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This type of education runs deep in my family, since my sister, brothers and I attended a one-room school, as did my parents and grandparents.  My mom and her mother were teachers in one-room schools, along with many of Mother’s cousins.  My paternal great grandmother also was a one-room schoolhouse teacher.

These schools associated with my family were located in New York State.  However, I’ve also studied those that existed in New Hampshire, where I now live. 

They fascinate me as part of my heritage and that of our country.  So I’m compiling a blog, One -Room Schooldays, with stories, memories, facts and figures.  (Visit it and comment about your experiences and heritage.)

My mom wrote her memories about her first school and how she met my dad when she moved to that town.  Some of her students remembered her as their teacher when they were adults with children and grandchildren.  I learned from their stories that she, as their teacher, made a difference in many lives.

A one-room school heritage also made a difference in the lives of many Americans.

Do you have a one-room school heritage?

Post from: Blisstree

One-Room Schools, An American Heritage

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In your home, there must be excited youngsters who are embarking upon new adventures in a new year at school.  Or you may be planning learning activities at home.

This was an exciting time when I was a youngster, too.  New clothing, new shoes, a new bookbag and possibly a new lunch box.  Mother didn’t have a great deal of money to spend, but she saved up so we’d have something special for starting school.  She was a former teacher and urged her four children to get  a good education.  She tried to make school exciting and interesting for us.

I try to impart this enthusiasm for learning during my work as a substitute teacher and a visiting author in schools.  I also teach writing/reading workshops for youngsters in public, private and homeschools.  Hopefully  I encourage the youngsters to take a greater interest in books and writing stories, too.

How do you encourage your youngsters in their schooling and impart enthusiasm?

Post from: Blisstree

Back-to-School Theme Week

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This brought back memories of my early fear of this natural phenomenon. (Remember this is Nature Theme Week in my Parenting posts, so lightning ties in!)  However, Mother’s calmness and prayers, her explanation of how and why lightning occurs, gave me a sense of peace.

I tried to impart this to my daughter and grandchildren, so they respected lightning and desired to practice safety, yet could enjoy its beauty.  I recall living in Texas, where lighting flashed across the wide expanse of sky…impressing me so much that I painted pictures of it.

How do you teach your youngsters to respect lightning and its dangers, yet not live in fear of it?

• Learn about lighting’s origins
• Realize there are dangers in lightning
• Practice lightning safety
• Draw pictures of lightning and thunderstorms
• Learn about lightning legends and folklore
• Check out a lightning display at a science museum

Post from: Blisstree

How Do Your Youngsters Handle Lightning?

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You may work in nature related themes in your fabric art.  Share with us something you’ve done in this area, whether it’s an original pattern or a traditional one.

1. Butterfly Quilt
2. Dresden Flowers
3. Blazing Star
4. English Flower Garden
5. Grandmother’s Flower Garden
6. Honey Bee
7. Maple Leaf
8. Ocean Wave
9. Palm Leaf
10. Spider Web
11. Strawberry
12. Sunbeam
13. Wild Goose Chase

What else can you think of?

Post from: Blisstree

Thursday Thirteen -13 Nature Quilt Patterns

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• Take walks around your neighborhood and find natural objects you can learn about.
• Pick up trash as you take your walks…you’re helping keep your environment green and clean.
• Collect objects you can use for nature crafts…stones, shells, fallen leaves, acorns, unusual sticks, and more.
• Listen to the birds and try to identify them by sound and sight.  Keep a list and add to it.  Mother taught me to take time to listen to the birds living around us and looking for new ones.
• Identify trees and leaves.  My dad, who worked in the woods as a youth, was forever pointing out trees and leaves to me.
• Take longer hikes as a family…to areas around you and places you encounter on your travels. 
• Learn about the geology and geography of your local area and other places.
• Expand your horizons!

What do you do as a family that’s nature related and allows you to enjoy the out-of-doors?

Post from: Blisstree

Nature Theme Week

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Most kids beg to help in the kitchen when they’re young, but moms sometimes feel they don’t have the time to let inexperienced fingers at the food.  So sandwich making may be a good way to learn.

I recall a 4-year old niece being so excited because I let her help me make lunch sandwiches.  Apparently she’d never had this experience before, so was thrilled simply to spread bread with butter or mayonnaise.

Then we placed simple sandwich fillings on the bread.  She proudly carried the finished food to the table and announced to her cousins, “I made the sandwiches.”

How can children help? Much depends on their age and experience, but your having the patience to let youngsters loose in the kitchen will yield rewards later on when they can prepare entire meals themselves.

They can:

• Help plan the picnic menu
• Make sandwiches with simple, easy to spread fillings.
• Arrange celery and carrot sticks on a platter or place in a bag to tote along.
• Spread icing over cupcakes.
• Help stir various incredients….sandwich fillings, the icing for cupcakes, cake and cookie batter.
• Make instant type puddings
• Tear lettuce and add other incredients for salad.
• Making fruit punch
• Arrange pretty napkins and plates at the picnic table.

How do you incorporate your youngsters’ help at picnic time? This can be a fun family time.

Post from: Blisstree

Family Food Preparation at Picnic Time

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These are times for gathering picnic memories to share in later years with children and grandchildren.  Some picnics also become annual affairs and create traditions in families.

The types of foods prepared or toted along are many.  You can barbecue on the spot or make sandwiches and salads to enjoy during meal breaks.

Picnic possibilities:

• Make sandwiches to take in a cooler during travels.  My dad liked to take Sunday drives and found various picnic spots to stop and eat.
• Backpacking calls for foods that carry well, aren’t refrigerated and take up less space.
• Backyard picnics can be cookouts, a quick sandwich, foods you’d serve indoors, etc.
• Children enjoy picnics of almost any type and find their favorite spots.  My husband and his brothers had a “picnic rock” on their farm where they’d take their sandwiches at lunch time.  My siblings and I had a “flat rock” on our farm that was a favorite spot.
• Tailgating picnics at sports games have become very popular for friends and families.

What are some of your favorite family picnic spots?  Do you have family picnic memories?

Post from: Blisstree

The Joy of Family Picnics

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Among the older and traditional pattern designs, I found:

• Rocky Mountains
• Moon Over the Mountain
• Delectable Mountains
• Rocky Mountain Road
• Saw Tooth (there also are mountains of this name)

Many quilters nowadays are creating quilts, quilt hangings and mixed media from pictures of mountains, either photos they’ve taken or ones that have inspired them.  They also print photos onto fabric, from their computer, to make the material for their art work.

So mountains have found their way into traditional and art quilting, as well as mixed media.

What art have you done that’s been inspired by mountains?

Post from: Blisstree

Mountain Theme Week Quilt Patterns

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Why not locate them on a map?  Read about them?

• Rocky Mountains
• Smoky Mountains
• Green Mountains
• White Mountains
• Appalachian Mountains
• Pocono Mountains
• Adirondack Mountains
• Cascade Mountains
• Sierra Nevada Mountains
• Catskill Mountains
• Ozark Mountains

How many do you know?

Post from: Blisstree

Do You Know Your Mountains?

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These experiences made memories we discuss today and share with her children.  Her life situation is different, so that they don’t do much camping, but take day trips in our New Hampshire area for geocaching. 

Each family has its own form of recreation and family entertainment while exploring mountains…hiking, camping, swimming in lakes, driving through the rough terrain, as well as learning about the geology and history. 

Check out mountain enjoyment in your home area or a region you plan to visit.  Try something new, too, like we did on a pack trip to the Gros Ventre Mountains of Wyoming when our daughter was a teen.  That sparked our interest in mountain exploration of the American West, in addition to the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Various activities might include:

• Hiking
• Camping
• Exploring historic trails
• Backpacking
• Learning about mountain flowers and animals
• Keeping  journals
• Taking photos
• Writing travel articles
• Geocaching

Share with us your family mountain experiences.

Post from: Blisstree

Mountains & Camping Theme Week