Where I’m from

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I am from a purple bike with silver streamers, from McDonald’s hamburgers for 25 cents and cheese pizzas because we didn’t know there were more options.

I am from flat farmland with high mountains in the distance, from the smell of rich dirt on the wind.

I am from the mosquitos biting at twilight and the sweet smell of warm tomatoes on the side of the road.

I am from Grasshopper pie on your birthday, from Clifton and Magdalene and Ward and Helen.

From “work first, play later” and smiling eyes.

I am from dozing on Momma’s shoulder while I listened to the pastor. Now I’m the Momma – same pastor.

I’m from Northern California Ag land, walnuts and Grandpa’s garden vegetables.

From the coffee can aroma quelling my naseua in the backseat, sucking the sea salt out of my hair after a day at Dillon’s Beach, and making s’mores at the cabin.

I am from old photo albums – black pages and white spidery letting. I am from rolls and rolls of old movies with no sound.
I am from Grandma’s attic.

How to Read a Book – Chap 3 Comments

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“The First Level of Reading: Elementary Reading”

Stages of learning to read
a. Reading readiness (birth – six/seven)
b. 2nd stage – learn to read very simple materials
c. 3rd stage – rapid progress in vocabulary and increased skill in “unlocking” the meaning of unfamiliar words through context clues / Start to read for fun and different subjects to gain understanding.
d. 4th stage – refinement and enhancement of skills previously acquired.

p 28 – “Only when he (student) has mastered all of the four stages of elementary reading is the child prepared to move on to the higher levels of reading. Only then can he read independently and learn on his own.”

“To this day, most institutions of higher learning either do not know how to instruct students in reading beyond the elementary level, or lack the facilities and personnel to do so.”

*** So, WHERE are we to learn the other levels??? EVERYONE need to read this book!
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Please note this is part of my participation in the “Great Books Reading Partnership”. We are currently reading “How to Read a Book”. Please go here to read other’s comments on the chapters!

How to Read a Book – Chap 2 Comments

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“Your goal in reading determines the way you read.”

Most definitely! Since I want to soak up this book – I’m not reading it like I do an Agatha Christie. But rather I’m sitting here with a pen and notepad and scribbling down the things that I want to remember!

Such as:

The 4 levels of Reading:

(1) Elementary Reading (basic reading – ordinarily learned in elementary school)
“What does the sentence say?” (in the simplest meaning)

(2) Inspectional Reading (skimming or prereading)
It’s aim is to get the most out of the book within a given time … too little to get everything out of a book that can be gotten.
“What is the book about?”

(3) Analytical Reading (more complex and more systematic)
“What this book is mainly about”
Must ask many, and organized, questions
~~Analytical Reading is mainly for the sake of understanding~~

“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”
~ Francis Bacon

(4) Syntopical Reading – most complex and systematic.
Comparative Reading

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I think the only thing I read at level 3 and 4 anymore is the Bible. I’ve got some retraining to do!!

Like Socks? Want More? Want to play??

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My stepmom sent me a fun letter about socks and I want to play! The way to play – you need to send one pair of socks to the first person on the list and then mail the letter to 5 new people. Then those 5 people will send out the letter to 5 people each and you will get 25 pairs of socks!! All for the cost of 1 pair of socks and 5 stamps! I want to do this – but between my stepmom, my sister-in-law and my sister – I’m not sure to whom I could send it!

So, I thought – blogdom!!! If you want to play, please email me and give me your mailing address! If there are more than 5 people who want to play, I’ll have to pick the first 5. (Or maybe we could start a second list) If you have questions, just drop me a note or comment!

C’mon – let’s play!!

Photos from this and that

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I’ve been lack about blogging and posting pics – so here is a hodge podge post to catch up! 😉

J3 has discovered he is now old enough to climb Grandma & Grandpa O’s tree:
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For about a month – we had a Venus Fly Trap plant – again, I.AM.NOT.A.GARDNER!
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The boys and I missed church as J3 had a fever and DH could not do the speaking and keep an eye on the boys. So we stayed home, but we did head over to Grandma & Grandpa O’s (next door) and hunted eggs and had dinner:
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Yes, he did eventually find it! lol
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Yes, that’s me – it might have been sunny – but I was freezing!
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J3 and J1 hunting
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Carson is doing some “extreme” easter egg hunting!

When my Grandma died, we had to cancel our vacation plans, but that meant we could go to the Middle Earth Festival. Here, J2 and his friend, Joseph are enjoying this photo opportunity with a Ring Wraith!
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and admired a very tall dwarf:
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The boys dressed up for my Grandma’s funeral
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They don’t look like it in this photo – but they really enjoyed being so good looking!
Here is J2 and C1:
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