Lifestyle of Learning 2017 Edition: Volume Fifteen

April 16 - 29

Alrighty, I have an update that has been two weeks in the making.  So I must caution that this is a photo heavy post.  Okay, the truth is I tend to have photo dense posts as I love to photograph our adventures but this one is two weeks worth of good stuff.  Venture forth at your own risk.

What have we been up to the last couple of weeks?

We celebrated Easter!!!

Bishop had pottery lessons each week.
He trimmed the pots that he threw off of the hump...

...and threw these two large "donuts".

He is working on something new and thoroughly his own!

We signed Bishop up for the furnace glass blowing class that he was promised at Christmas time.  It won't be until October so we also signed him up for a glass bead making class.  He will take that class next week.  Yay!!!

Maceo was invited to a high school prom so we spent some time doing all the prom preparation - flowers, tux and paperwork for the school since he is homeschooled.  Then off to the prom he did go!!!

She needed a donut before dinner.  He didn't judge, he just bought her a donut.  Love it!!!

An Eagle Scout court of honor was held to celebrate the achievement of one of the boys' friends and one of Bishop's fellow troop members.
Bishop called the color guard...

and friends were reunited.

Fun!!!

Bishop went to the All-School Art Exhibit at the art museum.
He saw some fine pieces of work from elementary students...

 ...middle school students...

...and high schoolers.

Look at this art.  Amazing and inspiring.

Bishop continued his culinary adventures.
He did his culinary internship each week.  One day he did a LOT of chopping for the caterer.  Another day he made miniature pecan pies for a catering job.  The recipe was completely his own and they were amazing!

He also worked an additional day for the caterer.  He was paid to help her make thirty leek and tomato gluten-free quiches.
Additionally, he fulfilled an order for two batches of baklava.  He made a bit of money.  It's been a good week for him!

He has also been having culinary adventures at home.
He has been in pursuit of the perfect pizza crust and he did it!

This pizza was oh, so good.  It was perfection.
It was inspired by an experience that he had had the previous evening.
Bishop and I went to a meeting of the local chapter of the American Culinary Federation.
It was such a cool experience.  Bishop had the opportunity to meet several chefs, heard a presentation from a supplier, and sampled food prepared by the chef of the supplier.  The suppliers gave away products, including cheese curds that were used in the making of the perfect pizza.
After the ACF meeting, Bishop had the opportunity to share his pecan pies with two chefs.  He received positive feedback from the chefs.  It was awesome!

The boys and I had an adventure one day exploring the history of World War I.
Our local history museum has an exhibition entitled, "From Home to Over there:  Greene County in the Great War."
It gave a good overview of World War I...

A broad history.

...while also telling the stories of local heroes.

We had a soldier from our area, Myrl Billings, who fought alongside the Harlem Hellfighters and earned the Croix de Guerre medal.  Here is a little more information on Myrl Billings.

 The boys stood in a replica trench that was built to scale.

This is a photo of our city center at the time of World War I.  The history museum that we were visiting is located where the two rows of building intersect, in the corner.

The history museum is located in an old theatre.  They used the auditorium to show World War I film footage.  The movie screen was flanked by images of World War I soldiers and the auditorium itself was flanked by flags of some of the countries that were involved in the war and American flag bunting.

 It is a small museum but it sure does pack a punch.

Afterwards we went to a barbecue joint

Take a closer look at the listing of their hours.  Oh my, so funny.
"We open dang near every day 'bout 11:00  (lessen the cook don't show).  Round about 9:00 at nite we're all pretty weared out...so ya'll go home."  Funny.

Then we went by our main library to view a display of World War I propaganda.

 And they had this cool old tv playing World War I films.

From the library we traveled to a park that we have visited on many occasions but only recently learned of its connection to World War I.  I shared what I learned with the boys:  "Nov. 11, 1958: Former President Harry S. Truman visited Springfield to dedicate the Living Memorial Park near U.S. 60 and 65 in honor of America’s veterans. Truman arrived in Springfield on Nov. 10 and was the guest of honor at Hickory Hills Country Club for the Marine Corps birthday party. The next morning he attended a special breakfast program at the Colonial Hotel and visited the National Cemetery on his way to the park. Truman began his speech almost 40 years to the minute after he heard the guns fall silent in France during World War I while commanding an artillery unit. In his remarks, President Truman said, “This Living Memorial is a wonderful thing in memory of those men who gave so much for our country. It is a compliment to the great state of Missouri. You have set an example here that I hope others will follow. I am pleased and happy to be part of its dedication.” — Springfield Leader & Press, republished in the Springfield News-Leader Nov. 9, 2015."

While we were at the library we checked out several items.  Maceo selected some plays and poetry.  Bishop chose some CD's of world music.  And, I got another lecture; this one on understanding the Holocaust.
While we drove around we listened to music from South Africa.  It was really great.
Bishop has also shared with me a lot of music that he really loves, most of it current takes on jazz.
Maceo has read two of the plays that he got at the library:  Red by John Logan and Stone Cold Dead Serious by Adam Rapp.

Maceo had vocal lessons with two different instructors.
He had pre-professional acting and vocal instruction and music theory.
He had troupe and teen players.
Maceo had rehearsal for The Addams Family and had his costume fitting for the show.
Maceo attended a concert at the Outland Ballroom.
Maceo had a CT scan of his chest.

Bishop attended science group twice where he learned about Neptune and Uranus.
The group had a picnic at the park.
Bishop wants to learn to play the trumpet.  My niece returned my trumpet that she had borrowed and Bishop began learning the basics.
The boys and I had a lot of conversations.  In particular Bishop and I discussed, among other things, the convict leasing program, Black Indians and the Choctaw  freedmen.

He and I watched the documentaries  The Seven Five and The White Helmets.

Maceo hung out with friends many times, including going to the park with them and going to the Jesus Christ Superstar cast party.
Bishop went to a friends house for Bradley's birthday party where he spent significant time long boarding in the rain.

As for the rest of the family, the learning continues!
Christian has turned in his Master's thesis and Keegan is producing a musical.
Herb and I spent some time at the nature center.

 Do you see the turtle in this photo?
It was eating a blue gill.  Cool.

Herb has been spending a ton of time in the kitchen trying all sorts of new dishes.
Among other things, he made Scotch eggs...

...and pork belly confit; one with balsamic-cranberry reduction and the other with a tomatillo reduction.

He also made pork verde and potato balls and chicken croquettes and much, much more.

I have been doing quite a bit of reading.  I read Christian's thesis.  I also have been reading The Joy of Chemistry, Chemistry of Alchemy, and The Real North Korea.  I listened to a recorded lecture on George Orwell and have begun one on the holocaust.  I worked on the garden and I learned the basics of cornrowing.

All in all, a good couple of weeks!!!