Where's The Flashlight?

Me(talking to my children): Where is the flashlight? Is it on one of your desks?

Abby: No. I don't think so. I'm not sure.

Daniel: I found the flashlight, it was on Abby's desk.

:)

Wit and Wisdom from the Hermit in the Holler

"Watch out fer i-dots!"

-or-

"Watch out fer tourons!"

(especially today!) :)

Homeschooling Freebies This Week

Homeschool Freebie Of The Day

Today's freebie is "Treasure Island: A Piratey Literature Seminar for Kids", by Lydia Netzer. This is a reader submitted, 12 lesson unit based on the classic book "Treasure Island". Download this great resource here.

Week-long freebie:
"Emergency Prep for YOUR Family: A Planning Guide for Your Family When Disaster Strikes", is a simple guide to help you put together a family emergency plan. This freebie will be available all week and you can download it here. Don't forget to stop by each day for a new free resource. Better yet, join their mailing list and get an extra freebie each week!


HomeschoolRadioShows.com

This week's program is "The Hairpin In The Bottle", a 1940's radio show about the invention of the electric light. You can download it here.
The Erskine's have also made available last week's program, "Victory on Lake Erie" and you can get it right here.


CurrClick

Their free product for this week is "B is for Beatitudes: An Early Learning Lap-book". Get it here.
Note: This is an e-book and you do have to create a free account to download it.


EcoBrain

"Green Books For Green Living"
Every week they offer a free download of one of their products. There are titles on sustainable living, gardening, cooking and so much more. This week's free e-book is "Cooking With Tofu", a Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin. You can download it here.
Note: You will have to create a free account.


SchoolExpress

SchoolExpress publishes e-workbooks and theme units. Sign up for their newsletter here and receive a free product a week. You can download free worksheets here and find free activities and games here.


Hands Of A Child

A free lapbooking "Project Pack" is offered every three months. The freebie for this quarter is "Thomas Alva Edison". This can be downloaded through December 16th and you can get it here.

Homemaking Freebies/Giveaways/Contests

Lisa's Blog at Homestead Originals
Lisa currently has a couple of contests on her blog. She's giving away a bar of Homestead Kitchen handmade soap and a copy of "Haircuts for Little Men" e-book. Just leave a comment on her blog and you're entered. Comment here for the soap giveaway and here for the e-book. Note: You do have to create a free account to make a comment.
While you're there check out the rest of her blog, she has some good recipes, homemaking articles and more.

Old Fashioned Homemaking
Coffemom has two free recipe book downloads, "Jam Recipes" and "Vegetable Dishes". You can download them here.
This is a great Christian homemaking site, you'll find recipes, cleaning and organizing articles, decorating ideas, articles on old fashioned values, homeschooling, family, and so much more!

Update on Gas Update

Deliveries were made yesterday and there is now gas and diesel available at all stations in Townsend. It's still $3.59 a gallon.

Only In Townsend

Our new Townsend mascot!

He was spotted watching traffic from across the road from Parkway Grocery. :)

Smile!

Some Thoughts on Breakfast

We don't have cold cereal in our house. I used to buy it, but after eating two bowls of it, my children would be hungry again in an hour! I make oatmeal or grits, most of the time, and I'm talking about the kind you cook, not instant.
For oatmeal, we usually eat it with honey or brown sugar and cinnamon. My mom used to make it with cheese, sprouts and (if I remember correctly) sunflower seeds!
We usually eat grits with cheese, and my son and I like them with just butter. My grandmother used to eat her grits with jelly in them.

Other Breakfast Ideas

We have a flock of chickens so we eat a lot of eggs (when they're laying good). I usually boil a half dozen a day. My husband takes a couple in his lunch and the rest get eaten either at breakfast (with fruit and cream-cheese toast), or for a snack in the afternoon. Boiled eggs are also great for a snack on the go.
We love pancakes at our house but I don't like serving them with fake syrup. Real maple syrup is expensive so I buy it on sale and use it sparingly. We also eat pancakes with honey, jelly or applesauce on them, all delicious and much cheaper than maple syrup. Homemade fruit syrup is also good. I froze a lot of berries this year and I'm going to try my hand at making some blueberry syrup. As for the pancakes themselves, I never use a mix, made-from-scratch always tastes so much better. I usually use this whole wheat/buttermilk recipe:

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

Sift together dry ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

Combine wet ingredients:

4 Tbsp. honey or molasses

2 eggs

4 cups buttermilk

4 Tbsp. melted butter

Mix dry and wet ingredients together quickly, do not over-beat.

Drop by spoonfuls on lightly greased, hot griddle. Flip pancakes when edges turn brown and bubbles are popped. Cook on other side till golden brown.

This recipe usually makes about 20 pancakes (depending on the size) and feeds my family of four.

Enjoy!

Townsend Gas Update

Our gas has dropped back down to pre-Ike levels! The Texaco, Phillips 66 and Marathon stations all have gas for $3.59. The cheapest place in town is BP (IGA) at $3.49, but they don't have any to sell! If you buy diesel, you'll have to go some place else, Townsend is completely out of it.

Wild Medicine for Poison Ivy

We have poison ivy all over the place up here, you can't do anything outside without getting in some of it. My husband is highly allergic to it (he used to have to get a shot after exposure) and the rest of us have varying degrees of tolerance, I used to not have a reaction at all! We've bought many things to ease the symptoms of poison ivy but the best thing, we've found, is a plant that grows all over these mountains. It's called Jewelweed.

Another name for it is Wild Touch-Me-Not (the ripe seed pods explode when you touch them). The plant has yellow or orange flowers, very juicy, watery stems and grows to a height of 5 feet.
We usually crush the stems and rub them over our exposed skin after we've gotten in poison ivy, you can also rub it on before exposure for added protection (I just never think of it before!). If you can get this on your skin quick enough , you won't get any blisters at all!
Needless to say, my husband doesn't have to get shots anymore. :)

Autumn Is Here!

Stamping Give-away

Connie over at Artistic InkSpirations is giving away some fall-themed BlogCandy. Included in the give-away are a hand-stamped pocket book and cards, some Clear stamps, some pumpkin colored brads, buttons, and tabs, and a set of little photo frames. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on her blog, here, answering the question "What is your favorite theme to stamp during this time of year, and why? ". Winner will be anounced this weekend.

Activities And Events In Townsend This Week

Townsend Visitor Center
Friday September 26-Saturday September 27
16th Annual Townsend Heritage Festival and Old Timers Day
Bluegrass, arts and crafts, tractor show, children's activities and more!
For more information, call the Smoky Mountain Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-525-6834 or 865-448-6134.
Note: This event is free but they do charge for parking next to the Festival.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park-Cades Cove
Saturday September 27
Old Timers Day in Cades Cove
Free event at the Cable Mill area in the Cove. Traditional mountain music, storytelling and reminiscing. Bring lawn chairs and a picnic lunch and stay all day!

The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
Saturday September 27
Blue Ribbon Country Fair
The fair takes place from 10am to 5pm, admission is $3.00. For more information call the Heritage Center at 865-448-0044.


Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers
Saturday September 27-Sunday September 28
Nawger Nob Craft Show
80 crafters, food and music. Admission is $1.50 with free parking.


Boy, we have a busy weekend! Please drive safely!

Some Of My Daughter's Pictures

My 11 year old, Abby, is exploring digital photography. Here are some of her pictures.

Experimenting with special effects


Moooooo

What are you lookin' at

The Great Smoky Mountains from the Dark Holler

Pickles and Pup

The pictures at the bottom of my blog are Abby's, also.