Wit and Wisdom from the Hermit in the Holler

It's amazing how the same old-sayings can be found all over the country, just spoken a little differently. :)

My momma said this the other day and I had heard the first part before, but not the second:

"They don't have a pot to pee in or a window to throw it out of!"

I repeated it to the Old Hermit.

He's heard this version all his life:

"They ain't got a pot to p__s in or a winder to throw it out of!"

:)

HP Giveaway $6000 In Electronics

Good morning!

How would you like to win a new computer? How about 4 new computers? A new printer?
You can win all this and more in the HP Magic Giveaway from HP and GearLive.

Included in the giveaway are:
HP TouchSmart IQ816
HP HDX18 Premium Notebook PC
HP Pavilion dv4 Entertainment Notebook PC
HP Mini 1000 (Windows XP)
HP MediaSmart Connect
HP Photosmart C6380 Wireless All-in-One printer
HP 564 Photo Value Pack
Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition 2007 with 3 licenses
Microsoft WIndows Live
Corel VideoStudio X
Kung-Fu Panda on Blu-ray disc, and two DVDs

WOW! Enough to giveaway to someone else if you win! (who needs 4 computers?)

To enter, go to Gearlive, sign up and follow the instructions.

Someone's going to win, maybe it will be you!

Free Craft Projects and Patterns

Good morning!
Have you been or are you going shopping today?

Not us!
I have never been shopping the day after Thanksgiving...unless it's for groceries.

We usually don't have the money to buy a lot of gifts for people so we make things.
In my experience people like homemade gifts better than something from the store, especially if it's from a child.

So, along those lines, here are some more links to free craft projects and patterns.

Ribbon-bound Journal

Papier Mache Spray Painted Paper Bowl a craft project for children

Free Craft Patterns and Projects on Ruby Glen almost 100 different projects

No-sew Fabric-covered Boxes Tutorial

Bernat Free Knitting and Crochet Patterns


Paper crafts:
Iris Folding

Origami Resource Center also has information on Iris Folding and Quilling

Quilling with Wit

Whimsiquills

Thanksgiving Blessings

It was a beautiful day.

My husband was home.

Daniel lost his 2nd upper front tooth during dinner. Now he looks like a lizard. :)

We made homemade whipped cream...by hand beating.

We played kid's Monopoly and kept loaning Abby money so she wouldn't go bankrupt...I did!

I won a copy of Penny Raine's new e-book "Making the Holidays Family Friendly".
Thank you Penny! :)

Supper is already cooked for tomorrow.

Thanksgiving treat for the chickens: froze pumpkins and cushaws left-over from fall decorations.

I talked to my momma, my sister and one of my brothers.

We laughed a lot.

We have a home.

We have a Saviour.

Hope you had a blessed day!

Happy Thanksgiving Freebies

Here are a few more freebies for Thanksgiving!

First I'd like to remind you that Homeschool Freebie of the Day has all their free resources from Nov 10th onward still available!
If you've missed any over the last couple weeks, here's you another chance. :)
If you've never been to Homeschool Freebie of the Day, I urge you to do so. There are a lot of Thanksgiving and Pigrims resources including; e-books, audios and even a cookbook!
They'll be back December 1st with new freebies for us.

While you're there, check out their new book "Bible Battles" on sale now for $15.95 plus $5 Priority Mail shipping. Books begin shipping the week of December 1st, guaranteed Christmas delivery!
Also includes 4 bonus mp3 audios and 8 bonus e-books.
Order now!


Lastly, I made some Thanksgiving "memories" pages for my children and thought I'd share them with everyone.
There are 2 pages total. The first one has a place for the date, guests and menu. The second page can be used for recording special memories of the day.
These can be used for notebooking, journaling and even scrapbooking.


Thanksgiving Memories.pdf


Happy Thanksgiving and have a blessed day. :)

Thanksgiving Giveaways/Sale From Penny Raine

Penny Raine is having three giveaways for Thanksgiving!

The first one is her new e-book "Making the Holidays Family Friendly" and it ends tonight at midnight.
She's also giving away a children's e-book "An Apple-icious Day" and a holiday apron from Jumpinbloomers.com.

In addition, starting tomorrow, Penny is having an incredible Black Friday Sale!
Many of her books will be on sale, a whole bunch of cookbooks, and some new books!
They will be on sale individually for a super price, or as a package.
Some as low as $1!
And she will have a very special gift for us from her new book "Making the Holidays Family Friendly".

So go enter the giveaways and check back tomorrow for the big Black Friday Sale!

Thanks Penny! :)

Thanksgiving Freebie And Black Friday Sale From TOS Magazine

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has a Thanksgiving freebie for us and an amazing sale on subscriptions during their annual Black Friday Sale.

First, the freebie:
Make Thanksgiving extra special with Art of Eloquence’s Thanksgiving Placemat eCreator! Print these beautifully illustrated placemats with a Thanksgiving scripture as many times as you like.

The Black Friday Sale:
For 5 days only, November 26-30, you can get a one -year subscription for only $7.95!
This is a fantastic price for this magazine, it's normally that much for one issue.

Also included with each subscription is a monthly subscriber's only E-Newsletter
called Teacher's Toolbox that will give you seasonal teaching ideas and a free E-Book download!
It's like joining a unit study of the month club!
The E-Books alone are valued at almost $250/year. This is a great deal if you're a frugal homeschooler or do a lot of unit studies!

During the Black Friday Sale, they also have all kind of bonus gifts when you spend $50, $75, $100, or $150.
Some are electronic downloads that you can download immediately, while others are physical products mailed from various vendors directly to your home.
Plus, their Win Big contest is going on, so if you just happen to be customer 67,000, you will receive a prize package valued at almost $500, which includes a $150 gift certificate to the Schoolhouse Store!

I could really use that, couldn't you?
And you can qualify to Win Big no matter how much or how little you spend!

So don't miss out on this great sale!
Head on over to The Old Schoolhouse Magazine today,
the Black Friday Sale ends Sunday, November 30.

Update To Crafts Post

I'm having trouble getting this link- Monday’s List: 100+ Homemade Christmas Gifts for the Craft-Impaired, to work in my earlier post on crafts, Free Arts and Crafts Projects/Scrapbooking/Homemade Gifts. Hopefully this is just temporary and if you're having trouble, check back later. There are some great ideas there you don't want to miss.

Also, I forgot to put in the link for my momma's blog, Artistic Inkspirations. That is fixed now.

New Goo Blue Goo

Have you ever let your children make goo?

Mine have a ball with it and it keeps them occupied for days.

All you need is:

1 box of cornstarch

1 1/2 cups water

food coloring

Put the cornstarch in a bowl, add the water and food coloring and let your children mix it up with their hands.

Squish, squish!

We made ours blue to begin with.

It was real soupy at first but it stiffened up a little as they played with it.

They decided to change the color to...lavender.

Added more red and made...pink.

More blue...

It dried out overnight.

The next day we added more water and played with it again!

As far as clean-up goes, it was a breeze. The goo dries pretty fast and I just used a rubber spatula to scrape the drips off the table, then wiped it down.

Don't pour it down the drain!

This is simple, inexpensive fun and can even be used in a science lesson.
Is It Liquid Or Solid?

Outrageous Ooze

Solid or Liquid? Non-Newtonian Fluid video

You can try this at home! :)

Free Arts and Crafts Projects/Scrapbooking/Homemade Gifts

My momma is a crafter, you name it she's done it. She really loves rubber-stamping and even teaches classes on it in her home. You can see some of what she does on her blog Artistic Inkspirations.
Anyways, she has been cleaning out her e-mail and sent me some great arts and craft links, and I thought I'd share them with you all today.

Starting off the list, from the blog Semicolon, Monday’s List: 100+ Homemade Christmas Gifts for the Craft-Impaired. There are links to all kinds of how-to's for homemade gifts; cooking mixes, sewing projects, homemade books and notebooks, and toys are just a few examples.

Do you need a place to store all your ribbons?
Make a homemade ribbon dispenser box, from Instructables.
I need to make one of these!

Make a mini, "maze" scrapbook at Making-Mini-Scrapbooks.com.
This 3x3 book would also be great for lapbooking or notebooking.

Would you like to learn how to incorporate quilling into your scrapbook?
Check out Introduction to Quilling for Scrapbookers from About.com Scrapbooking.

Don't know how to do quilling?
Here are a couple links to get you started:
A Basic Introduction to Quilling
Quilling Lesson for Children

All kinds of homemade gifts including; gifts-in-a-jar, printable gifts, decorations and some simple sewing projects, can be found at Organized Christmas. Check out the organizing and planning tips, too.

There are more that I'll post later; computer is acting up. Time to re-boot. :)

I Won A Book

Good morning to everyone!

Do you enter contests or giveaways?
I didn't used to, figured they were just a waste of time. With so many people entering, who really has a chance?

I've changed my mind. :)

Knowledge Quest Maps has announced the winners of their 2nd book giveaway I told you about last week.

I'm one of them! Wow! My children can't wait to get it!
This is really exciting because we don't get many brand-new books!

They will be posting more book giveaways on their blog, Knowledge Quest News, so check back often.

Thank you Terri. :)

Thanksgiving Freebies To Do With Your Children

A few more Thanksgiving freebies!

CurrClick has added "Thanksgiving Helper", by Living Books Curriculum, to their freebie page. Full of stories, copywork, poems and a picture study of "The First Thanksgiving" by famous historical painter J. L. G. Ferris, this would be wonderful to do with your children this week.

Here is a neat idea from Better Homes and Gardens.

Take a nature walk and create a wild turkey collage from your findings.

Last but not least, check out homeschoolingcoach.com for some fun Thanksgiving Day activities for your children.

A Fun And Easy Meme

Good morning all!
Something fun this morning.

Alexandra had this on her blog, Happy Hearts at Home, and I thought I'd do it, too. :)
What a neat way to get to know someone a little better!

A Fun and Easy Meme
Highlight the things you've done in your life. Mine are in bold.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

I added a few more. :)

100. Lived without electricity or indoor plumbing
101. Held a crawdad
102. Delivered Meals on Wheels
103. Been to Carlsbad Caverns
104. Caught a butterfly
105. Eaten road-kill
106. Smelled a rose
107. Been to Panama
108. Rode a horse
109. Canned your own food
110. Plucked a chicken


More blogs with this Meme:
Happy Hearts at Home
The Berry Patch
You Did What?
His Mercy is New
God Seekers Academy
Streams of Living Water


It's your turn. :)

Events and Activities in Townsend This Week

Here's what's happening in Townsend this week.

Daily

Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center
Open from 10am to 5pm, Tuesday through Saturday and 1pm to 5pm on Sunday.
Admission:
Adults (18-59) $6
Seniors (60+) $4
Children (6-17) $4
Under 6 Free
Admission Free with Membership

For more information please see their website or call (865)-448-0044.
Go here for information on school field trips.

Cades Cove Heritage Tours
Offers guided tours of Cades Cove, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, that showcase the history and resources of the area. Tours generally run 2-3 hours.

Tour Schedule:
Tuesday-Saturday
8:30 am (subject to change)
1:30 pm

Sunday
1:30 pm

Ticket prices:
Adult: $13.00
Senior (60+): $10.00
Child (6-17): $8.00
Under 6: FREE

Ticket Price for Members of the GSMHC:
Adult: $11.00
Senior (60+): $8.00
Child (6-17): $7.00
Under 6: FREE

Combination Ticket: Tour and Entrance to Heritage Center
Adult: $15.00
Senior (60+): $12.00
Child (6-17): $10.00
Under 6: FREE

For more information please see their website or call (865) 488-8838.
Please note: They recommend booking in advance as the busses usually book up a day or more ahead of time.


Sunday November 23

Townsend Visitor Center
Art Exhibit by Fred Weiser
Open 9am-6pm. Event is free. For more information call 865-448-6134 or 800-525-6834.


Thursday November 27
Happy Thanksgiving

Townsend Visitor Center
Holiday Photos by Mary Grace McCaffery
From 9am to 2pm come have your family holiday pictures made in front of the hearth at the Townsend Visitors Center. Prices and packages vary.
Open 9am to 3pm. For more information call 865-448-6134 or 800-525-6834.


Friday November 28

Townsend Visitor Center
Holiday Photos by Mary Grace McCaffery
From 9am to 4:30pm come have your family holiday pictures made in front of the hearth at the Townsend Visitors Center. Prices and packages vary.
Open 9am-6pm. For more information call 865-448-6134 or 800-525-6834.


Saturday November 29

Townsend Visitor Center
Holiday Photos by Mary Grace McCaffery
From 9am to 4:30pm come have your family holiday pictures made in front of the hearth at the Townsend Visitors Center. Prices and packages vary.
Open 9am-6pm. For more information call 865-448-6134 or 800-525-6834.


Sunday November 30

Townsend Visitor Center
Holiday Photos by Mary Grace McCaffery
From 9am to 4:30pm come have your family holiday pictures made in front of the hearth at the Townsend Visitors Center. Prices and packages vary.
Open 9am-6pm. For more information call 865-448-6134 or 800-525-6834.

The Harvest Is Ripe...

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

Joel 3:13