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160712_123553440_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qUfK1SjsDrI/V4UsSzE5cvI/AAAAAAAAjVg/qtiWzn8HU3AnTEWwmqEJULvFum_Q7EaNQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160712_123602825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qUfK1SjsDrI/V4UsSzE5cvI/AAAAAAAAjVg/qtiWzn8HU3AnTEWwmqEJULvFum_Q7EaNQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160712_123602825.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A3j7DQVkQ08/V4UsYRybq2I/AAAAAAAAjVk/C7rws20NokoLaPv31nHjbLbWAJ-ccEZ1gCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160712_123615599_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A3j7DQVkQ08/V4UsYRybq2I/AAAAAAAAjVk/C7rws20NokoLaPv31nHjbLbWAJ-ccEZ1gCLcB/s320/IMG_20160712_123615599_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vb4oEGK_EgU/V4UsbLpyO2I/AAAAAAAAjVo/OVSlqRzjlYUPSOl1Y5WNEa5PMF8neWfXQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160712_123709328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vb4oEGK_EgU/V4UsbLpyO2I/AAAAAAAAjVo/OVSlqRzjlYUPSOl1Y5WNEa5PMF8neWfXQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160712_123709328.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" /></div>http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/07/ready-aim-fire.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-5397220060613507372Fri, 08 Jul 2016 20:04:00 +00002016-07-08T16:04:24.134-04:00book reviewbooksFlyBy{Review} The Life We Never Expected by Andrew & Rachel Wilson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1A0ZAiUD2so/V3_9cs1KgzI/AAAAAAAAjPE/w_YkWT2mlsoxhbTvkJZWaktqrLnHBz9KwCLcB/s1600/Life%2BWe%2Bnever%2Bexpected%2Bcover.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1A0ZAiUD2so/V3_9cs1KgzI/AAAAAAAAjPE/w_YkWT2mlsoxhbTvkJZWaktqrLnHBz9KwCLcB/s1600/Life%2BWe%2Bnever%2Bexpected%2Bcover.jpeg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Life-Never-Expected-Reflections-Challenges/dp/1433550997/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1464795654&amp;amp;sr=8-1&amp;amp;keywords=life+we+never+expected" target="_blank"><i>The Life We Never Expected</i></a> by Andrew and Rachel Wilson gives insight in to what it's like to be the parents of special needs children. They have three children and their two oldest have a regressive form of autism.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The book is a very short read but full of wonderful insight - even for those without children with severe special needs or special needs at all. There are five "cycles" to the book. Each cycle includes a chapter on "weeping," "worshiping," "waiting," "witnessing," and "breathe." &nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I would encourage you to read <a href="http://thinktheology.co.uk/blog/article/the_life_you_never_expected" target="_blank">Andrew's explanation</a> of what it is like to find out your child has special needs. You can read it on his blog. This is an excerpt from the book itself.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When I began reading the book, in order to write this review, I wasn't expecting to take away much. I don't have children with special needs - at least not as severe as what the Wilson family experiences on a daily basis. While I do have a son on the autistic spectrum, most people who meet him would never know this. And if you don't know which son I'm talking about, I'm not going to share that here. That just proves the point I'm making.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">However, I soon found myself grabbing a pen so I could start to underline all the fantastic quotes such as this one:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>In God's global mission, the role of&nbsp;</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>extraordinary people doing exceptional things</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>is probably far smaller than we imagine -&nbsp;</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>and the role of ordinary people doing&nbsp;</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>everyday things is certainly far greater</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>than we imagine. (pg. 48)</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I highly recommend this book to anyone and especially to anyone who has a child with autism or other special needs. The Wilson's share a wonderful list of resources at the end of the book as well.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">********************</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>I enjoyed the book so much that I'm going to do a giveaway. &nbsp;I will pick one random winner to receive a copy of <i>The Life We Never Expected.</i>&nbsp;Just leave a comment either here on the blog or on a Facebook post of this review. I will pick a winner next Friday, July 15th.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flybypromotions.com/"><img src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/FlyByPromotionsDev/static/badges/badge_rectangle_v1.png" height="55" style="border: none; height: 55px; max-width: 185px; width: 185px;" width="185" /></a></div></div><br /><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" /><br /><br /><i><b>Fine Print:</b></i><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: currentcolor font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 12pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”):</b>&nbsp;Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.</i></span></div><span style="color: windowtext;"><u></u><u></u></span> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border: currentcolor; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 12pt; padding: 0in;"><i><span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Only&nbsp;one&nbsp;entrant&nbsp;per&nbsp;mailing address,&nbsp;per&nbsp;giveaway.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span></i><i><span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">If you have won a prize from our sponsor Propeller / FlyBy Promotions in the last 30 days, you are not eligible to win.&nbsp; Or if you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.</span></span></i></div>http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/07/review-life-we-never-expected-by-andrew.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-117899991450854822Thu, 07 Jul 2016 04:00:00 +00002016-07-07T00:00:09.592-04:00bookscurriculumMassachusetts Adventures Part IISaturday morning Nicki &amp; I were once more up and going early. This time we were driving about an hour west of where we were staying. Our goal was the <a href="http://www.masshope.org/" target="_blank">MassHOPE</a> used curriculum sale. This was my rolling cart before we went in...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-91FjLsiZFx0/V3u_bxA2WjI/AAAAAAAAjLs/XaD4uo-6B3oD09mwjDkF1Eu9VkdV3c2-QCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160618_095857987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-91FjLsiZFx0/V3u_bxA2WjI/AAAAAAAAjLs/XaD4uo-6B3oD09mwjDkF1Eu9VkdV3c2-QCLcB/s320/IMG_20160618_095857987.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And after plus a large Thirty-One utility tote...&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eihTCHUpNHY/V3u_XWLsPPI/AAAAAAAAjLo/Vym_VeZ-I58gJvB__agiOZd-DXwXU0a4ACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160618_220301315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eihTCHUpNHY/V3u_XWLsPPI/AAAAAAAAjLo/Vym_VeZ-I58gJvB__agiOZd-DXwXU0a4ACLcB/s320/IMG_20160618_220301315.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some of the things I picked up:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>Standard Deviants DVD on Shakespeare</li><li>The Complete Guide to Shakespeare's Best Plays</li><li>Saxon Algebra 2 (Teacher guide - didn't realize this at the time - meant to grab the student book)</li><li>Saxon Algebra 1</li><li>Saxon Algebra 1/2</li><li>Saxon 5/4</li><li>Apologia Exploring Creation with Chemistry 2nd edition</li><li>Grammar of Poetry (I've been eyeing this for years and found it for a really good price.)</li><li>Notgrass Exploring Economics</li><li>Various readers and miscellaneous other books</li></ul><br />This sale is worth going to if you ever get the chance. They typically hold it the third week of June. Details are on their website.<br /><br />Nicki &amp; I spent about three hours at the book sale. It's not a huge building. They hold it in a church. The sanctuary holds most of the curriculum for sale. The foyer and another large room house free books. Yes, free! That's where I found Saxon Algebra 1/2. Last year I picked up a copy of Anna Botsford Comstock's <i>Handbook of Nature Study</i>.<br /><br />After the book sale we headed to IKEA. Our strategy was to purchase books so we'd know a) how much money we would have to spend at IKEA and b) how many bookcases we would need to buy there. I have no photos from IKEA. I was too busy shopping. I ended up purchasing a new bedside table, a bookcase, and a small desk for my room. My bedside table was about six inches too short for my bed, I was storing books in my room IN my bedside table, and I wanted a desk large enough to fit a laptop and Bible study materials, but small enough that it wouldn't take up a lot of space (because I don't have a lot of space). I think I found some nice things that fit just what I was looking to do in that space.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r4d2Vpz4CSk/V3vlF1aFrhI/AAAAAAAAjL8/pVaFgMpK9ekmTW7ym0YQcIHh2YoBUC2RwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160622_142235343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r4d2Vpz4CSk/V3vlF1aFrhI/AAAAAAAAjL8/pVaFgMpK9ekmTW7ym0YQcIHh2YoBUC2RwCLcB/s320/IMG_20160622_142235343.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We spent about four hours at IKEA. The longest amount of time ever I think. I also picked up a Kallax style storage unit for my oldest son's dorm room plus two storage cubes to fit inside and some miscellaneous other items such as a wastebasket, magazine holders, bath towels, and a fleece throw.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hLkXJw7r20E/V3vltxEpb6I/AAAAAAAAjMA/4vatRAZ7K_QgWKp-TiIMIW4yGUrgDRAHACLcB/s1600/kallax-shelf-unit-white__0244012_PE383250_S4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hLkXJw7r20E/V3vltxEpb6I/AAAAAAAAjMA/4vatRAZ7K_QgWKp-TiIMIW4yGUrgDRAHACLcB/s320/kallax-shelf-unit-white__0244012_PE383250_S4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The storage cubes are black plastic. The wastebasket and magazine holders (which will fit in this as well) are metal mesh and the towels and throws are bright green. It's hard to believe my oldest is finally heading off to college but that's going to be another post for later this summer.&nbsp;</div><br /><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/07/massachusetts-adventures-part-ii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-8681395342543680878Thu, 07 Jul 2016 01:54:00 +00002016-07-06T21:54:27.400-04:00Wednesday HodgepodgeWednesday Hodgepodge<div style="text-align: center;"><a border="0" href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/SincerelyShannon-designs/Blog%20Buttons/Hodgepodgebutton.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">From This Side of the Pond</span></a></div><br />1. How did you welcome the month of July, and tell us one fun thing you did to celebrate the 4th. (or the weekend for any non-USA residents playing along today)<br /><i>My husband and youngest son spent the weekend camping. My middle son arrived home from a week-long mission trip. My oldest (and middle once he had rested some) spent a lot of time cleaning out our old greenhouse. The plastic ripped this year. We only used it for storage so time to clean it out and take it down. I also spent a lot of time cleaning out the basement so that the things that needed to come in from the greenhouse would have a place to live.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>I wish I had taken before photos, but these are the "afters" -&nbsp;</i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tiTzb5mb8GA/V3wncj-x7RI/AAAAAAAAjNs/DnVsDRU2K5cBBEonwSTVCnpybGmy27L-ACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160705_143356493_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tiTzb5mb8GA/V3wncj-x7RI/AAAAAAAAjNs/DnVsDRU2K5cBBEonwSTVCnpybGmy27L-ACLcB/s320/IMG_20160705_143356493_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>This was an old sheep pen left by the former owners.&nbsp;</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>We did get the last of those boards out.&nbsp;</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>There was also a bunch of glass back here.&nbsp;</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>A lot of it had broken so that was time consuming to move.</i></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dyaR3yT42js/V3wnX0HevcI/AAAAAAAAjNo/khtg9yBu0cUl21aA7d2neGpWYeXCQRi1wCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160705_143443486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dyaR3yT42js/V3wnX0HevcI/AAAAAAAAjNo/khtg9yBu0cUl21aA7d2neGpWYeXCQRi1wCLcB/s320/IMG_20160705_143443486.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Standing on one end. The plastic ripped this year so that's been</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>mostly removed. Unfortunately, the last of the "debris" in here</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>is being "guarded" by hornets. We seem to have quite a few</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>around here and they are the really nasty white tipped ones.&nbsp;</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>They HURT when they sting. I know - they got me this year.&nbsp;</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>They also got my youngest before his camping trip.&nbsp;</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Dad ended up taking him to the ER. He had a very&nbsp;</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>nasty local allergic reaction on his foot where he was</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>stung. His foot swelled,&nbsp;reddened, and he developed</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>some very yucky blisters. All was good in the end.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Although he still has some blisters and itching on his foot.</i></div><br />2. Right now..what's your favorite red thing? white thing? blue thing?<br /><i>I love red. It's one of my favorite colors. Not sure if I have a favorite red thing right now though.&nbsp;</i><br /><i>White...I bought some new white containers at IKEA last month. I really like those.&nbsp;</i><br /><i>Blue...the summer skies. Corny I know, but I absolutely love looking at the white clouds in the blue sky. So peaceful.</i><br /><br />3. Wave the white flag, raise a red flag, fly your freak flag...which 'flag' have you flown most recently? Explain.<br /><i>I have no idea.&nbsp;</i><br /><br />4. According to Cond Nast Traveler these are the seven best places to visit in July-<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>a boat safari in Botswanna's Okavango Delta,&nbsp;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Riviera Maya Mexico (it's whale shark season and apparently you can swim with them),&nbsp;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons,&nbsp;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Pamploma Spain,&nbsp;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>St. Petersburg Russia,&nbsp;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>the Fuji Rock Festival at Mount Naeba Japan,&nbsp;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>the Salzburg Festival in Salzburg Austria&nbsp;</i></div><br />If time and money weren't factors would you want to see any/all of these? Which would you most like to see and why?<br /><br /><i>I would love to see </i>all<i>&nbsp;of these! I think my top choice would be Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. They are in the US so easier to get to. I would love to travel and see more of the world...some day.</i><br /><br />5. Grilled cheese, pimento cheese, or mac and cheese...your favorite from the cheesy treats listed?<br /><i>I'm weird I guess. None of the above. I'm not a huge cheese lover.&nbsp;</i><br /><br />6. What makes you sweat?<br /><i>Exercise! Humidity. Any temperature above 68. It does not take a lot for me to sweat. At the end of a thirty-minute HITT class I'm dripping. Literally.</i><br /><br />7. Your favorite movie with a 'patriotic' theme of some sort?<br /><i>The Patriot.&nbsp;</i><br /><br />8. Insert your own random thought here.<br /><i>It's been pretty hot here in Maine this week. I've very thankful for air conditioning. And cool showers after working outside in the heat cleaning out that hoop house!&nbsp;</i><br /><br /><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/07/wednesday-hodgepodge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-3193734643774261213Tue, 05 Jul 2016 13:42:00 +00002016-07-05T09:42:02.195-04:00BostonvacationBoston Adventures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xRU_CaUhDNQ/V3m3-bVfmTI/AAAAAAAAjIY/VElDUBgbhB4FTYYab3caPBcJfjud0AfdgCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_092302870_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xRU_CaUhDNQ/V3m3-bVfmTI/AAAAAAAAjIY/VElDUBgbhB4FTYYab3caPBcJfjud0AfdgCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_092302870_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />A few weeks ago I headed to Massachusetts for the weekend with a friend. We had plans to explore Boston and also go to a used curriculum sale plus IKEA. A fun weekend all the way around!<br /><br />Years ago I had walked part of the <a href="http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/freedom-trail/" target="_blank">Freedom Trail</a> with another friend of mine. I have been planning to do this with my boys now for a few years but we haven't been able yet. Nicki &amp; I thought it a good idea to walk it together so we could <i>enjoy</i>&nbsp;it without kids wanting to move on faster than we wanted to. It was an absolutely gorgeous day to spend walking around the city.<br /><br />We were staying with my aunt and uncle in Hull. By car, Hull is about an hour from Boston - depending on traffic. However, they have a commuter ferry that leaves directly from Hull and it only takes 20 minutes to get there by boat. It's also far cheaper than parking in the city for the day.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ci4TNIZArZc/V3m5cR9wcfI/AAAAAAAAjIk/dQ--U0EaMUsX39p6cCcnuiAZOL_CseYBACLcB/s1600/13427876_10153662080732286_2074290574730579791_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ci4TNIZArZc/V3m5cR9wcfI/AAAAAAAAjIk/dQ--U0EaMUsX39p6cCcnuiAZOL_CseYBACLcB/s320/13427876_10153662080732286_2074290574730579791_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We headed off following the familiar red brick path to our first destination - Paul Revere's statue and then on to the <a href="http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/freedom-trail/old-north-church.shtml" target="_blank">Old North Church</a>.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The last time I was here was probably in the late 1990s early 2000s. Like I said, it's been awhile. There is a new memorial garden set up in the courtyard of the Old North Church. These are blank dog tags that represent all the deaths of our soldiers since 9/11.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eLOcxl4gr-Q/V3m6nQbu1nI/AAAAAAAAjI0/LUQQZEvh6aEb8JAHOZ-zd_lXmPg5cYV3QCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_092555470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eLOcxl4gr-Q/V3m6nQbu1nI/AAAAAAAAjI0/LUQQZEvh6aEb8JAHOZ-zd_lXmPg5cYV3QCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_092555470.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-egSpLvpBXao/V3m6h7HGJnI/AAAAAAAAjIs/kOcPss_35U8dDOPmw_Vhe000CuuM1l0AQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_092602207_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-egSpLvpBXao/V3m6h7HGJnI/AAAAAAAAjIs/kOcPss_35U8dDOPmw_Vhe000CuuM1l0AQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_092602207_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>&nbsp;Just as I had remembered, the Old North Church is just beautiful in its simplicity. There is just something about churches and graveyards that I find fascinating. And on this day, I was able to indulge my love of both. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Admission is by donation. Suggestion of $3/person.)</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jfbGMq9af1A/V3m7LrSjmSI/AAAAAAAAjI4/NhySXL7OaJ4hKp64Uy5pAN8heU0UVrgbgCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_093052303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jfbGMq9af1A/V3m7LrSjmSI/AAAAAAAAjI4/NhySXL7OaJ4hKp64Uy5pAN8heU0UVrgbgCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_093052303.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />When we left the church we headed north by accident. We didn't realize at the time that we were headed the wrong way. Technically not the wrong way, but not the way we intended to go. We soon came to <a href="http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/freedom-trail/copps-hill-burying-ground.shtml" target="_blank">Copp's Hill Burying Ground</a> which is someplace I hadn't been before. As I mentioned earlier. I find graveyards strangely fascinating.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-g0Zhq7f1U/V3m--_1Al3I/AAAAAAAAjJM/lWKmPlN18ecnkVUCoTIJiIDrL-WS0HSoACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_095832579_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w-g0Zhq7f1U/V3m--_1Al3I/AAAAAAAAjJM/lWKmPlN18ecnkVUCoTIJiIDrL-WS0HSoACLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_095832579_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The really cool part about the old graveyards in Boston is the history buried there. We found many stones dating back to the 1700s and some even in from the 1600s. There were many from the Revolutionary War as well as those who were part of the shaping of our country. I just find that extremely fascinating.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ew9tw1N2lms/V3m-9Il_44I/AAAAAAAAjJI/05DJcBFlYAAecqH8Qd26gtiYAO-RcGBjQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_101910903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ew9tw1N2lms/V3m-9Il_44I/AAAAAAAAjJI/05DJcBFlYAAecqH8Qd26gtiYAO-RcGBjQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_101910903.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Here is buried in a</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Stone grave 10 feet down</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Cap. Daniel Malcolm, Merch</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Who departed this life</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>October 23d, 1769</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Aged 44 years</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>a true son of Liberty</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>a friend to the Publick</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>an Enemy to oppression</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>and one of the foremost</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>in opposing the Revenue Acts</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>on America</i></div><br />As we continued north after leaving the burying ground and started across the Charlestown Bridge, we realized our mistake in direction and backtracked. While we would have loved to have checked out Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution, the majority of the Trail was south of us so we headed back that way.<br /><br />This time we stopped at <a href="http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/freedom-trail/paul-revere-house.shtml" target="_blank">Paul Revere's house</a> and took a look inside <span style="font-size: x-small;">(admission is $3.50/person)</span>. As my uncle has said before, "He's not home right now." Unfortunately, you aren't allowed to take photos inside the house so an outside shot will have to do.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o6ula_j8ZWI/V3m_5AWPfoI/AAAAAAAAjJU/TjmH9Reoqr4cC_iakPlPNxeGaaUPmgAOgCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_105130265_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o6ula_j8ZWI/V3m_5AWPfoI/AAAAAAAAjJU/TjmH9Reoqr4cC_iakPlPNxeGaaUPmgAOgCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_105130265_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Nicki and I overhead an interesting conversation while we were in the house. There are all kinds of tourists out this day and many made a comment about how wonderful it is to see houses, artifacts, and even graves from the 1600s. There was a woman from Scotland in the Paul Revere house and she said that in Europe they see things much older and how we are so fascinated with things that aren't really that old. It's all about perspective I guess.<br /><br />We headed to Quincy Market and grabbed some lunch there. I'm not one for crowds but I do enjoy the Quincy Market area. Crazy I know.<br /><br />After lunch we headed out to see <a href="https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/freedom-trail/faneuil-hall.shtml" target="_blank">Faneuil Hall</a>&nbsp;since it's right there. Unfortunately, it was closed for the day due to a graduation that was to be held there. As we left to continue on our way there were some street performers dancing so we stopped to watch. They did a lot of jumps and breaking and were fun to watch.<br /><br />There final act was this...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F3lTzlIl-l8/V3ur-cfIbMI/AAAAAAAAjJw/6Ywvj-1CqBMtHHe0-ScS3iVNqSBAL5d6QCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_124710835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F3lTzlIl-l8/V3ur-cfIbMI/AAAAAAAAjJw/6Ywvj-1CqBMtHHe0-ScS3iVNqSBAL5d6QCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_124710835.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wbxCTblK-t0/V3ur9wBdbrI/AAAAAAAAjJs/kdo6RZkG6f4TgRTmsQanFvgdJHKBxj6ugCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_124724287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wbxCTblK-t0/V3ur9wBdbrI/AAAAAAAAjJs/kdo6RZkG6f4TgRTmsQanFvgdJHKBxj6ugCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_124724287.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />We headed to the <a href="https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/freedom-trail/old-state-house.shtml" target="_blank">Old State House</a> next. There is a museum inside but we opted not to pay the admission price <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Adults $10, children 18 &amp; under are free)</span>. We browsed the little gift shop and then headed on our way.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Std2MWWvhs/V3u26jbaMCI/AAAAAAAAjLA/FtcLyppBL3M7AMFdUpoMEnAK0o8Odo2pACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_154219163_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8Std2MWWvhs/V3u26jbaMCI/AAAAAAAAjLA/FtcLyppBL3M7AMFdUpoMEnAK0o8Odo2pACLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_154219163_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />The next stop was the <a href="https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/freedom-trail/old-south-meeting-house.shtml" target="_blank">Old South Meeting House</a>. All day long we seemed to hit most spots just before or just after large school groups. This was one of those types of stops. However, we opted again not to go in and look around <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Adults $6, children 5-17 $1, under 5 free)</span>.<br /><br />We stopped at the <a href="https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/freedom-trail/park-street-church.shtml" target="_blank">Park Street Church</a> next. This church was just as beautiful as the Old North Church. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Suggested donation of $3/person.)</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LresfJgjJY0/V3uvgaG4hfI/AAAAAAAAjJ8/-AdqEiNslM0_3AJXSE7gz8it3gPiUG2HACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_132935963_TOP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LresfJgjJY0/V3uvgaG4hfI/AAAAAAAAjJ8/-AdqEiNslM0_3AJXSE7gz8it3gPiUG2HACLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_132935963_TOP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The <a href="https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/freedom-trail/granary-burying-ground.shtml" target="_blank">Granary Burying Ground</a> was next. This may have been my favorite. Many of those who helped shape our nation were buried here.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tr9d9XeYca4/V3uxYnLUisI/AAAAAAAAjKQ/9SV6k_-WeJszFBi077kuSP2yRTnlxcOKACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_133702801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Tr9d9XeYca4/V3uxYnLUisI/AAAAAAAAjKQ/9SV6k_-WeJszFBi077kuSP2yRTnlxcOKACLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_133702801.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Samuel Adams</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ik6vIVt7Nq4/V3uy2eN83kI/AAAAAAAAjKc/_P9R7Sl6PS4q-3_NStLMp7_sKGV1T29IQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_135000331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ik6vIVt7Nq4/V3uy2eN83kI/AAAAAAAAjKc/_P9R7Sl6PS4q-3_NStLMp7_sKGV1T29IQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_135000331.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Paul Revere</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R9GrV_5TLQY/V3uxX7S0sAI/AAAAAAAAjKM/GNXSpQY4whwQ3NNe2gOT834Q0CQgAG03wCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_135642223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R9GrV_5TLQY/V3uxX7S0sAI/AAAAAAAAjKM/GNXSpQY4whwQ3NNe2gOT834Q0CQgAG03wCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_135642223.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Franklin Family Memorial</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5y3HT8gfH64/V3uxeZD22_I/AAAAAAAAjKU/IeZBSmbexzMF9vge8jP1cEkLylZoq_TEgCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_135718300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5y3HT8gfH64/V3uxeZD22_I/AAAAAAAAjKU/IeZBSmbexzMF9vge8jP1cEkLylZoq_TEgCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_135718300.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Josiah Franklin</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>and</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Abiah his wife</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>lie here interred.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>They lived lovingly together in wedlock</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>fifty-five years</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>and without an estate or any gainful employment</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>by constant labor and honest industry</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>maintained a large family comfortably</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>and brought up thirteen children and seven</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>grandchildren reputably.&nbsp;</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>From this instance Reader,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>be encouraged to diligence in thy calling</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>and distrust not providence.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>He was a pious and prudent man;</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>she a discreet and virtuous woman.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Their youngest son,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>in filial regard to their memory,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>places this stone.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>As we continued our walk, we soon found ourselves at the <a href="https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/freedom-trail/boston-common.shtml" target="_blank">Boston Common</a>. Since we were so close to the Public Garden, we decided to go check out the <a href="https://swanboats.com/" target="_blank">Swan Boats</a>. We actually had thought about doing a Duck Boat Tour, but we still had a used book sale and IKEA to go to the next day so instead we opted to do the Swan Boats as they were far less expensive. <span style="font-size: x-small;">(Adults $3.50, children 2-15 $2, children under 2 are free.)</span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JBgTmZznVjo/V3u2U5m5bvI/AAAAAAAAjK0/p7yv9CDlKxYfZyVFsuDBW1wPAdwT1FK9wCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_144840245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JBgTmZznVjo/V3u2U5m5bvI/AAAAAAAAjK0/p7yv9CDlKxYfZyVFsuDBW1wPAdwT1FK9wCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_144840245.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LjeCTdP_FZA/V3u2HSLykYI/AAAAAAAAjKs/FaoHAAVWEAouAdrbcW90-EEJqePl2E0TwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_145407540_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LjeCTdP_FZA/V3u2HSLykYI/AAAAAAAAjKs/FaoHAAVWEAouAdrbcW90-EEJqePl2E0TwCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_145407540_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yv36OgltkkI/V3u2MDxII0I/AAAAAAAAjKw/2pkp34vky5c3Iqu6kkLP2D5hQduokReugCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_145652979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Yv36OgltkkI/V3u2MDxII0I/AAAAAAAAjKw/2pkp34vky5c3Iqu6kkLP2D5hQduokReugCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_145652979.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Baby ducks!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tSfCP3qMwvI/V3u2dgdBp7I/AAAAAAAAjK4/KtHVfKow3A4VwyopJlyjzv1IRKfQhvrGQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_150644377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tSfCP3qMwvI/V3u2dgdBp7I/AAAAAAAAjK4/KtHVfKow3A4VwyopJlyjzv1IRKfQhvrGQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_150644377.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Make Way for Ducklings statues&nbsp;</span></div><br />On our way back to Long Wharf to head home, we stopped at <a href="https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/freedom-trail/kings-chapel-burying-ground.shtml" target="_blank">King's Chapel Buying Ground</a>. &nbsp;Much smaller than the other two, it's next door to <a href="https://www.thefreedomtrail.org/freedom-trail/kings-chapel.shtml" target="_blank">King's Chapel</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qh-9slytQng/V3u3yueOxNI/AAAAAAAAjLI/6j74gdtghpUqIi6HPqXoD5PZgxHlH1ihACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_152923337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qh-9slytQng/V3u3yueOxNI/AAAAAAAAjLI/6j74gdtghpUqIi6HPqXoD5PZgxHlH1ihACLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_152923337.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mthx2TEzkC4/V3u30fcwkwI/AAAAAAAAjLM/BGlPKSrIatEqF3ZUUB35Spx1HXxveEDMACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160617_153317677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mthx2TEzkC4/V3u30fcwkwI/AAAAAAAAjLM/BGlPKSrIatEqF3ZUUB35Spx1HXxveEDMACLcB/s320/IMG_20160617_153317677.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Both Nicki and I wear FitBits. By the time we ended up back to the boat we had well over 20K steps. We decided that we would walk back from the boat which was another two miles and change. By the end of the day she had 30K steps and I had 27K steps. It was definitely a long day but worth it. We had a lot of fun and enjoyed a day in Boston.<br /><br />I'm planning to take my boys back in September and walk it all again. I'm not sure they'll go as far as Nicki &amp; I did, but we'll hit the high points I think.<br /><br /><img src="https://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/07/boston-adventures.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-4636898406086852250Thu, 30 Jun 2016 05:00:00 +00002016-06-30T01:00:02.026-04:00middle sonplanesFlying Dreams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cwk4MaXufE0/V3Qo9fWcJwI/AAAAAAAAi-c/bE7PDqxQ20QXGxIftgqe6YjcDubDp1LZgCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160614_130748266_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cwk4MaXufE0/V3Qo9fWcJwI/AAAAAAAAi-c/bE7PDqxQ20QXGxIftgqe6YjcDubDp1LZgCLcB/s320/IMG_20160614_130748266_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When this boy was little he used to dream of being a train engineer. He lived and breathed trains. Not just Thomas the Tank Engine, but <i>real</i>&nbsp;trains too. He could identify and name any train you asked him about. Then, when he was around eight or nine, his passion switched to planes.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He loves all kinds of planes, but his favorites are WWII planes. Quiz him the next time you see him in public. He's hard to stump.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While we were living further north, he also became relatively active in an RC plane club. It was mostly made up of older gentlemen and they were all fantastic as encouraging his love of planes. In fact, he went to one meeting and one man gifted him a plane!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He just turned 15 a few months ago and had asked for this plane. He bought it "not ready to fly" which meant you couldn't take it out of the box, charge the battery, and just go. You needed to make sure your remote and the plane's receiver could talk. His didn't. After a few weeks of frustration, buying some other parts, and finally doing some troubleshooting, he had it in the air.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was his second flight of the day. He's having a great time with it. A great time.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ezCndARwWc/V3Qo-4NRciI/AAAAAAAAi-g/L9R1gblibtUee1KHU5ED3enLYNM7cSd-gCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160614_130758519_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ezCndARwWc/V3Qo-4NRciI/AAAAAAAAi-g/L9R1gblibtUee1KHU5ED3enLYNM7cSd-gCLcB/s320/IMG_20160614_130758519_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/flying-dreams.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-1853658579098783067Wed, 29 Jun 2016 19:40:00 +00002016-06-29T15:43:37.475-04:00Wednesday HodgepodgeWednesday Hodgepodge <div style="text-align: center;"><a border="0" href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/SincerelyShannon-designs/Blog%20Buttons/Hodgepodgebutton.jpg" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/" target="_blank">From This Side of the Pond</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>1. It's officially summer (in the northern hemisphere anyway). Which summer month is best and why?<br /><br /><i>I'm going with June. Yes, summer is only half of the month, but I don't like heat so it's still cool enough that I find it comfortable - typically. We've had very hot Junes as well.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i>2. Can you swim? How did you learn? June 27th is National Sunglasses Day. How many pair do you own?<br /><br /><i>Not well. I only took lessons one summer while at Girl Scout camp and it took most of the first week for me just to put my head underwater. I have a slight fear of the water dating back to an incident when I was a child. I do </i>enjoy<i>&nbsp;the water, but I am not a good swimmer at all. It's the biggest reason I made sure my kids took lessons.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>I own one pair of sunglasses that fit over my regular eyeglasses, a pair that clips to the front of my eyeglasses, and one pair of regular sunglasses I can wear if I have my contacts in.&nbsp;</i><br /><br />3. What characteristic do you judge most harshly in yourself? How about in others?<br /><br /><i>Myself: procrastination &nbsp;Others: Selfishness</i><br /><br />4. Robert Frost wrote the now well known poem entitled <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/resources/learning/core-poems/detail/44272" target="_blank">The Road Not Taken</a>. What's a road (literal or figurative) you've always wanted to travel, and where do you hope it takes you?<br /><br /><i>I have wanderlust. I would absolutely </i>love<i>&nbsp;to travel more. Perhaps in the future when my kids are grown and gone. My hubby and I took a week long trip to Canada almost three years ago now for our 20th anniversary. I enjoyed every minute of it. I'd love to see more countries (only been to Canada and England) and more of the US (never been further south than DC or further west than PA/NY).&nbsp;</i><br /><br />5. Popsicles-yay or nay? If you answered yay, what's your favorite flavor?<br /><br /><i>Nay. I loved them as a kid, but I haven't eaten one as an adult in forever. Favorite flavors were "red" and orange.&nbsp;</i><br /><br />6. Brexit-on a scale of 1-10 how knowledgeable are you on what's involved here? (1=very knowledgeable and 10=what's Brexit) Is this news you'll follow or is it something you think won't impact your life in any way shape or form?<br /><br /><i>I'd say about a 6-7 - I know enough that I realize the impact it has on the world. I know it will impact everyone but I'm honestly unsure of the extent. I know it was very big news though.&nbsp;</i><br /><br />7. Share a favorite song on your summer play list.<br /><br /><i>Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop the Feeling - working on learning a routine so I can use it in my Zumba classes.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ru0K8uYEZWw" width="460"></iframe></div><br /><br />8. Insert your own random thought here.<br /><br /><i>This crew (including my middle son - front row right #33) left on Sunday for a mission trip to upstate New York. They went on a work mission and are helping area residents fix up their homes. Minor&nbsp;carpentry&nbsp;and&nbsp;painting. I was able to talk with him today. His group plus two others are working on a home that is getting a deck rebuilt, a wheelchair ramp built, and the entire exterior of the house repainted. He was very excited about what they have been doing.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-52F_kFYerec/V3QfasUNs5I/AAAAAAAAi90/8GdcGrM8WFwbPT62hfKtb9F_x2l6NeYQgCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160626_065957551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-52F_kFYerec/V3QfasUNs5I/AAAAAAAAi90/8GdcGrM8WFwbPT62hfKtb9F_x2l6NeYQgCLcB/s320/IMG_20160626_065957551.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>The mission had over 400 kids coming from across the US to work on various houses throughout the area. They are broken into teams and you may or may not have someone from your home youth group in your team. He has no one he knew beforehand but assured me he has made "lots of new friends." I don't doubt it. This child has never, from the time he was very small, ever met a stranger.&nbsp;</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>He was most excited because the home they are working on (he's on the crew doing the painting) overlooks a military airbase. He wants to be a commercial pilot one day and </i>adores<i>&nbsp;planes so this really is a highlight of the trip for him.&nbsp;</i></div><br /><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/wednesday-hodgepodge_29.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-7085550885976137236Wed, 15 Jun 2016 09:47:00 +00002016-06-15T05:47:00.164-04:00Wednesday HodgepodgeWednesday Hodgepodge <div style="text-align: center;"><a border="0" href="http://joyce-fromthissideofthepond.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab305/SincerelyShannon-designs/Blog%20Buttons/Hodgepodgebutton.jpg" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">From This Side of the Pond</span></a></div><br />1. If you could sit beside and/or jump in any lake in the whole wide world today, which lake would you choose and why? <b>I prefer the ocean, but I guess I'd have to say Moosehead Lake. It's the one lake I spend any time near - little though that really is.</b><br /><br />2. What's your favorite 'fruity' drink? <b>I don't drink a lot of fruity drinks. Fruity drinks = carbs. Carbs = insulin. I try not to drink my carbs.&nbsp;</b><br /><br />3. I read a list here of thirteen things to do right now to simplify your life. They were-<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i>clean as you go, re-evaluate your relationships (cut toxic ties), unsubscribe (too many blogs and websites), de-clutter, write down your daily goals, reply to emails right away, forget multitasking, create a morning routine, re-evaluate your commitments (which hobbies and responsibilities are most important to you), say no, clean up your computer, and plan your day ahead&nbsp;</i></div><br />Which of the tasks listed do you currently find most helpful in keeping life simple? <b>I find writing down a daily to do list helps me to stay on task well.&nbsp;</b><br /><br />Which item on the list should you adopt in order to simplify your life this month? <b>I'm currently working on decluttering. We have a <i>huge</i>&nbsp;dumpster sitting in our backyard right now for this sole purpose.&nbsp;</b><br /><br />4. What did you do the summer after you graduated from high school? <b>Gosh! What did I do? It's been so long. I honestly have no idea. I probably went to visit my aunt in Massachusetts for a bit. I think I had a job then so maybe not. Obviously it wasn't life changing or all that interesting because I simply can't remember.</b><br /><br />5. Are you a fan of podcasts? If so what's a favorite? <b>I <i>want </i>to be a fan, but I never seem to get around to listening to any.&nbsp;</b><br /><br />6. Do you think today's fathers have it harder, easier, or just different than fathers in the past? <b>Just different. I think fathers have a hard job period.&nbsp;</b><br /><br />7. Tell us one way you're like your father? Or not at all like your father if that's easier? <b>Some may find this untrue, but I have a temper like my father. It's taken me many years to get that under control.&nbsp;</b><br /><br />8. Insert your own random thought here. <b>It's been pretty cold here in Maine this year. It's mid-June and I'm still wearing jeans more than shorts. Odd weather. This weekend I'm heading to the beach - cold or not! I love the ocean. Even just a walk along the shore will be well worth the time.</b><br /><br /><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/wednesday-hodgepodge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-8299639365573415718Tue, 14 Jun 2016 19:11:00 +00002016-06-14T15:11:51.105-04:00familysonsyoungestFalse Alarm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XjSPTLozD6o/V2BWeUzyTvI/AAAAAAAAijU/uuiXMDzBlSwmL95t9vcWyI_bwMJN2ykIQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160610_112642753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XjSPTLozD6o/V2BWeUzyTvI/AAAAAAAAijU/uuiXMDzBlSwmL95t9vcWyI_bwMJN2ykIQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160610_112642753.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I woke up early on Saturday to head to the gym. My youngest was looking taller - he tends to do that daily. A quick check had me believing he had finally surpassed me. I asked another kiddo to take photographic proof. Nope! Almost there but not quite. Although, it is definitely not going to be much longer before I am officially the shortest person in my house. I'm not all that sad about it actually.<br /><br /><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/false-alarm.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-8519495670319585483Sat, 11 Jun 2016 06:00:00 +00002016-06-11T02:00:35.496-04:00ChristianDVDmissionsreview{Review} Living Hope DVD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kpKjqjsZLXk/V1slX26Lr5I/AAAAAAAAiZ4/V0424YKVcocbg6Wjct18Jt8jfnwgPvbYACLcB/s1600/FlatBoxArt-Cover-LIVING-HOPE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kpKjqjsZLXk/V1slX26Lr5I/AAAAAAAAiZ4/V0424YKVcocbg6Wjct18Jt8jfnwgPvbYACLcB/s320/FlatBoxArt-Cover-LIVING-HOPE.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Living-Hope-Artist-Not-Provided/dp/B01ARY02XS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1465591041&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=living+hope+dvd" target="_blank">Living Hope</a> is a documentary that looks at the impact a mission is having on an entire community in South Africa. The focus of this mission began when Pastor John Thomas was in South Africa working at a church there during the early 1990s. This was when the AIDS/HIV epidemic was really striking a blow to the people in Africa. He realized he needed to not just lead people to the living hope found in Jesus, but to be the hands and fee of Christ and help the people <i>find</i>&nbsp;that hope to continue to live in dire circumstances.<br /><br />The mission has four specific focuses. <a href="http://www.livinghope.co.za/ministries/living-care/" target="_blank">Living Care</a> is their healthcare ministry. They used to run a hospice where people affected by AIDS came to die. Now, thanks to huge strides in medicine, they have turned it in to a clinic where people come to be treated and given hope for a better life.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.livinghope.co.za/ministries/living-grace/" target="_blank">Living Grace</a> is their ministry that focuses on homelessness and drug addiction. The documentary tells the story of Leonie Rustin who is a single mom and now a nursing assistant at Living Care. She was once addicted to drugs and left her son (born during the time she was addicted) to be raised by her sister. She is now clean and sober and helping others overcome their addictions and find hope in Jesus Christ.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.livinghope.co.za/ministries/living-right/" target="_blank">Living Right</a> is their education and support ministry that helps those living with HIV/AIDS. There are support groups that meet to help support those battling this disease. In every program they run, they also feed the participants from children who receive just a simple sandwich and a piece of fruit (often their only food of the day) to those in the AIDS program. The adults are fed plus given a meal to take home as it's important for them to take their meds with food.<br /><br />The last ministry is <a href="http://www.livinghope.co.za/ministries/living-way/" target="_blank">Living Way </a>which is all about economic empowerment, finding jobs to help people support themselves. We met Joey Lankford, a businessman and father of four who moved his family from Tennessee to South Africa after God spoke into his life, who works for this ministry. He realized he needed to change the focus off himself, as he put it, and on to others. He helps equip men and women with jobs. During the DVD they were building grow tunnels and planting cucumbers and tomatoes - thousands of them! The plan was to not only support the immediate families but to also sell the excess to local grocery stores.<br /><br />This was a very powerful film narrated by Joel Smallbone of for King &amp; Country. The lives that are being impacted are not only the ones in the South African community being served, but those who go to help, those who live there full-time, and those who watch the film. I highly recommend this documentary.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HpOhUxpp24g" width="460"></iframe><br /></div><br /><img src="https://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" /><br /><span style="background-color: #cec5aa; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.7969px;">Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.</span>http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-living-hope-dvd.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-5175328165574543942Fri, 10 Jun 2016 20:31:00 +00002016-06-10T16:31:19.996-04:00familylighthouseMaineseaNubble Light in Cape Neddick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yMCu_d8kCsw/V1sefwHSIrI/AAAAAAAAiY4/rkog23_J3PAPvkUikfSBJ9QbXv4ienDKACKgB/s1600/IMG_20160401_183717507_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yMCu_d8kCsw/V1sefwHSIrI/AAAAAAAAiY4/rkog23_J3PAPvkUikfSBJ9QbXv4ienDKACKgB/s320/IMG_20160401_183717507_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nubble Lighthouse/Cape Neddick Light Station is located in York, Maine - right before you get to New Hampshire. I've now been there three times. The first time I ever saw this lighthouse was last April when my sister and I were heading to Massachusetts for a homeschool conference. The second and third times were, once again, in April while I was in the Kittery/York area for a family weekend.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vUfD9gA7hV8/V1se1fUkfvI/AAAAAAAAiZU/mE_ZIwLA1DYXxPQXelN9aLAlYAfUcpmhgCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160401_184433722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vUfD9gA7hV8/V1se1fUkfvI/AAAAAAAAiZU/mE_ZIwLA1DYXxPQXelN9aLAlYAfUcpmhgCLcB/s320/IMG_20160401_184433722.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have a fascination with lighthouses and really enjoy visiting them. When my boys were much younger, my sister and I took all of them (my three and her one) and visited quite a few in order to photograph them. We had a lot of fun with that project.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nubble Light is located on an island so you can't actually get much closer than I was in these photos. It's a beautiful spot though. Since I only seem to visit in April, there aren't a lot of people there either so parking is easy and exploring the rocks is fun.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PSnrVVDJWYg/V1seJJ9O0TI/AAAAAAAAiZI/gvENh2W4whAy7WzNEnfKEf28Y_ALuflDQCKgB/s1600/IMG_20160401_184032543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PSnrVVDJWYg/V1seJJ9O0TI/AAAAAAAAiZI/gvENh2W4whAy7WzNEnfKEf28Y_ALuflDQCKgB/s320/IMG_20160401_184032543.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zvPQbmljzxQ/V1serXJmPKI/AAAAAAAAiZg/f51Sd28s_MQdHPuWuLpJsuVsDhAIsLyzgCKgB/s1600/IMG_20160402_174458097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zvPQbmljzxQ/V1serXJmPKI/AAAAAAAAiZg/f51Sd28s_MQdHPuWuLpJsuVsDhAIsLyzgCKgB/s320/IMG_20160402_174458097.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is just something about the waves crashing on the rocks that I absolutely love. I think the love of the sea is in my blood. My mom and her family used to spend summers on Cape Cod. I have ancestors that lived near the sea as well.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7IGB2YblqZY/V1shfO4wu3I/AAAAAAAAiZo/vAcTpq9e9Cci55NtfaCIfr_LtD98LzAbgCLcB/s1600/12891045_10206415871657425_1198521915643537544_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7IGB2YblqZY/V1shfO4wu3I/AAAAAAAAiZo/vAcTpq9e9Cci55NtfaCIfr_LtD98LzAbgCLcB/s320/12891045_10206415871657425_1198521915643537544_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had a doctor appointment south of Portland (1-1/2 hours south) on the Friday before our shopping day. My mom-in-law offered to go down early with me so we headed down after my appointment. My sister-in-law met us and we headed out to see the lighthouse. Yes, you can probably tell by our body posture that it was <i>cold</i>&nbsp;and no, I didn't bring anything heavier than that sweater. Needless to say, the first thing I bought the next day was a warmer sweatshirt.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Twice a year we descend on the Kittery area for a shopping day. Everyone lives outside of Maine except my mom-in-law and myself. Kittery is a centrally located area for all of us <i>and</i>&nbsp;it has outlets.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gLBahrZNoUw/V1shfLiT3vI/AAAAAAAAiZk/jQxw4AIGlmsewwS92kWAImK3n3pVF5fPACLcB/s1600/12901396_10206420846661797_5939641487298361890_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gLBahrZNoUw/V1shfLiT3vI/AAAAAAAAiZk/jQxw4AIGlmsewwS92kWAImK3n3pVF5fPACLcB/s320/12901396_10206420846661797_5939641487298361890_o.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Saturday a few more relatives joined us. Around the table from left to right is my mom-in-law, myself, Aunt Betty, Aunt Irene, and then my two sister-in-laws. It was a smaller group than normal this time. Oftentimes there are a few cousins tossed in for good measure.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3Y9ewyi3ldA/V1seyH5bN4I/AAAAAAAAiZg/nwWWOqvUf3ATNnqkHrwGrmI9G7q6K2DywCKgB/s1600/IMG_20160402_174714967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3Y9ewyi3ldA/V1seyH5bN4I/AAAAAAAAiZg/nwWWOqvUf3ATNnqkHrwGrmI9G7q6K2DywCKgB/s320/IMG_20160402_174714967.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second evening, after we had eaten dinner, we headed once more to the lighthouse to take those who hadn't been on Friday. It was still cold, don't let that sun fool you! However, there is just something about the sea, the waves, the lighthouse, the open sky that is so very relaxing.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm looking forward to the next Kittery weekend.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/nubble-light-in-cape-neddick.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-2268644192951157519Thu, 09 Jun 2016 06:00:00 +00002016-06-09T02:00:07.045-04:00DVDreview{Review} Find a Way DVD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FTy61Qy5uzY/V1Nnz99oToI/AAAAAAAAiQ0/062kFQOW_8AmLiYJMKElLvM1S8CIewgOgCLcB/s1600/FindAWay_final-copy-722x1023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FTy61Qy5uzY/V1Nnz99oToI/AAAAAAAAiQ0/062kFQOW_8AmLiYJMKElLvM1S8CIewgOgCLcB/s320/FindAWay_final-copy-722x1023.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.wordfilms.com/portfolio-item/find-a-way/" target="_blank">Find a Way</a>&nbsp;is a movie that explores what happens when a young life is taken too soon. This film was&nbsp;</div><a href="http://www.domorethanpray.com/faith/harry-cohen-a-life-not-wasted/" target="_blank">inspired by a true story</a>. Harry Cohen was a young high school student who was living life fully. He was an excellent football player and a friend to all. Until one Sunday morning when he simply did not wake up. His life was over before it had had a chance to start.<br /><br />This film explores what happens when bad things happen to good people. It shows how faith can change your perspective.<br /><br />Honestly, I wasn't expecting this movie to hold my attention as well as it did. The acting was excellent. It did a good job of showing how much one life can impact not only the family but the whole community it surrounds. This young man changed the lives of many.<br /><br />I recommend the film and a box of tissues as well.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hz_Zn9NSuug" width="460"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" /><br /><div style="background-color: #cec5aa; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.8px;"><span style="font-family: &quot;georgia&quot; , serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.7969px;">Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.</span></div>http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-find-way-dvd.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-6095876589356136915Wed, 08 Jun 2016 06:00:00 +00002016-06-08T18:23:43.521-04:00AnniecatdogMaggieMaggie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n-lU1DZo0HQ/V1TUIYroyFI/AAAAAAAAiUQ/4a3m85lqk1UdB6-83EDChWdo_SW7uoJCwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20150721_082307967_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n-lU1DZo0HQ/V1TUIYroyFI/AAAAAAAAiUQ/4a3m85lqk1UdB6-83EDChWdo_SW7uoJCwCLcB/s320/IMG_20150721_082307967_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">July 2015</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Last July we added this sweet little kitty to our family. I had wanted a cat for <i>years</i>. I had one before we had children but she died unexpectedly when she was only nine. We never replaced her. My hubby isn't a cat person. He is very much a dog person. However, one day he had a change of heart and the rest is history. Next Monday sweet Maggie will be one year old - officially no longer a kitten but a cat. She's changed quite a bit in a year...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ThmxLm6Sf_o/V1TU95f4SpI/AAAAAAAAiUc/IuFrWJHLRMYIGcgbmCdDh3pgMT6fyuUHgCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160209_074806942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ThmxLm6Sf_o/V1TU95f4SpI/AAAAAAAAiUc/IuFrWJHLRMYIGcgbmCdDh3pgMT6fyuUHgCLcB/s320/IMG_20160209_074806942.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">February 2016</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>I'm still so thankful to have her in our lives. Whenever I'm sitting at the table or the computer. she will come up to ask for cuddles. She doesn't do it as often as she once did. She will still climb up on my chest though and settle in for a pat and a snooze.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0atrKhKU5c/V1TV0N-0FLI/AAAAAAAAiUo/JoBQdePm8h8xb1-JfSaieW3-zYdrTeqUgCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160420_154118944_TOP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0atrKhKU5c/V1TV0N-0FLI/AAAAAAAAiUo/JoBQdePm8h8xb1-JfSaieW3-zYdrTeqUgCLcB/s320/IMG_20160420_154118944_TOP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Maggie "asking" to be picked up. She only does this to me.</div><br />Our dog is still the only one not all that thrilled by having this little one in our house. Annie (the dog) does tolerate Maggie a bit more than she did at first. However, she will still growl at her at times. And then this happened...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ym5QhXo69CE/V1TWzecHYEI/AAAAAAAAiU8/ox8ALcFhyZc5BJEtumEZLL1FV1yIV3eTACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160211_143647315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ym5QhXo69CE/V1TWzecHYEI/AAAAAAAAiU8/ox8ALcFhyZc5BJEtumEZLL1FV1yIV3eTACLcB/s320/IMG_20160211_143647315.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had bought this dog bed for Annie a couple years ago but she wouldn't use it. Our dog definitely has some <i>quirks</i>&nbsp;about her and she wouldn't stay on the bed. We could coax her on it, but then she'd just get right back off and sleep on the floor. It's a nice orthopedic bed since as she's considered a <i>mature</i>&nbsp;dog (she's now 12 years old).&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then one day we walked in the house after being gone for part of the day to see this...</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qqHrsVXU82M/V1TWWbt9AoI/AAAAAAAAiU0/3VI1jhqh-8E6ScMAzLYV5UsTDZrGbHYPACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160419_174148804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qqHrsVXU82M/V1TWWbt9AoI/AAAAAAAAiU0/3VI1jhqh-8E6ScMAzLYV5UsTDZrGbHYPACLcB/s320/IMG_20160419_174148804.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The funny thing? I haven't seen her on the bed again since. The cat still sprawls on it every day though to take at least one of her naps there.&nbsp;</div><br /><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/maggie.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-8072355728670447927Tue, 07 Jun 2016 05:30:00 +00002016-06-07T01:30:07.425-04:00exercisefamilykarateNew Belts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wbLZALFv77U/V1TOda_DaHI/AAAAAAAAiTs/xjsOVFyp5fAQ4_J4arjmIprkXBLzWbZHACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160506_195000618_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wbLZALFv77U/V1TOda_DaHI/AAAAAAAAiTs/xjsOVFyp5fAQ4_J4arjmIprkXBLzWbZHACLcB/s320/IMG_20160506_195000618_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Since 2013 we've been involved with karate at <a href="http://www.mainedojo.com/" target="_blank">Maine Dojo</a>. It started with our youngest son. Then my hubby started. And finally we "convinced" our middle son to give it a go. He was rather reluctant about the whole thing. Overall we've been very pleased with their progress and dedication to the sport (hubby included).&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Early in May both my hubby and my middle son tested for their new rank. The ironic thing is that these two have not been participating as long my youngest and they now both out rank him. He seems to be doing well with this fact and I expect him to catch up to his brother shortly.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-stLXQ1TmObI/V1TQI-0C3EI/AAAAAAAAiT4/gXpLF91Pn2kjcWL_JXVNX-N2XXGr0l7aQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160506_194630745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-stLXQ1TmObI/V1TQI-0C3EI/AAAAAAAAiT4/gXpLF91Pn2kjcWL_JXVNX-N2XXGr0l7aQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160506_194630745.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My son is now a purple belt. This is the start of the intermediate ranks. The belts go white, yellow, and orange for beginners. Then purple, blue, and green for intermediate. Lastly are brown and black for the advanced levels.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The best part of obtaining purple belt? The black gi! So much easier to keep clean! I think it makes me happier than it does my guys.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This particular dojo does half ranks where they earn stripes before earning a new belt. For anyone in the younger student classes, stripes are used all the way up through. However, in the junior adult (ages 12+) and adult classes, the only belt advancement that doesn't have a stripe is when you go from orange to purple. This is one of reasons my middle son now outranks my youngest. My youngest has a purple stripe but he just moved up to the junior adult class this year after obtaining that rank. Anyway....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPVRugzbpsI/V1TQwisEycI/AAAAAAAAiUE/iBPbUe5pO5klYkoZMMs6A6n81MMt_ZTDwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160506_194753111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iPVRugzbpsI/V1TQwisEycI/AAAAAAAAiUE/iBPbUe5pO5klYkoZMMs6A6n81MMt_ZTDwCLcB/s320/IMG_20160506_194753111.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My hubby earned his blue stripe on his purple belt. He has advanced very quickly. This is partly due to the fact that he took karate in college. The other reason is he practices quite a bit at home and at the gym. He really enjoys karate.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm just glad my boys have an outlet for exercise and that they enjoy it. My middle son also now takes Brazilian jiu jitsu (BJJ) classes at the dojo as well. What is BJJ? In very basic terms it is wrestling - as far as I understand it. He seems to really be liking it. He's only been taking those classes since this past January and really seems to be enjoying that as well.&nbsp;</div><br /><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/new-belts.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-5857777550317907317Mon, 06 Jun 2016 05:00:00 +00002016-06-06T01:00:14.505-04:00field triphistoryHomeschoolMaineTour of the Blaine House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5yOV1AW8o9M/V1SJFiLDe8I/AAAAAAAAiRo/rsNIIYUZxTIAs0ok-GyyMP0FpY8QwxMWwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160506_141937007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5yOV1AW8o9M/V1SJFiLDe8I/AAAAAAAAiRo/rsNIIYUZxTIAs0ok-GyyMP0FpY8QwxMWwCLcB/s320/IMG_20160506_141937007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />At the beginning of May our homeschool co-op was able to take a tour of the<a href="http://www.blainehouse.org/History.html" target="_blank"> Blaine House</a>. This was actually the first time my family &amp; I had been inside. The Blaine House is the Governor's Residence. My husband and I had attended a picnic there a couple years ago for an event he was invited too.<br /><br />The tour only covers the main floor due to the fact that the second floor is where the Governor and First Lady reside. As a result, the tour is very short. The biggest reason it's taken me so long to plan a trip here is due to the restrictions placed on groups.<br /><br />As homeschoolers, we are a packaged deal. Typically any group contains moms and multiple kids. The Blaine House only allows five adults to attend per group but up to 25 children. As you can see, we didn't even come close to that child limit. This was the first group that went, but we had to have two time slots due to the adult limit. However, it worked out well.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFj7pzPU-0g/V1SK7RkVUzI/AAAAAAAAiR0/RKMr992o7vkozBoqYclMycAfbSUwbFLPACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160506_141801522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZFj7pzPU-0g/V1SK7RkVUzI/AAAAAAAAiR0/RKMr992o7vkozBoqYclMycAfbSUwbFLPACLcB/s320/IMG_20160506_141801522.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />We were given a brief talk about the history of the house and how it became to be owned by the State of Maine. It was originally intended to be passed down to the son in the Blaine Beal family. However, he was killed in France in World War I. As a memorial to him, the family donated the house to the state.<br /><br />State events are still held inside. The parlor is rather large as is the state dining room. Although, I have to admit, the room I liked best was the study and not just because of the bookshelves. Mr. Blaine was friends with Abraham Lincoln. On the desk there was a pass given to Mr. Blaine to travel during the Civil War signed by Abraham Lincoln.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H4CIqRUt8xM/V1SMCtrjmHI/AAAAAAAAiSA/cylyRSoAca8hVpgEnTN906f2yoDo8K_DgCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160506_140035298_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H4CIqRUt8xM/V1SMCtrjmHI/AAAAAAAAiSA/cylyRSoAca8hVpgEnTN906f2yoDo8K_DgCLcB/s320/IMG_20160506_140035298_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Visitors to tours first start here.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Although, during state events this room&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(which spans the length of the house) is used for receptions.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l4iAWXCVJ1c/V1SMiXP52xI/AAAAAAAAiSI/xabjWPdN3S8EShqDNBFKqq1T0dZU0zCJwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160506_141259327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l4iAWXCVJ1c/V1SMiXP52xI/AAAAAAAAiSI/xabjWPdN3S8EShqDNBFKqq1T0dZU0zCJwCLcB/s320/IMG_20160506_141259327.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The Study</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zSbabckJ1zY/V1SMvwHBdVI/AAAAAAAAiSU/sZHW6pgNdWk3z43caXX4bexJPiPbTXE8wCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160506_140741039_TOP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zSbabckJ1zY/V1SMvwHBdVI/AAAAAAAAiSU/sZHW6pgNdWk3z43caXX4bexJPiPbTXE8wCLcB/s320/IMG_20160506_140741039_TOP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The framed wallpaper? Mr. Blaine wanted his study to look just like Mr. Lincoln's and so he patterned it after it. The paper in the frame is authentic, it is from Mr. Lincoln's study. The room was matched to it. I think the moms appreciated all of this just a bit more than the kids. &nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-httdoE11gnE/V1SM-VZg06I/AAAAAAAAiSg/e4z5ZozdbyMcI3-lWNSGNvfiIRoGPvUfACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160506_140429537_TOP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-httdoE11gnE/V1SM-VZg06I/AAAAAAAAiSg/e4z5ZozdbyMcI3-lWNSGNvfiIRoGPvUfACLcB/s320/IMG_20160506_140429537_TOP.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9dK8acmPxss/V1SNIql8sKI/AAAAAAAAiSo/rRsmtZ_irLoQuAWvaZ7mwSsbjo7H_9GgwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160506_140729980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9dK8acmPxss/V1SNIql8sKI/AAAAAAAAiSo/rRsmtZ_irLoQuAWvaZ7mwSsbjo7H_9GgwCLcB/s320/IMG_20160506_140729980.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pass signed by Abraham Lincoln</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rHY00aPW43s/V1SNWMgaVsI/AAAAAAAAiS0/RU0QUsZcB3o41tCn_CVlKCOpsVIxCytLQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160506_140650483.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rHY00aPW43s/V1SNWMgaVsI/AAAAAAAAiS0/RU0QUsZcB3o41tCn_CVlKCOpsVIxCytLQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160506_140650483.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All the little details throughout the house were amazing. The woman who gave our tour talked about cleaning the rooms so I have to assume she works in a capacity of more than a tour guide. She was very knowledgable about all the various items and the history behind the house.&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ts83QvlV4Fo/V1TIu_tmtJI/AAAAAAAAiTM/gWv8z97pmooLw_uYytUccDnPmNe4rxRswCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160506_140340914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ts83QvlV4Fo/V1TIu_tmtJI/AAAAAAAAiTM/gWv8z97pmooLw_uYytUccDnPmNe4rxRswCLcB/s320/IMG_20160506_140340914.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KiJ6MYebId0/V1TI0pkn1WI/AAAAAAAAiTc/B4q_qtn3490b1xuiaWZjdHNcKCYTGEcmwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160506_141233294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KiJ6MYebId0/V1TI0pkn1WI/AAAAAAAAiTc/B4q_qtn3490b1xuiaWZjdHNcKCYTGEcmwCLcB/s320/IMG_20160506_141233294.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DPadfVkIAHo/V1TIzODUSHI/AAAAAAAAiTU/2Kf9iQZWH4MVSlTsQ_Qbo9lyA-NN6dS7ACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160506_141447493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DPadfVkIAHo/V1TIzODUSHI/AAAAAAAAiTU/2Kf9iQZWH4MVSlTsQ_Qbo9lyA-NN6dS7ACLcB/s320/IMG_20160506_141447493.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/tour-of-blaine-house.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-7433868832491811786Sun, 05 Jun 2016 04:30:00 +00002016-06-05T00:30:17.699-04:00DVDreview{Review} Jesus Boat: Witness to Prophecy DVD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ybMSqi1VaeM/V1NgdkV3v6I/AAAAAAAAiQk/SGimOgCvWpwFgCHBSiyH1edkpQ0yNKEiQCLcB/s1600/51lWw1etMML.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ybMSqi1VaeM/V1NgdkV3v6I/AAAAAAAAiQk/SGimOgCvWpwFgCHBSiyH1edkpQ0yNKEiQCLcB/s320/51lWw1etMML.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Recently my husband and I have been doing a lot of study of Bible prophecy between reading the Bible and studying what it has to say plus watching various documentaries. One of our favorites was an 18 part mini-series on the life of Jesus by Drive Thru History.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://jesusboatmovie.com/" target="_blank">Jesus Boat: Witness to Prophecy</a> was fascinating as well. At first glance it seems like it is just going to be documentary about the discovery of an ancient boat found from about the first century. However, it was more than that. It shares the importance of Israel, how it became a nation again, why that is important, and how all of it has an important role in biblical prophecy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is commentary from Franklin Graham, Joel Rosenberg, Jay Sekulow, Skip Hietzig, and Chuck Smith. However, my favorite commentary were from the actual Jewish people living in Israel and how important this all was to them.&nbsp;</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ED6KKG09Ywc" width="460"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i>From the back cover:&nbsp;</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">The astounding prophetic rebirth of Israel is told through the discovery of an ancient and unlikely artifact found under the shores of the Sea of Galilee. A first century fishing boat, identical to the boat Jesus sailed upon with his disciples, was destroyed in the years Israel was destroyed by the Romans, but found 2000 years later in a series of astonishing events that even scientists called a miracle. Mirroring Israel's own story of devastation and survival, the boat from the time of Jesus, would rise against all odds and float upon the Sea of Galilee once more as the oldest surviving freshwater boat in the world.<br /><br />You can purchase a copy of the video <a href="http://jesusboatmovie.com/index.php/catalog/" target="_blank">here</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" /><br /><div style="background-color: #cec5aa; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.8px;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.7969px;">Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.</span></div>http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-jesus-boat-witness-to-prophecy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-1276347351622712704Sat, 04 Jun 2016 23:00:00 +00002016-06-04T19:00:15.978-04:00artHomeschoolmessy artCool Messy Art Project<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IWvIP565_sg/V1NZ3IwJsKI/AAAAAAAAiQE/RFdB3xWJNV42WPPSvk5niItfKeoaACgGwCKgB/s1600/IMG_20160512_111922220_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IWvIP565_sg/V1NZ3IwJsKI/AAAAAAAAiQE/RFdB3xWJNV42WPPSvk5niItfKeoaACgGwCKgB/s320/IMG_20160512_111922220_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />I'm not sure how many "messy art" classes we've gone to over the years but it's quite a few. We've been doing these classes since we lived "up north." Now that we live further away, it's still worth the drive to me to take the boys. Only my youngest wanted to go this time so we headed north to have some fun.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oNQPNzHcYzg/V1NZ6VkNDkI/AAAAAAAAiQQ/d-4DUakZ9psT-7_o63wx5xdkIQ4VJjZkwCKgB/s1600/IMG_20160512_095153892.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oNQPNzHcYzg/V1NZ6VkNDkI/AAAAAAAAiQQ/d-4DUakZ9psT-7_o63wx5xdkIQ4VJjZkwCKgB/s320/IMG_20160512_095153892.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As always, Karen had a fantastic plan for the kids. We were told it was a "sculpture" class and to bring "gloves" because we would be using "prickly" stuff. We were all very intrigued to arrive and find Karen had moved the classroom outside. It was a glorious early spring day (re: no bugs yet!) and it was wonderful to stand and chat with the other moms. Because, that is the <i>real</i>&nbsp;reason we do these classes - homeschool mom support! Not really, that's just a great side benefit.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--DifmEUgPfw/V1NZ6N_3DRI/AAAAAAAAiQc/qhd5b7NQKEwyVHvHBUJX_BV2KqsYzzQAgCKgB/s1600/IMG_20160512_100408152.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--DifmEUgPfw/V1NZ6N_3DRI/AAAAAAAAiQc/qhd5b7NQKEwyVHvHBUJX_BV2KqsYzzQAgCKgB/s320/IMG_20160512_100408152.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>So the project. It was super interesting. My son is holding his finished piece and I took no other photos so I will do my best to describe it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IWvIP565_sg/V1NZ3IwJsKI/AAAAAAAAiQc/Q6GCc04gSQQ5WsJtP782QD4nFy3WK-4pwCKgB/s1600/IMG_20160512_111922220_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IWvIP565_sg/V1NZ3IwJsKI/AAAAAAAAiQc/Q6GCc04gSQQ5WsJtP782QD4nFy3WK-4pwCKgB/s320/IMG_20160512_111922220_HDR.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Karen had a rack of old t-shirts for the kids to pick from. They needed to pick fabric for the back and front of their project. Then they needed to cut out roughly 8-1/2 x 11 pieces from the shirt - anywhere they wanted. My kiddo chose a black shirt with this design on the front. We used that for the inside of his project and plain black for the outside.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The secret to this project was hardware cloth. If you don't know what it is (as I didn't before this class), it is essentially meshed wire that is rather flexible and lightweight. Once the fabric was cut, the kids used paste to cover the cloth. Then they made a "t-shirt sandwich" with the hardware cloth between the t-shirt material.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's not the end though. They were also given paper and told to make a design. A box, a spiral, anything. Then once they had a design, they used wire cutters to snip the cloth covered hardware cloth into that design. I was glad my kiddo opted to make a <i>very</i>&nbsp;simple box/tray. We only needed to cut in about an inch on either end and then bend it up.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He decided to use duct tape - camo of course - to wrap around the all the sides to add to the design and to help the box keep its shape.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once again, a total win in the "messy art" department. My favorite thing about these classes is that Karen just explains to the kids what they need to do and gives them help as needed, but just lets them create and explore with minimal interference. This is why we moms like it too. We can visit for the 90 minutes we are there while are kids get in some "fine arts."&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We go back next week for another class. All we've been told is it will be using wax and a "blow torch." The boys are pretty excited to see what that's all about!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" /></div>http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/cool-messy-art-project.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-1539281940229641842Fri, 03 Jun 2016 18:50:00 +00002016-06-03T14:50:19.403-04:002016Homeschoolmiddle sonyoungestAnd That's a Wrap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MehBBNPVxgo/V04ZOWCOSUI/AAAAAAAAiMc/6hitq7WXGXkjuYTaJY_z9qMqOL6QtRvRQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20150901_094436563_TOP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MehBBNPVxgo/V04ZOWCOSUI/AAAAAAAAiMc/6hitq7WXGXkjuYTaJY_z9qMqOL6QtRvRQCLcB/s320/IMG_20150901_094436563_TOP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">September 2015</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NHCd4R8qbac/V1HPco03BTI/AAAAAAAAiPw/iNJSEsKY94I_nmhQBzOGAh74ivAxS32MwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160603_125541891_TOP%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NHCd4R8qbac/V1HPco03BTI/AAAAAAAAiPw/iNJSEsKY94I_nmhQBzOGAh74ivAxS32MwCLcB/s320/IMG_20160603_125541891_TOP%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>June 2016<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">It's hard to believe that another homeschooling year is on the books. It's also heard to believe how much these boys have GROWN in a year! I'm sure by next year I will be the shortest person in the photo.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My middle son (in blue) just finished up his first year of high school. My youngest is just finishing up "sixth" grade. We've continued in our "hodgepodge" style of school and it continues to work for us.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My middle kiddo took a number of classes online through <a href="http://www.virtualhomeschoolgroup.org/" target="_blank">Virtual Homeschool Group</a>&nbsp;(VHSG). They included Apologia Biology, Introduction to Literature, Scratch 1 and 2, and a short study skills course. All have been great. My youngest took a middle school literature class on VHSG as well.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you aren't familiar with VHSG I highly recommend it. It's essentially an online homeschool co-op. The best part? It's free! They offer live classes each year as well as "at-your-own-pace" (AYOP) classes. If you volunteer to help in some way - just like an in person co-op - or donate funds to help with the cost of the server, your child will be guaranteed a spot in any live class you want. Otherwise, they can often go to a lottery and there is a chance they won't get in. This fall will be our third year really using it and I find it well worth it to donate and/or volunteer. This last year I did both.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We also participated in a local homeschool co-op at our church. The biggest reason we did this was so that my boys could make more friends at church. We've only been here for a couple of years and they hadn't made many connections. I can say we've been very successful with that this year and they had a great time.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">At co-op they both took the high school track even though my youngest is only 12 and "6th" grade. It was a better fit for him. The boys were part of the production we did of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe back in April (post coming at some point). They had a really good time with that.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-svhayI0WIhY/V04b94_EvuI/AAAAAAAAiMo/IT4qtAIWo7Qah0gRLrnzaGspHCwzZuWiACLcB/s1600/SAM_0176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-svhayI0WIhY/V04b94_EvuI/AAAAAAAAiMo/IT4qtAIWo7Qah0gRLrnzaGspHCwzZuWiACLcB/s320/SAM_0176.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My middle son was Aslan (middle of the photo).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My youngest was a wolf - grey wolf behind in the red fox on the right of the photo - back row.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The other classes they took were <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/apologia-exploring-creation-volumes-2nd-edition/jay-wile/pd/533403?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">Apologia Biology</a> - experiments only. This worked out so well with my middle kiddo doing the online class for the book part and then doing the experiments together with the co-op at church. They also did an art class and played with all kinds of different mediums from painting to crayon resist to using fabric to using beans to make a mosaic to just drawing. Then I led a military history class. We covered the wars from as far back as King Phillip's War all the way up to the current war. All-in-all it was a great year of learning with friends.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We've also continued with <a href="http://www.teachingtextbooks.com/" target="_blank">Teaching Textbooks</a> for math - for both boys. They have also been getting some extra tutoring from Daddy which is awesome. I am so not a math person <i>at all</i>. Thankfully I am married to an engineer who can make math fun - go figure!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">They both also use <a href="https://www.milestonebooks.com/list/Rod_and_Staff_Spelling/" target="_blank">Rod &amp; Staff for spelling</a>. It's something I hit on later for them so, yes, I'm still making my middle son do spelling even in high school. He will do one more year of it next year. I <i>love</i>&nbsp;Rod &amp; Staff spelling. It has been the one thing I've hit on that actually seems to work to help them learn and remember using the words they are learning. It has a strong phonics base but we did that when they were younger so it's worked well for them.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For history we're doing <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/softcover-vol-2-middle-story-world/susan-bauer/9781933339092/pd/339092?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">Story of the World Volume 2</a> with my youngest. We're doing it very simply this year in order to just get some history in. I read and we discuss. Simple and done. For my other son we're using <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/history-observations-assessments-creation-today-student/james-stobaugh/9780890516485/pd/516481?product_redirect=1&amp;Ntt=516481&amp;item_code=&amp;Ntk=keywords&amp;event=ESRCP" target="_blank">World History</a> by James Stobaugh. I didn't like it though. I want him to use something a bit more indepth next year. I'm planning to switch them both to Notgrass history.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We also went through <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/basic-winston-grammar/pd/24681?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">Winston Grammar</a> this year. I liked it. I'm not sure my boys did but I think it helped. Now if I can just get them to <i>apply</i>&nbsp;what they've learned, I'll be happy! We did this all together and I think that helped. I would give them time to do the workbook and then we'd review with each one taking a turn sharing what they put down.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The boys also continued with their music lessons this year. They've both been taking piano for about six years. About two years ago my youngest son started with violin and just this past year my oldest started with drums. He's progressed so quickly! We started out with a practice pad, went to a snare drum, and now he's been using a full kit for at least the last six months. We are also blessed to have an instructor that comes to our house once a week for two hours and gives them both instructions on all of their instruments for an <i>extremely </i>reasonable price. He's also very patient and a great teacher.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vXuSA2Y23sc/V04mCOxHZrI/AAAAAAAAiNE/pqeHtlgl8wQ5qvpQuHvL7AsQ-A9iTzwpwCLcB/s1600/IMG_20151111_155310436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vXuSA2Y23sc/V04mCOxHZrI/AAAAAAAAiNE/pqeHtlgl8wQ5qvpQuHvL7AsQ-A9iTzwpwCLcB/s320/IMG_20151111_155310436.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Newly set up in our den. It now resides in our basement.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">November 2015</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I rounded out their learning this year with various videos I found on YouTube. My middle son is going through the <a href="https://youtu.be/lrk4oY7UxpQ" target="_blank">Crash Course Government</a> video series. They are also both going through the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/GeographyNow" target="_blank">Geography Now!</a> A-Z Countries channel. These are short 8-10 minute videos on various countries that go over the flag and what it means, the people and culture, where it's located, and other interesting facts.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm now busily planning for the fall. We'll be taking most of June off from active learning (we have a bit of unschooling in us so learning never really stops). The boys will also continue music lessons throughout the summer. In July we'll start back with our "light school" schedule and slowly add things in by the of August so that we will be back at our full schedule in September.<br /><br />I'll be posting something later this summer with what we plan to use next year.&nbsp;</div><br /><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/and-thats-wrap.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-1438033918326928190Fri, 03 Jun 2016 08:43:00 +00002016-06-03T04:43:06.411-04:00CDmusicreview{Review} Phil Wickham Children of God CD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xmAO9Hr9xKU/V09FCgrq3xI/AAAAAAAAiOM/S7sV5QOBF6g2DQNG2KPnWExEEdFEnKbqQCLcB/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xmAO9Hr9xKU/V09FCgrq3xI/AAAAAAAAiOM/S7sV5QOBF6g2DQNG2KPnWExEEdFEnKbqQCLcB/s320/download.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://www.philwickham.com/" target="_blank">Phil Wickham</a> has recently released a new album called <i>Children of God</i>. I was given the chance to listen to it and share it with all of you.<br /><br />I've enjoyed Phil's music now for awhile (which is why we are on a first name basis). I've even been blessed to see him in concert a time or two. He always delivers heartfelt lyrics and authentic performances.<br /><br /><i>Children of God</i>&nbsp;has 12 tracks on it and I'm hard pressed to pick a favorite. The one most may be familiar with - if you listen to Christian radio - is "Your Love Awakens Me." This is the first single released off the new album.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EQyXsJMkUPg" width="460"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Just check out these lyrics for the first verse and chorus for "Your Love Awakens Me" -&nbsp;</div></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;There were walls between us&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">And by the cross you came&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">And broke them down&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">You broke them down&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">And there were chains around us&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">And by Your grace we are&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">No longer bound&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">No longer bound&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">You called me out of the grave&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">You called me into the light&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">You called my name and then my heart came alive&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Your love is greater&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Your love is stronger&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Your love awakens&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Awakens&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Awakens me&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Your love is greater&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Your love is stronger&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Your love awakens&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Awakens&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Awakens me&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I suppose though, if I were pressed to pick my favorite it would be the first track, "Doxology//Amen." It takes me back to my childhood. I grew up in a church where we sang the Doxology at the end of every single service.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GxRFM1fin3A" width="460"></iframe>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Audio only</span></div>The tracks are:<br /><ol><li>Doxology//Amen</li><li>Better Than Life</li><li>Your Love Awakens Me</li><li>The Secret Place</li><li>Wide Awake</li><li>My All in All</li><li>Starmaker (Above the Earth)</li><li>Children of God</li><li>Stand In Awe</li><li>Body Mind &amp; Soul</li><li>As It Is In Heaven</li><li>Spirit of God</li></ol><div>The album can be purchased at <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/children-of-god/id1088982150?app=itunes&amp;ign-mpt=uo%3D4" target="_blank">iTunes</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CDYPX02?ie=UTF8&amp;fpl=fresh&amp;redirect=true&amp;ref_=s9_simh_gw_g340_i2_r&amp;tag=smarturl-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a>&nbsp;or listen on&nbsp;<a href="https://play.spotify.com/album/4APhyYBjliHGPfs3zLsmVE?play=true&amp;utm_source=open.spotify.com&amp;utm_medium=open" target="_blank">Spotify</a>. I really enjoyed this newest offering from Phil Wickham. I received my CD just prior to a long solo road trip I took last month. I brought it along and listened to it throughout the drive. It was wonderful.</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" /><br /><span style="background-color: #cec5aa; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.7969px;">Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.</span></div>http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-phil-wickham-children-of-god-cd.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-1990521859052530860Thu, 02 Jun 2016 10:28:00 +00002016-06-02T06:28:08.201-04:00field tripHomeschoolSurvival Skills Field Trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bMIo56aCj-g/V0yy3egKn-I/AAAAAAAAiJY/wd6jQkaCn8gJ8jfneCc6Ud_zcjUObEHCQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160524_095358091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bMIo56aCj-g/V0yy3egKn-I/AAAAAAAAiJY/wd6jQkaCn8gJ8jfneCc6Ud_zcjUObEHCQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160524_095358091.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Last spring my boys attended a "Survival Skills" day in a nearby town. This was put on at a campground by their staff and set up for homeschooling families to attend. My boys had a <i>great</i>&nbsp;time so we were excited to hear they were doing another class this spring. What was even better was that it was a totally different program.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQoExxcenzw/V0yzO9pqFSI/AAAAAAAAiJc/59VYV-MP-ZkwlKCtSH2TM5koeZBrpoqHACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160524_102039186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQoExxcenzw/V0yzO9pqFSI/AAAAAAAAiJc/59VYV-MP-ZkwlKCtSH2TM5koeZBrpoqHACLcB/s320/IMG_20160524_102039186.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They were able to have a Game Warden come and kick off the day just like they did last year. The warden shared what it was like to be a warden, some of things they do during the day, and some of the equipment they carry with them.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The kids were broken into four groups this year and my boys and their friend were in the same one. We headed out on a tree identification walk. The forester who took us was extremely knowledgeable. He had been working in the industry for quite some time and it definitely showed.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nIdNijqU6dQ/V0y0UNAG9kI/AAAAAAAAiJs/DaHj8ze7Y-wQcGmT9Tl4WSl9ecBVuRhTgCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160524_111043238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nIdNijqU6dQ/V0y0UNAG9kI/AAAAAAAAiJs/DaHj8ze7Y-wQcGmT9Tl4WSl9ecBVuRhTgCLcB/s320/IMG_20160524_111043238.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XyjADAsdYC8/V0y0zL_VNkI/AAAAAAAAiJw/-U1Thj7bOqQ2E0o17s_bm-KVvR6DUrazACLcB/s1600/IMG_20160524_111103333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XyjADAsdYC8/V0y0zL_VNkI/AAAAAAAAiJw/-U1Thj7bOqQ2E0o17s_bm-KVvR6DUrazACLcB/s320/IMG_20160524_111103333.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The finale to his morning talk was to fell a tree. Gauging from the reactions to this, many had never seen this before which I find surprising considering we all live in Maine. It was still very cool to watch and we were very close to the action so that was neat as well.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MPX2IZPpqrA/V0y1ayXLU8I/AAAAAAAAiJ8/e8fW6NYvHXAo4jXpRl5uLy3EKIpyE5vNgCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160524_114116908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MPX2IZPpqrA/V0y1ayXLU8I/AAAAAAAAiJ8/e8fW6NYvHXAo4jXpRl5uLy3EKIpyE5vNgCLcB/s320/IMG_20160524_114116908.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The tree is "locked" here and he is pounding in wedges to make sure it falls where he wants it too.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/207DFL7kfLc" width="420"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dx68T5PuP90/V0y-VOa9n_I/AAAAAAAAiKY/Pn3rMiGbJQEIWtcHmsF3amb-iKcc0tSWgCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160524_114532405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dx68T5PuP90/V0y-VOa9n_I/AAAAAAAAiKY/Pn3rMiGbJQEIWtcHmsF3amb-iKcc0tSWgCLcB/s320/IMG_20160524_114532405.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />He showed the kids how to figure out how old the tree was after. This particular tree was estimated to be 85-100 years old! He also talked about why trees need to be cut and thinned. It was something I hadn't realized. Trees need width to grow as well as height. So if there are too many trees close together, they will just stop growing.<br /><br />For lunch this year, the had the kids go by group to various campsites and they were able to cook hot dogs wrapped in croistant dough. Both my boys said this was THE favorite part of this year's event.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I opted not to follow them around after lunch as it was a recap of what they had done last year. They practiced how to build shelters.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The last event of the afternoon was a relay race of sorts. They had to run out to a checkpoint and chose a "short" or "long" trail. If they picked the shorter trail, they had to do more things to complete their task. If they picked the longer trail, they were given some "short cuts" to the tasks.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first task was to simply fill a cup of a water to a certain mark. Those who took the short trail had to filter water they brought back through a sock. Those who took the longer trail were given a bottle of water and only had to fill the cup.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The second task was to build a fire that would burn through a string. Those on the shorter trail were given matches only. Those on the longer trail were given matches and something to strike it on. All the materials they needed to build the fire were waiting for them at the end. I think the kids had a good time with this task.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ud_TfXqp-1Q/V0y9kOzqrnI/AAAAAAAAiKQ/YikE87BHMQgMeYOkxDDqHbuS65OF5CMIQCLcB/s1600/IMG_20160524_141144675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ud_TfXqp-1Q/V0y9kOzqrnI/AAAAAAAAiKQ/YikE87BHMQgMeYOkxDDqHbuS65OF5CMIQCLcB/s320/IMG_20160524_141144675.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lastly, all the children were given certificates and a small baggie full of survival items. All in all it was a good day.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/survival-skills-field-trip.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-5888523429126170429Wed, 01 Jun 2016 09:34:00 +00002016-06-01T05:34:06.747-04:00DVDreview{Review} The Father's Love DVD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SeN2w-byYfY/V0yvt9oifxI/AAAAAAAAiJM/gBnTtsbUKaIclFnodTO1hfA_d-1-vtXfwCLcB/s1600/The-Fathers-Love_Cover-722x1023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SeN2w-byYfY/V0yvt9oifxI/AAAAAAAAiJM/gBnTtsbUKaIclFnodTO1hfA_d-1-vtXfwCLcB/s320/The-Fathers-Love_Cover-722x1023.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/the-fathers-love/pd/011327?event=ESRCG" target="_blank">The Father's Love</a> is a story about what love really is. It follows the story of Sarah, a filmmaker living in New York City in pursuit of her dream. She meets Reece at a party and he appears to be all she's ever wanted in a man - charming, handsome, and successful. He seems to care for her and showers her with attention and time. Until Sarah realizes what he's been hiding behind his perfect facade. With a broken heart, she attempts to find what true love really means.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sharon Kon, the producer, writer, and director, based this on events that happened in her own life. Angela Lin does a fantastic job playing Sarah. I liked the character immediately. She was fun-loving and just wanted to enjoy life. She was also trying to run from a hurtful past that is alluded to throughout the movie and comes full circle at the very end. Erik McKay does a great job playing Reece as well. By the end of the movie, I was ready to kick him, well, I can't say where, but I'm sure you can probably figure it out. Overall the acting was well done and the emotions were portrayed in a very believable way. The movie left me thinking about it long after it was over.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WMBOWT1PMcM" width="460"></iframe></div><br /><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" /><br /><span style="background-color: #cec5aa; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 20.7969px;">Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.</span>http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-fathers-love-dvd.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10377166.post-6873762186179293816Tue, 31 May 2016 09:17:00 +00002016-05-31T05:17:00.222-04:00field tripHomeschoolyoungestMaine Wildlife Park 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BPgW1aWUz1o/V0yocizNz0I/AAAAAAAAiIM/eD1jV6eOF_8XrfTr7OpGhHUgWu9FPMYRQCLcB/s1600/SAM_0206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BPgW1aWUz1o/V0yocizNz0I/AAAAAAAAiIM/eD1jV6eOF_8XrfTr7OpGhHUgWu9FPMYRQCLcB/s320/SAM_0206.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is one of our favorite places to visit. They do a great job with field trips and we always have a good time. It's a lot of fun to go and see what's new each year. For the last three years I have put together a large field trip (100+ people). We do a class on a particular animal and then are free to explore the park. We spent a gorgeous day here last Thursday. Balmy weather. No bugs. Sunny! A perfect way to finish up our school year.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GhD67UMVxbU/V0yqAmPj2BI/AAAAAAAAiIY/55G027kdTvYysQIl0YGdTIj7t7Eextc2ACLcB/s1600/SAM_0192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GhD67UMVxbU/V0yqAmPj2BI/AAAAAAAAiIY/55G027kdTvYysQIl0YGdTIj7t7Eextc2ACLcB/s320/SAM_0192.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Our class was on loons. The educator was excellent and did a great job keeping the kids engaged. I think my favorite part was the "loon-sicle" that she used to show how loons eat fish.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uRSkRncPl8Q/V0yrBZPKO6I/AAAAAAAAiIk/LGheIxJBO9csgmb7oSSmmymNIRypkMG8gCLcB/s1600/SAM_0204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uRSkRncPl8Q/V0yrBZPKO6I/AAAAAAAAiIk/LGheIxJBO9csgmb7oSSmmymNIRypkMG8gCLcB/s320/SAM_0204.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />After our class we had a quick picnic lunch and then headed out to explore. There were a number of families there from our church homeschool co-op and we explored together.<br /><br />Since we've been going so many years, I don't take as many photos anymore. I really enjoyed the company and the kids appeared to have a really wonderful time.<br /><br />I did manage to get what will likely be my last shot ever of my youngest on the "iron turtle." He very reluctantly posed for me.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7OwBCVA5H8o/V0ysLagnVrI/AAAAAAAAiIw/PrH4vp2aShQGmAOI86WTCUaR0Kef10cpQCLcB/s1600/SAM_0212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7OwBCVA5H8o/V0ysLagnVrI/AAAAAAAAiIw/PrH4vp2aShQGmAOI86WTCUaR0Kef10cpQCLcB/s320/SAM_0212.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">May 2016 - age 12</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(And yes, he has new glasses.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oYOEOEuJD0A/V0ytehrB3fI/AAAAAAAAiI8/E8LlSKhpELE3kedAXG3_c0rB1TulwrzdgCLcB/s1600/090209%2B106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oYOEOEuJD0A/V0ytehrB3fI/AAAAAAAAiI8/E8LlSKhpELE3kedAXG3_c0rB1TulwrzdgCLcB/s320/090209%2B106.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">August 2009 - age 7</div><br /><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr86/berrypatch29/berrypatchsig.gif" />http://maineberrypatch.blogspot.com/2016/05/maine-wildlife-park-2016.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Lisa Berry)0
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