Clipper Ships

I recently attended the Maritime Heritage Festival in Port Washington, Wisconsin. I sailed on the Denis Sullivan, a 137-foot re-creation of a three-masted, 19th century Great Lake's schooner. The schooner is an impressive example of 19th century technology. When I considered that this great ship was built with hand tools and sweat I gained an appreciation of our forefathers hard work.



The Great Lakes can dish out some pretty nasty weather. This type of ship sailed before the days of radar, GPS, or the U.S. Coast Guard. To sail in the 1800's it took great courage to jump on one of these ships and seek your fortune.



My favorite part of the whole sailing experience was helping the crew "heave-ho" the sail up. Those sails are heavy! I would highly recommend this festival for family fun.

Age of Chivalry

We saw this wonderful circus wagon at The Circus World Museum at Baraboo, Wisconsin. After doing a little research on the "Age of Chivalry," I discovered that Thomas Bulfinch had written a book called the Age of Fable: Vol. III The Age of Chivalry. The book was published in 1913 and describes the adventures of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Bulfinch defines Chivalry as follows: "...Chivalry, which framed an ideal of the heroic character, combining invincible strength and valor, justice, modesty, loyalty to superiors, courtesy to equals, compassion to weakness, and devotedness to the Church; an ideal which, if never met with in real life, was acknowledged by all as the highest model for emulation."

Wow! Wouldn't teaching our children these values make our world a better place?

How do you encourage Chivalry?

Sunlit Clematis

Acorn Hat

My first knitting project.

Sunday Dinner

Busy, busy, busy. That is how most of us describe our lives. School, work, ballgames, lessons, and clubs make our lives very crowded. Carving out some down time is not easy.  I love the ancient tradition of the Sabbath.  The Sabbath is not a "rule of rest" it is for our benefit- even God himself took a day off after creating the world.  Sundays are a great time to reconnect with your soul, your family, and pets. A little down time gives us a chance to re-create on the inside.

Our family loves to sit down together for Sunday lunch. Our meals are easy, casual and delicious. Pot roasts are my favorite because the are both delicious and effortless. Here are instructions for today's Sunday meal. Enjoy your family time around the table.


Pork Shoulder Roast with New Potatoes and Carrots
Spray a roasting pan with non-stick cooking spray (for easy clean-up).
Scrub red potatoes.
Peel carrots.
Place roast in bottom of pan. Surround roast with potatoes and carrots.
Suggested seasonings for pork roast include salt, pepper, sliced onions, and bay leaves to taste.
Add 1 1/2 cups of water to bottom of pan.
Place lid on roaster and bake for 3 hours at 300F.
What's your favorite Sunday dinner?

Great summer read

It's always nice to have a good book by your side. This summer I am reading Agatha Christie's Dumb Witness. Bob the dog is the 'Dumb Witness' since he can't tell the famous detective Hercule Poirot 'whodunit'. Christie's writing is always clear and makes a easy read in the midst of summer chaos. Also recommended is Christie's Mysterious Affair at Styles.

What's you favorite summer read?

Family Meeting

In order to get the summer off to a good start I invited all the kids to a family meeting. I posted the following sign:

Family Meeting
Re: chores, rules, and fun
Meet at the picnic table at 12:30.
Subway lunch will be served.
Place Subway orders by noon

The kids all showed up without complaint (well ...there was free food). We discussed expectations and what responsibilities they should carry in order to make the summer go smoothly. Things were simple...

• Everybody makes their beds everyday.
• Laundry will be a group project and worked on everyday.
• No dirty dishes in the sink (we have a dishwasher).
• No computer before noon.
• Yard mowing duties will be shared by everyone that is old enough to mow.

I finished our family meeting with having everyone list their top three "want to dos" this summer. Having friends over,shopping and family field trips to local fun spots were the kids top picks.

How do you manage chores and fun with your kids?