Spectacular though the barn house was, it wasn't new, it was expensive and it didn't have a stocked fish pond/skating rink on the property. Yes, I've fallen in love yet again but this time my husband has also and we're in a position to do something about it.
Pics to come!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Fantastic History Read-Aloud
On one of the message boards I frequent a member posted about a book she'd picked up, A Little History of the World by E. H. Gombrich. She raved about it and said it was suitable for secular homeschoolers. On her recommendation I ordered it and since it was one of the few books I didn't pack, I picked it up to read aloud to the kids last week.
What a fantastic book! First written in 1935 this little book is packed with fantastic writing, colourful stories and lots of humour. The author knows how to use an image when needed; the exploration of history is compared to dropping a light down a well where we can only see a parts of the well at any point in the light's descent and eventually, we can't even see the light. That doesn't mean he gets flowery though. This guy is my favourite kind of writer, one that can edit his writing down to the bare minimum needed to get an idea across and yet still leave the reader full images and curiosity.
Gombrich's style makes reading A Little History of the World aloud a real joy. It has a conversational tone that engages the kids and let me relax in a way I couldn't with Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. The sidetracks and explanations in Bryson's book, although also full of humour, sometimes lost us a bit. But that's only to be expected. Bryson wrote a work for adults while Gombrich is writing for children. But "writing for children," doesn't mean Gombrich talks down to kids. It means he constructs a warm tone, doesn't overload the reader/listener with too many dates and frequently draws connections between characters in history so a child can construct a mental timeline.
This book does talk about pre-history and espouses an Old Earth or evolutionary view but it's such a joy that I wouldn't want a YE creationist to skip it just on that account. It also discusses some aspects of biblical history as history (although not to the extent of Wise-Bauer's Story of the World) but again, it's such a joy that it would be a shame to dismiss it because of that.
Gombrich died in 2001 so I can't write the man any fan letters. But I can and will plug his book to anyone who wants a well-written and engaging approach to history for their kids. And I can offer up a thank you to the man for leaving this book behind for us to discover.
What a fantastic book! First written in 1935 this little book is packed with fantastic writing, colourful stories and lots of humour. The author knows how to use an image when needed; the exploration of history is compared to dropping a light down a well where we can only see a parts of the well at any point in the light's descent and eventually, we can't even see the light. That doesn't mean he gets flowery though. This guy is my favourite kind of writer, one that can edit his writing down to the bare minimum needed to get an idea across and yet still leave the reader full images and curiosity.
Gombrich's style makes reading A Little History of the World aloud a real joy. It has a conversational tone that engages the kids and let me relax in a way I couldn't with Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. The sidetracks and explanations in Bryson's book, although also full of humour, sometimes lost us a bit. But that's only to be expected. Bryson wrote a work for adults while Gombrich is writing for children. But "writing for children," doesn't mean Gombrich talks down to kids. It means he constructs a warm tone, doesn't overload the reader/listener with too many dates and frequently draws connections between characters in history so a child can construct a mental timeline.
This book does talk about pre-history and espouses an Old Earth or evolutionary view but it's such a joy that I wouldn't want a YE creationist to skip it just on that account. It also discusses some aspects of biblical history as history (although not to the extent of Wise-Bauer's Story of the World) but again, it's such a joy that it would be a shame to dismiss it because of that.
Gombrich died in 2001 so I can't write the man any fan letters. But I can and will plug his book to anyone who wants a well-written and engaging approach to history for their kids. And I can offer up a thank you to the man for leaving this book behind for us to discover.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
We've Sold
I can breathe again.
Over the last week I've been alternately ecstatic and nauseous. It's been a ride. However, I will not complain because I know that for most people selling a house, their ride is much longer then what we went through.
Over the last week I've been alternately ecstatic and nauseous. It's been a ride. However, I will not complain because I know that for most people selling a house, their ride is much longer then what we went through.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Another House
The houses-I-like inventory in the local market is getting a little thin. Everything I've posted about in the past is sold and there don't seem to be a lot of houses with acreage coming onto the market yet. But there is one house that I'd still be happy with. I actually knew the house a bit as a child.
It's a converted barn:
The kitchen looks just like it did 25 years ago:
The fireplace is huge. Huger then it looks in the picture:
The house is insanely big. It's got 3 levels (one unfinished) with over 1900 sq. feet each. It also has 5 acres. My big concern? How much does it cost to heat that bugger?
Regardless, it's neat. Very neat.
It's a converted barn:
The kitchen looks just like it did 25 years ago:
The fireplace is huge. Huger then it looks in the picture:
The house is insanely big. It's got 3 levels (one unfinished) with over 1900 sq. feet each. It also has 5 acres. My big concern? How much does it cost to heat that bugger?
Regardless, it's neat. Very neat.
Poetry in the Morning
Catherine thumped out to the kitchen this morning and asked, "Where's my book of animal poems?" There was a, "Nevermind," as she spotted it on the kitchen table. She grabbed it and took it to the living room and that was it for our moring greeting.
Now, 30 minutes later, she and Harry and their cousin are snuggled up watching Looney Tunes and reading poetry on commercial breaks. Both things are inspiring tons of giggles.
Now, 30 minutes later, she and Harry and their cousin are snuggled up watching Looney Tunes and reading poetry on commercial breaks. Both things are inspiring tons of giggles.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Please, Please, Please Update
Here's what happened. We were approached by someone interested in our house. This someone has actually been a posibility all along but we had decided to fix up the house to list it thinking he'd lost interest.
Not so.
We talked yesterday and he wants it. He also wants us to not do a thing more to the house. No painting, no fix ups, no nothing because he's planning to fix it up to rent anyway.
The only slightdownside is that all the houses we were really interested, all the ones I've posted here, are sold as far as I know. There's one I've been looking at all along, a converted barn, that may be a possibility but we may also have to wait a month or to for the Spring listings to start showing up. But that's a tiny concern. The biggest hurdle has been conquered!
Not so.
We talked yesterday and he wants it. He also wants us to not do a thing more to the house. No painting, no fix ups, no nothing because he's planning to fix it up to rent anyway.
The only slightdownside is that all the houses we were really interested, all the ones I've posted here, are sold as far as I know. There's one I've been looking at all along, a converted barn, that may be a possibility but we may also have to wait a month or to for the Spring listings to start showing up. But that's a tiny concern. The biggest hurdle has been conquered!
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
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