Help for the Summer Homeschool

I grabbed this book from the new book shelf at the library as I was walking out the other day, hoping I could use it as we prepare for our summer "homeschool." You know the museums, art classes, and history programs that I stuff the kids with over the summer to make up for the deficiencies of our (really good, by the way) public elementary school.

If your kids have never been to a museum or never taken an art class, then this is a great choice. While I really like the book, it was a little too "elementary" for us.

But it is a book, and it is number 9 of 15.

This is not a fashion blog

I don't usually write about fashion. I don't usually care about fashion. However, after a very bad start to my day yesterday, I was privileged to be a guest at the Houston Chronicle's 10 Best Dressed Women of Houston luncheon.

(Before you get all snippy on me about useless women who have nothing better to do than parade around in very expensive clothes, this event raised over $350,000 yesterday for the March of Dimes and has raised over $5.6 million in 26 years for the same organization.)

I don't care much for fashion ... like I don't care much for cars. Yet, just as I can appreciate an antique English roadster for its quality and lines, I can appreciate truly beautiful clothing when I see it.

The show started with this.



The cut of this coat was amazing. I could see from my seat in the third row that anyone would look good in something like this. Later in the runway show came this.



You can't tell from the photo, but the detail on this dress was wonderful. I thought it might be one of my favorites, but then this dress came out.



It was deceivingly beautiful ... on the runway you had to look twice before you noticed the sequins. And talk about sequins.



The movement of this dress was wonderful. You wouldn't believe that a dress with so much weight to it could flow like water. However, my favorite dress of the day was this one. I don't have anywhere to where it, but I might just put it in a frame on my wall. It was like a work of art.



Anyone have a couple of thousand dollars to loan me so I can own it?

I Have A Secret

I am not a "creative" person. Really.

(Well, maybe it isn't a huge secret.)

I am analytical. I like clear-cut steps. I like rules.

Even my creative undertakings usually involve steps. Cooking is a great example. I love to cook. I am quite a good cook. I am not a chef. I do not come up with dishes on my own. I follow recipes.

I scared myself a little yesterday when I bought this ...


and this ...


I don't know if it will make me creative, but I am going to have fun finding out.

I have been looking for a challenge.

And the most important part of this purchase is that it is the first thing I have bought and paid for myself since my husband's wedding present. I worked and got paid. I saved and spent. I bought this on my own!


I used Ken Rockwell's site and this information to help me choose. There is a wealth of useful information on this page.

Our First Encounter with the Bard of Avon

started out as a disaster.

I guess I should begin with my good intentions. After years of reading in one of my daily go-to blogs (Mental-multivitamin) about the joy of sharing Shakespeare with kids, I decided to take the first step. Houston's wonderful Miller Outdoor Theatre and Houston Grand Opera's Opera To Go program were presenting an adapted version of Charles Gounod's Romeo and Juliet. School in May after TAKS tests are out of the way is a joke ... I knew this would be a better opportunity to learn than being in the classroom. Besides it was a beautiful day. We would sleep in, drive downtown to see the show, eat lunch at the zoo and make our way home.

Except J doesn't sleep in and was very grouchy in the morning. M didn't want to miss PE that day. My lovely husband kept asking (over and over) why I thought this was more important than school. And I was out of all breakfast making material.

By 8:30 everyone was in a bad mood. Especially me. I tend to get a little testy when the reality doesn't meet my expectation. After 14 years of marriage and 2 boys, one would think I might have gotten over that. I haven't. We were all a little tired from a VERY busy week and we were all hungry. I finally gave up on getting anyone in any of the clothes I would have liked them to wear and decided a nice leisurely breakfast at Starbucks with a steaming chai was out of the question.

M had on his favorite green and orange plaid pants and his best red, white, and blue striped shirt while J sported the jean shorts and moldy T-shirt look. We went through the What-A-Burger drive through. I put the audio version of The Last Olympian on my iPod, hooked it up to the radio, and drove to the theater in peace and quiet.

Thankfully, the reality got a lot closer to my vision as the day went on. I had prepared well for this excursion. J had an abridged version of Romeo and Juliet to read and M had a Romeo and Juliet word search to work on while we waited. The production was fun and lighthearted and only 45-minutes. We all enjoyed the performance and J said he would like to see the whole thing, even if it is three hours long.

I don't think my boys developed a life-long love of Shakespeare from the day, but at least they know who he is.

How did I miss this?

Since its beginnings 84 years ago, Miller Outdoor Theatre has provided a unique resource for the City of Houston and its visitors. Steadfast in the founding principal that the theatre shall provide cultural and educational events free of charge for the public, Miller has evolved like the city itself. What was once "a permanent bandstand" in Hermann Park is now a first-class proscenium theatre, professionally operated and committed to providing quality and diverse performances worthy of the great international city that Houston has become.

We went to our first performance last night. The whole experience - driving down early to get good tickets (free), driving to Whole Foods for outdoor dinner food, driving home, preparing the dinner, driving to pick up my husband, driving to the treater again, watching the production, driving home - took up most of my day. It was worth it. The production was first class. The company was unparalleled. The setting was wonderful. It is the perfect way to introduce the boys to a more varied fine arts experience.

I have a feeling we will be spending many a summer afternoon and evening there. Hope to see you in the audience.