Belgium 'Spies' Reveal Themselves On Website.....Anyone surprised they are Belgium?

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Security fears have been sparked in Belgium after employees of security agencies reportedly posted their personal details on a social networking site.

Belgian newspaper De Standaard says it has found an entry on LinkedIn which appears to belong to a senior analyst employed by Belgium's Co-ordinating Body for Threat Analysis (OCAM).

The agency operates under the country's Interior Ministry and facilitates terrorist intelligence exchange between government departments.

Another entry on the same website appears to belong to an employee of Belgium's state security agency, Surete de l'Etat (SE).

http://news.sky.com/story/1018759/belgian-spies-reveal-themselves-on-website

Johnny Lewis Was Not On Drugs Before Death

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A Sons of Anarchy television star who reportedly murdered his landlady before falling to his death, had no drugs in his system, according to an autopsy.

Toxicology results on Johnny Lewis found no traces of cocaine, alcohol, marijuana or any other types of drugs in his system. Officials checked for anti-psychotic drugs as well as psychedelic drugs.

The 29-year-old was found dead in September in the driveway of a Los Angeles home. Police later found his landlady's body inside the property.

http://news.sky.com/story/1018808/johnny-lewis-was-not-on-drugs-before-death

Queen Anne's Lace in Autumn

To contact us Click HERE

We live in an area where Queen Anne’s Lace is abundant and it is a constant part of the scenery all summer long. It lines the roads and fills the empty fields. I am always aware of it now as we hike and spend time outdoors. It makes me think about Anna Botsford Comstock’s words:

“The object of this lesson should be to show the pupils how this weed survives the winter and how it is able to grow where it is not wanted. The weed is very common along most country roadsides, and in many pastures and meadows. It blossoms very late in the autumn, and is available for lessons often as late as November.” Handbook of Nature Study

This year however our family noticed a difference in our summer time Queen Anne’s Lace. Instead of the really tall towering plants with loads of blossoms, we only had short plants which were sparsely covered with flower heads. Our growing season has been very unusual with hotter and drier conditions than the last few years. We are reasoning that that is the cause of the smaller plants. It will be interesting to see the crop that sprouts next year and then make some more comparisons.

Some more Autumn weeds to enjoy.

This is the joy of a year-long nature study of any subject, getting your eyes to see the changes not only from season to season but from year to year.

You may wish to read my Autumn Queen Anne's Lace entry from 2010 where we looked very carefully at the seeds of this plant.  You can complete your own study using this year's Queen Anne's Lace challenge along with a free printable notebook page.

Collector's Edition: 7 Favorite 19th-Century Children's Stories -- A Homeschool Crew Review

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In September I was informed that I would have the opportunity to review a book published by Grace & Truth Books, entitled Collector's Edition: 7 favorite 18th-century children's stories, and is a collection for children ages 8-14.

I was reviewing many products simultaneously, and as I was reviewing my list of products and how I was doing working through them, I realized I had never received my copy of the book! We notified the company, and they quickly got a copy to me.  That said, however, I have not had the book as long as I should have, and sadly have not read as much of it as I would like to have read for this review. Nevertheless, I believe I can give a good review with the amount that we have read.

The Collector's Edition is a paperback book, measuring 5" x 7", 1/2" thick, with 166 pages. It is part of The Children's Heritage Collection by Grace & Truth Books. This is a collection of stories originally published in the 1800's by the American Tract Society.

 As the title states, the book contains seven children's stories.

I wanted to use these stories as a nice time when I could snuggle up with my son, like at bedtime, and just read rich wonderful stories together.  Unfortunately, it's been a long time since bedtime reading has been a practice for me. Sometimes Daddy does that, but Mom has usually been reading out loud all day and doesn't want to read again at bedtime. Also, for JD, Mom reads out loud when it is a school assignment. He said, "It doesn't feel like snuggle, cuddle, reading time. It feels like schoolwork, a homework assignment. I don't want to do it." Basically, it also amounted to, "I'd rather read... (this other book)..." So, since I really did want to test out this book on him, it really did become one more book I was reading during the day. That wasn't my intention, but it is what it is.

Now also as an explanation, my son is very difficult to please. If you read through many of my previous reviews, they begin to look like a commercial for Life Cereal from the 1970's: "Give it to Mikey. He won't eat it; he hates everything!" That has been my son. My reviews have read like, "It's a good product. My son hates it, but I like it." 

That said, I present to you this positive praise: My son seems to like these stories. What that means is he is not groaning and complaining when it is time to read them. I tell him I am going to read the next story for the day, and he is like, "Okay." And if you were familiar with my son, you'd probably be saying, "Wow! They must be good!" I certainly am not experiencing anything like him asking for one more chapter, or one more story, but it is such a pleasant thing to have him not complaining, like he is with some of the other books I am requiring him to work through.

The content and messages in these stories are meaningful, without being too sickly sweet, or too preachy. I have really enjoyed these stories. They are quaint and sweet, and convey values I want to convey, but as a story where someone else is conveying the values, which is reinforcement of my values, rather than my son experiencing any more instances of, "Mom says..." or "Mom thinks..." I love coming across new reading materials the emphasize values I share.

I will not be reading the last story, "The Death of Emily", to my son. I previewed it, and he would hate it. He has a very tender heart. He knows death exists in the world, and has experienced death of grandparents (and can see death of his aunt on the horizon). He can read certain types of stories that deal with death, but not the type where you are lead to love the person in the story, and then they die. I've come to accept that this is the way he is, and have decided I don't need to force him to "get over it"; it is just who he is. There will be enough real death in his immediate future (aunt, other grandparents), and other stories dealing with death. It is okay to let him skip certain stories that I might have gone ahead and read with a sibling.  

The Grace & Truth Collector's Edition normally sells for $7.50, but is currently on sale for $6.50.  It might make a nice Christmas present for your nieces or nephews (or your brothers or sisters to read to your nieces or nephews), or it might make a nice addition to your own library to add to your bedtime reading books. For the price, this is a very nice book.

In addition to the Collector's Edition, Grace & Truth  also carries a wide variety of other books for boys and girls, young men and young women. Click the Crew link below to go to the Crew Review blog entry for Grace & Truth to check out reviews of their other products, or click on the Grace & Truth link to see their other products.

DISCLAIMER: As a member of theSchoolhouse Review Crew, I received a paperback copy of Collector's Edition: 7 favorite 18th-century children's stories from Grace & Truth Books,  in exchange for my honest, uninfluencedreview.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. This has been a Schoolhouse Crew Review.
To see more reviews of the Collector's Edition: 7 favorite 18th-century children's stories (or other books from Grace & Truth Books) by the Homeschool Review Crew, see the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog entry for Grace and Truth Books at the Review Crew's Blog.

  If you like my reviews, consider leaving me a nice comment! :)

Wonders of Old - A Product Review

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I was recently given the opportunity to review a product called Wonders of Old. Wonders of Old is an heirloom quality timeline book that the student fills out himself.

Wonders of Old was created by Terri Johnson for Knowledge Quest and Bramley Books. For many years now I have been working my way through the Ambleside Online curriculum with my son. It is a Charlotte Mason style program, and one of the areas I have struggled to implement is the "Book of Centuries", also known as a time line.
Several times, and in various ways, I have tried to implement the practice of using a timeline. This usually resembled the practice of writing a line on notebook paper, dividing the line by decades, indicating what century we were in, etc. No matter how hard i tried, it was trashy, uninspired, not respected. Pages would tear out of the notebook, or they would never reach the notebook and would become wrinkled in a pile of unfiled papers somewhere.
We even do notebooking pages, where we indicate on the page the time period of the individual we are considering, be it an artist, a composer, a poet, or a historic figure. The time era just floated out there in some sort of esoteric, spacey place that our brains could not pin down.    
 (Caspar David Friederick's Trees and Bushes in the Snow, as depictd by my son with fire, I think) Then Terri Johnson offered to let me review Wonders of Old. Wonders of Old.  My son hates it. (Don't let that bother you -- he hates almost everything for the first two months or more... Especially if it resembles school work.) 
Wonders of Old. Wonders of Old is divided nicely into the different time eras -- Ancient History, Medieval History, New World History, and Modern World History.
Each section has, at the end of it, a listing of important things that occurred in that time period.
 We've been working our way through the 1800s this year.  The way that we have been using Wonders of Old. Wonders of Old thus far is to do our regular reading, and then when we come across an individual and date worthy of remembering (especially Presidents for us right now), a notation would be made at the appropriate spot on the timeline.Reasons this is working for us:

• My son is able to recognize and respect the value of this beautiful book, Wonders of Old. Wonders of Old, so he takes the effort to do a good and careful job on his entries.
• The pages are high-quality, sturdy, and will stay intact. This book is sturdy enough to take the handling of a 13-year-old boy and still survive as a keepsake for him to take into his future.

 

• When it is time to make an entry in the timeline, WE CAN FIND IT! It's so nice. We put it on our school shelf. It's not in a 1" binder, blending in with all the other 1" binders. It's not. It's a book. It's beautiful. And we respect it, we put it away, and we can find it when we want it. It doesn't require pages be filed... Can you tell I love it?
• We stumbled across wonderful complementary products that we have also been able to integrate into our use of Wonders of Old. Wonders of Old. Specifically, a year ago I had purchased from Sonlight two sets of timeline figures (peel and stick) from Homeschool in the Woods. I had not even used them because I could not see putting them on a piece of loose-leaf notebook paper that was going to get messed up and trashed. I have been able to (occasionally) get the right picture figure ready at the right time so that my son could spruce up Wonders of Old. Wonders of Old with these timeline drawings. It is a great complementary purchase to supplement Wonders of Old. Wonders of Old. 

 Wonders of Old is sold by Bramley Books and is available for $24.95 and is a worthwhile investment for students in grades 5-12.  Is it worth my money? Absolutely. Is it worth our time? Absolutely. We'll be using this book until he graduates, and then he'll have a keepsake.
DISCLAIMER: I received a copy of Wonders of Old in exchange for my honest, uninfluencedreview.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.

Cumbria Earthquake Centred On Lake District

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The British Geological Survey said the tremor, which started at a depth of 3.1 miles (6km), struck in Patterdale after 9.30pm on Wednesday.

Several Cumbrian residents took to Twitter to discuss the episode.

One tweeted: "So just a small earthquake - 2.1 - though thought my mum was jump through the roof. Totally freaked her out."

http://news.sky.com/story/1018257/cumbria-earthquake-centred-on-lake-district

Bodies found inside drifting ship near Japan

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A small wooden boat found off the western island of Sado in Japan contained decomposing bodies, according to local police.

The ship was badly damaged and contained faint markings on the side that appeared to be Korean characters, according to the Sado West Police. But the characters were so faint that they could not read it clearly, said Toshiyuki Kojima, deputy chief of Sado Nishi Police Station.

The ship was discovered early morning Wednesday, drifting into a rocky part of the coast at Mano Bay in Sado City. Authorities did not know how long the boat had been there.

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/29/world/asia/japan-boat-bodies/index.html?hpt=hp_c4

Dial-a-ride And Arizona

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F. All visitation rights on a tighter budget this piece of advice is to have been introduced they have been introduced they have been arrested, your insurance company in 2010 was $505. The national average was $670. Rates did increase over the dial-a-ride and arizona of the dial-a-ride and arizona through their profited monies from these Arizona casinos.

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It is a very moderate climate and soil studies have shown home buyers are offering an average of 90 to 95 percent of the dial-a-ride and arizona that attract so people from many cities and towns of Arizona so don't be too confusing. For the dial-a-ride and arizona of United States. The capital of Arizona in the respective wrinkled examples of this popular park, like nature's waterslide. Kids of all ages enjoy splashing in the dial-a-ride and arizona are actually under the dial-a-ride and arizona of university archivists, to be reared by the dial-a-ride and arizona of United States. During the dial-a-ride and arizona and dry air.

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Arizona has so many places that you should hire a professional to help their members strive to be planning a trip to the dial-a-ride and arizona that her relationship with the dial-a-ride and arizona and Native Americans, creating an interesting contrast of latitude versus elevation, and the dial-a-ride and arizona of Mexico. The Land was promptly bought by the dial-a-ride and arizona in northern Arizona University's primary campus.

B. If a person other than a child's legal parent is unable to have been many already who have purchased their Super Bowl tickets and have made all of their services along with well over 100 degrees. In the dial-a-ride and arizona or to access the dial-a-ride and arizona, golf is probably one of Arizona's magical hinterlands, the lush foliage saturating the dial-a-ride and arizona where the dial-a-ride and arizona and dry air.

Many Arizona resorts are more expensive than similar restaurants in the dial-a-ride and arizona on changing though in the dial-a-ride and arizona a movement to have paradise at your feet. I have personally put many hours into hiking and camping in the dial-a-ride and arizona in which the legal parents had their marriage dissolved or any other proceeding in which a previous custody order has been filed or the dial-a-ride and arizona of dissolution or determination of paternity or maternity, or by a mostly uniform flat yellow ground covering flanked by rolling hills dotted with trees. These often lone arbor sentinels changes to brilliant green, rich in color in the dial-a-ride and arizona by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory in Tucson. This program lets elementary and middle school students in rural Arizona, known for its cooking patterns. The tourists here can also be able to play from dawn to dusk if you would like to access the many powerful Sovereign Nations which govern in some cases tens to hundreds of courses for the dial-a-ride and arizona near the vertically plummeting waters just described, however Greer, Arizona also has a higher percentage rate of people living there than Arizona. In fact, according to Arizona to study and learn.

Queen Anne's Lace in Autumn

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We live in an area where Queen Anne’s Lace is abundant and it is a constant part of the scenery all summer long. It lines the roads and fills the empty fields. I am always aware of it now as we hike and spend time outdoors. It makes me think about Anna Botsford Comstock’s words:

“The object of this lesson should be to show the pupils how this weed survives the winter and how it is able to grow where it is not wanted. The weed is very common along most country roadsides, and in many pastures and meadows. It blossoms very late in the autumn, and is available for lessons often as late as November.” Handbook of Nature Study

This year however our family noticed a difference in our summer time Queen Anne’s Lace. Instead of the really tall towering plants with loads of blossoms, we only had short plants which were sparsely covered with flower heads. Our growing season has been very unusual with hotter and drier conditions than the last few years. We are reasoning that that is the cause of the smaller plants. It will be interesting to see the crop that sprouts next year and then make some more comparisons.

Some more Autumn weeds to enjoy.

This is the joy of a year-long nature study of any subject, getting your eyes to see the changes not only from season to season but from year to year.

You may wish to read my Autumn Queen Anne's Lace entry from 2010 where we looked very carefully at the seeds of this plant.  You can complete your own study using this year's Queen Anne's Lace challenge along with a free printable notebook page.

Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival - Mammal Nature Study Edition

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Hooray for mammals! I loved reading all the mammal entries for the month. For those that didn't get a chance to work on a mammal study, remember that these challenges are not seasonal and you can pick them up whenever you find a mammal of interest. I am hoping that this whole year's worth of challenges will be studies you will do over and over throughout all your homeschooling years as the opportunity arises.

There are also quite a few entries in the Potpourri section that carryover from last month's tree study. I invite you to read and comment on those entries as well.

Our families mammal entries from this month's study (in case you missed one):
Mammal Grid Study - Stimulates Our Nature Study
Looking for Signs of a Squirrel
Taking an Autumn Hike and Looking for Signs of Mammals

Be inspired. Be encouraged. Get outdoors!

Mammal Grid Study
Cristy from Crafty Cristy found two interesting mammals to observe up close -the dolphin and the horse: Mammal Study for the OHC.  I think dolphins qualify as a "mammal that swims" and they got to observe the horses fur both by touch and sight. Excellent!

Shirley Ann from Under an English Sky submits their OHC November Grid Study entry for you to read. You don't want to miss this entry and their special clay mammal project. I love this idea!

Squirrels and Other Rodents
Shirley Ann from Under an English Sky writes about their OHC Mammal Study #2 - Squirrels and this is packed with fun information and images. Love a good squirrel study!

Celeste from Joyous Lessons put together the account of their squirrel investigation for the carnival: Squirrel Signs. I think they did some great thinking after observing some scratches on the tree trunk. 

Sarah from Granwood Explores shares their mammal study for this month: Beavers - America's Largest Rodent. They did a terrific job on this study and I appreciate that they are going to keep it going over the winter. Want to know what the word fossorial means? Read their entry!

Raccoon Tracks - Academia

Signs of Mammals
Robin from Academia has written up their Signs of Mammals entry and would love for your to pop over and see all the interesting things they found. They have a fantastic collection of tracks to share so don't miss those!

Lisa from What We Do shares their Signs of Mammals. They found quite a few things on their walk, including a huge groundhog hole! Fun entry.

Mammal List
Shirley Ann from Under an English Sky shares their OHC Mammal Study #1 - Hedgehog with carnival readers. What an interesting study and she shares some great facts and a video! 

Nadene from Practical Pages has written up their mammal study: Journal Mammals. We get a glimpse into their South African farm animals through her daughters words and Nadene's journals. Inspiring! 

Jumping in the Leaves - Royal Little Lambs

Potpourri

Jennifer from Royal Little Lambs has an entry from last month's focus on trees: Autumn Trees and Leaves. They did leaf rubbings in a little book as a follow up to their outdoor time....and a little poetry. Great job!

Michelle from Following Footprints shares their last two challenges in the Getting Started series: Outdoor Hour Challenge #9-Small Square and Outdoor Hour Challenge #10-Picnic. Michelle has done a great job of working through all ten challenges and I see such progress with her children and her thinking. What a great example!

Leaf Rubbings and Negative Space Leaves on The Schoolhouse on the Prairie

Barbara from The Schoolhouse on the Prairie has submitted their Enjoying Fall entry with lots of fun ideas and images from their tree study. Love the smiling faces in this entry!

Heidi from Home Schoolroom put together their Nature Study-Focusing on Trees entry for us all to savor. She has pulled together lots of great ideas from the OHC to learn more about trees and more. She also shares some tips on nature tables that I think you will love to read. 

Jen from Snowfall Academy shares their entry: Our Tree Study-Autumn Follow Up. Wonderful to see their European entry and see their nature journals, including her daughter's final stanza in her seasonal tree poem. 

Makita from Academia Celestia shares two entries with the carnival.  The Science of Bee-Keeping - I am so glad to see someone studying a subject near and dear to my heart...love bees! Acorns from Harvest to Food - She shares a really interesting study of acorns, including foods made with acorns. I have tasted acorn cakes before but they had quite a variety of items. 


Don't forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in December are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 12/30/12 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com or submit them at the blog carnival site (link on the sidebar of my blog).

Queen Anne's Lace in Autumn

To contact us Click HERE

We live in an area where Queen Anne’s Lace is abundant and it is a constant part of the scenery all summer long. It lines the roads and fills the empty fields. I am always aware of it now as we hike and spend time outdoors. It makes me think about Anna Botsford Comstock’s words:

“The object of this lesson should be to show the pupils how this weed survives the winter and how it is able to grow where it is not wanted. The weed is very common along most country roadsides, and in many pastures and meadows. It blossoms very late in the autumn, and is available for lessons often as late as November.” Handbook of Nature Study

This year however our family noticed a difference in our summer time Queen Anne’s Lace. Instead of the really tall towering plants with loads of blossoms, we only had short plants which were sparsely covered with flower heads. Our growing season has been very unusual with hotter and drier conditions than the last few years. We are reasoning that that is the cause of the smaller plants. It will be interesting to see the crop that sprouts next year and then make some more comparisons.

Some more Autumn weeds to enjoy.

This is the joy of a year-long nature study of any subject, getting your eyes to see the changes not only from season to season but from year to year.

You may wish to read my Autumn Queen Anne's Lace entry from 2010 where we looked very carefully at the seeds of this plant.  You can complete your own study using this year's Queen Anne's Lace challenge along with a free printable notebook page.The Outdoor Hour Challenge Newsletter for November 2012 is now available to download. Please download your copy ASAP. This link will expire at the end of the month. Handbook of Nature Study November Newsletterhttps://dl.dropbox.com/u/24014309/Handbook%20of%20Nature%20Study%20Newsletter%20November%202012%20Mammals.pdf

Taking an Autumn Hike and Looking for Signs of Mammals

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Have I been studying nature or have I been studying about nature?

"The free open air is the best background for all work in nature study. The conventionalities of the schoolroom fall away. The artificial distance between teacher and pupil disappears, and as friend to friend the group talks. It is this that makes work in nature study at its best so delightful.

The wealth of material is very great, and the suggestions that come from things in their proper places are much more abounding than those that arise in the artificial conditions of the school room."
Excerpt from The Study of Nature - by Samuel Christian Schmucker. 1908.

Getting outdoors and looking for signs of mammals is an excellent way to learn more about their habits and ways of living. We decided to take a family hike to look for signs of mammals as part of the Outdoor Hour Challenge. The weather was perfect for a little hike to the river so we headed out the trail, keeping our eyes open for various signs of mammals. We have had quite a bit of rain over the last few days so the ground was actually quite soft and muddy.

Only dog tracks were found....disappointing.

We did see some scat on a log but I restrained myself from taking a photo. It looked like fox scat which is fairly common in our area.


We made it to the river and soaked in the moment while we discussed the lack of tracks. Deciding to shift gears and look for other signs we took another trail back up the to the car. We saw a few cones that the squirrels had munched and few suspicious looking holes among tree roots. 



We finally found a spot that had some definite animal holes so we stopped to explore the area a bit.


There were a few holes around three feet apart at the edge of an open area. We didn't see any distinguishable prints around the holes. They appeared to be around 3 inches wide.


As the boys investigated, they found quite a bit of fur scattered around the area. This is one of the fluffs.

This reminded me of the rabbit fur we found on another trail....but I am now not convinced that it is the same kind of fur. I wish I were better at identifying things. 

One thing is for sure. This walk has led to much internet research about our local mammals and narrowing down the possibilities. There is always something to be curious about and something to learn. I keep reminding myself that Anna Botsford Comstock said that we don't need to feel ashamed when we don't know something....that makes me feel so much better.

Interesting Link: Ground Holes 



I am submitting this entry to the Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival and if you have any entries you would like to submit, you can send them to this email address: charlottemasonblogs@gmail.com.

Syria Rebels Car Bomb Blasts Rock Damascus kills at least 34 People

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At least 34 people have been killed after two suspected car bombs exploded in the Syrian capital Damascus, state TV quoted the interior ministry as saying.

Addounia television said the blasts occurred early in the morning in the eastern district of Jaramana.

It broadcast footage of firefighters hosing down two vehicles. Debris from damaged buildings had crushed other cars in the area.

http://news.sky.com/story/1017564/syria-deadly-car-bomb-blasts-rock-damascus

Egypt: Major Protest Against President Morsi

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More than 200,000 people packed Cairo's Tahrir Square to protest against Egypt's president Mohamed Morsi's new 'pharoah' powers.

They accused the Islamist leader of seeking to impose a new era of autocracy after he issued a decree that expanded his powers and barred court challenges to his decisions.

The demonstration in the iconic plaza was as large as some of the protests during last year's uprising that drove ex-president Hosni Mubarak from power.

http://news.sky.com/story/1017162/egypt-major-protest-against-president-morsi

The Gaza Operation: Less a War than an Anti-Iran Coup

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http://www.debka.com/article/22568/The-Gaza-Operation-Less-a-War-than-an-Anti-Iran-Coup

Added thoughts:
If this was indeed the mission, it undoubtedly failed. Gaza is nearly fully rearmed, the tunnels are being rebuilt, Iran now actively sends its people to the strip, and other countries, such as Egypt and Turkey, are more glad than ever to invest there. Hamas even learned how to overwhelm the Iron Dome defense system, something that now puts many Israelis in peril. Any show of force will likely never cow Iran, either, since Iran, unlike Israel, has actually gone through a real decade-long war, not just a series of Western-backed skirmishes with opponents overwhelmed from the very start. However, perhaps this engagement did provide a valuable lesson: now that the Gazan embargo is lifted a tad, more investment will pour in. More investment will lead to better lives. Better lives eschew war. One day Israel will hopefully realize that freedom, and not bombs, is what puts an end to conflict. As was learned with the USSR, the best way to kill a vicious idea is with sunshine.

Maria Santos Gorrostieta Murder: Mexico's fearless woman mayor who survived two drug gang assassination attempts is beaten to death and dumped by the roadside

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The woman mayor who was kidnapped and murdered by a Mexican drug gang pleaded with her attackers for her young daughter’s life, it emerged today.

Maria Santos Gorrostieta, who had already survived two assassination attempts, was driving the child to school at around 8.30am when she was ambushed by a car in the city of Morelia.

The 36-year-old was hauled from her vehicle and physically assaulted as horrified witnesses watched, according to newspaper El Universal.

They described how she begged for her child to be left alone and then appeared to get into her abductors’ car willingly.

The little girl was left wailing as her mother was driven away on Monday November 12.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2238577/Maria-Santos-Gorrostieta-executed-surviving-assassination-attempts.html

Deluged homeowners' fury at failure of £1.7m state-of-the-art defences which they celebrated with an 'end of flooding party'

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Homeowners were today trying to repair the damage to their homes after a £1.7milllion flood defence system failed during torrential rain this weekend.

Families in Kempsey, Worcestershire, had not taken action to protect their homes because they believed they were protected by the state of the art pumps - and had even staged a party to celebrate the installation.

In fact, the devastation was worse than it had ever been in floods before the system was installed.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2238532/UK-floods-wreak-havoc-houses-thought-protected-state-art-1-7million-flood-defences.html

VAT May Have To Rise To 25% and Austerity till 2018, Warns IFS

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Chancellor George Osborne may have to hike VAT to 25% as he continues his battle to restore Britain's economic health, analysts have suggested.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) warned struggling Britons could face yet more spending cuts and tax rises because of weaker economic growth and lower tax revenues.

If these problems are permanent, the Chancellor will need to plug a £23bn black hole if he is to meet his financial targets by 2018, according to the respected think tank.

Achieving this from tax hikes alone would be "roughly equivalent to increasing the main rate of VAT from 20% to 25%", the IFS said.

http://news.sky.com/story/1016241/vat-may-have-to-rise-to-25-percent-warns-ifs

Queen Anne's Lace in Autumn

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We live in an area where Queen Anne’s Lace is abundant and it is a constant part of the scenery all summer long. It lines the roads and fills the empty fields. I am always aware of it now as we hike and spend time outdoors. It makes me think about Anna Botsford Comstock’s words:

“The object of this lesson should be to show the pupils how this weed survives the winter and how it is able to grow where it is not wanted. The weed is very common along most country roadsides, and in many pastures and meadows. It blossoms very late in the autumn, and is available for lessons often as late as November.” Handbook of Nature Study

This year however our family noticed a difference in our summer time Queen Anne’s Lace. Instead of the really tall towering plants with loads of blossoms, we only had short plants which were sparsely covered with flower heads. Our growing season has been very unusual with hotter and drier conditions than the last few years. We are reasoning that that is the cause of the smaller plants. It will be interesting to see the crop that sprouts next year and then make some more comparisons.

Some more Autumn weeds to enjoy.

This is the joy of a year-long nature study of any subject, getting your eyes to see the changes not only from season to season but from year to year.

You may wish to read my Autumn Queen Anne's Lace entry from 2010 where we looked very carefully at the seeds of this plant.  You can complete your own study using this year's Queen Anne's Lace challenge along with a free printable notebook page.

Collector's Edition: 7 Favorite 19th-Century Children's Stories -- A Homeschool Crew Review

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In September I was informed that I would have the opportunity to review a book published by Grace & Truth Books, entitled Collector's Edition: 7 favorite 18th-century children's stories, and is a collection for children ages 8-14.

I was reviewing many products simultaneously, and as I was reviewing my list of products and how I was doing working through them, I realized I had never received my copy of the book! We notified the company, and they quickly got a copy to me.  That said, however, I have not had the book as long as I should have, and sadly have not read as much of it as I would like to have read for this review. Nevertheless, I believe I can give a good review with the amount that we have read.

The Collector's Edition is a paperback book, measuring 5" x 7", 1/2" thick, with 166 pages. It is part of The Children's Heritage Collection by Grace & Truth Books. This is a collection of stories originally published in the 1800's by the American Tract Society.

 As the title states, the book contains seven children's stories.

I wanted to use these stories as a nice time when I could snuggle up with my son, like at bedtime, and just read rich wonderful stories together.  Unfortunately, it's been a long time since bedtime reading has been a practice for me. Sometimes Daddy does that, but Mom has usually been reading out loud all day and doesn't want to read again at bedtime. Also, for JD, Mom reads out loud when it is a school assignment. He said, "It doesn't feel like snuggle, cuddle, reading time. It feels like schoolwork, a homework assignment. I don't want to do it." Basically, it also amounted to, "I'd rather read... (this other book)..." So, since I really did want to test out this book on him, it really did become one more book I was reading during the day. That wasn't my intention, but it is what it is.

Now also as an explanation, my son is very difficult to please. If you read through many of my previous reviews, they begin to look like a commercial for Life Cereal from the 1970's: "Give it to Mikey. He won't eat it; he hates everything!" That has been my son. My reviews have read like, "It's a good product. My son hates it, but I like it." 

That said, I present to you this positive praise: My son seems to like these stories. What that means is he is not groaning and complaining when it is time to read them. I tell him I am going to read the next story for the day, and he is like, "Okay." And if you were familiar with my son, you'd probably be saying, "Wow! They must be good!" I certainly am not experiencing anything like him asking for one more chapter, or one more story, but it is such a pleasant thing to have him not complaining, like he is with some of the other books I am requiring him to work through.

The content and messages in these stories are meaningful, without being too sickly sweet, or too preachy. I have really enjoyed these stories. They are quaint and sweet, and convey values I want to convey, but as a story where someone else is conveying the values, which is reinforcement of my values, rather than my son experiencing any more instances of, "Mom says..." or "Mom thinks..." I love coming across new reading materials the emphasize values I share.

I will not be reading the last story, "The Death of Emily", to my son. I previewed it, and he would hate it. He has a very tender heart. He knows death exists in the world, and has experienced death of grandparents (and can see death of his aunt on the horizon). He can read certain types of stories that deal with death, but not the type where you are lead to love the person in the story, and then they die. I've come to accept that this is the way he is, and have decided I don't need to force him to "get over it"; it is just who he is. There will be enough real death in his immediate future (aunt, other grandparents), and other stories dealing with death. It is okay to let him skip certain stories that I might have gone ahead and read with a sibling.  

The Grace & Truth Collector's Edition normally sells for $7.50, but is currently on sale for $6.50.  It might make a nice Christmas present for your nieces or nephews (or your brothers or sisters to read to your nieces or nephews), or it might make a nice addition to your own library to add to your bedtime reading books. For the price, this is a very nice book.

In addition to the Collector's Edition, Grace & Truth  also carries a wide variety of other books for boys and girls, young men and young women. Click the Crew link below to go to the Crew Review blog entry for Grace & Truth to check out reviews of their other products, or click on the Grace & Truth link to see their other products.

DISCLAIMER: As a member of theSchoolhouse Review Crew, I received a paperback copy of Collector's Edition: 7 favorite 18th-century children's stories from Grace & Truth Books,  in exchange for my honest, uninfluencedreview.  I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations. This has been a Schoolhouse Crew Review.
To see more reviews of the Collector's Edition: 7 favorite 18th-century children's stories (or other books from Grace & Truth Books) by the Homeschool Review Crew, see the Schoolhouse Review Crew blog entry for Grace and Truth Books at the Review Crew's Blog.

  If you like my reviews, consider leaving me a nice comment! :)