Lifestyle of Learning 2017 Edition: Volume Forty-Three

November 19-25

Towards the end of last week Herb learned a new skill.  He fried his first turkey in preparation for the Thanksgiving turkey he will prepare for our feast on Thursday.
Even the older dogs are learning new tricks.

Maceo practiced guitar.

Bishop wrote his Citizenship in the Community presentation.

Maceo had three hours of advanced improv class.

Maceo had a special Teen Players rehearsal in preparation for special holiday performances.

Bishop had at least four hours of culinary internship.

Bishop had scouts where he worked on the Communications merit badge.

Maceo did some additional improv training.

Maceo had preprofessional acting class.

Maceo and Bishop both went to the dentist.  Maceo did some research on orthodontics.

Maceo studied French.

Bishop made baklava to fill some Thanksgiving orders (and there's extras - yay!!!).

Maceo attended youth performance troupe rehearsal, which included a workshop with Erica Spyres who was just cast in the Broadway revival of Carousel.

Maceo had Teen Players rehearsal.

Maceo had auditions for our city's premiere improv team.
Maceo performed as an elf prior to a production of Elf Jr. with his acting troupe.
The end of week was nice and relaxing, the way a holiday week should be.  I visited with some folks and the boys played Magic.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Thanksgiving day has arrived and the feasting begins.
We always begin our day with a bunch of goodies to graze on while we await our Thanksgiving meal.

The menu for this years grazing buffet included pumpkin bars, apples and caramel dip,

salami flowers and prosciutto crisps with goat cheese and fig jam,

and cheese straws, crackers and charcuterie,

and pumpkin dip with gingersnaps and cinnamon sugar graham crackers, chocolate covered pretzels,

and hot tea, hot chocolate, orange juice and spiced apple juice.

While grazing and keeping track of football scores we prepared a feast.

Herb fried his first Thanksgiving turkey and was served alongside stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, broccoli with cheese, cranberries, rolls, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, baklava, sparkling cider and wine.

It was a feast, indeed, and enjoyed by all!

I am so thankful for all these guys.  I am thankful that my husband is home, retired and healing.  I am thankful that I have all my boys around me for at least a short period of time.  I am thankful that my girl has such a wonderful group of friends to spend Thanksgiving with.

I am thankful!

Lifestyle of Learning 2017 Edition: Volume Forty Two

November 12 - 18

Bishop and I had a conversation last week that has really stuck with me.
I don't quite remember the details around the precipitating event but it did have something to do with an acquaintance of ours expressing boredom and total lack of interest with another acquaintance who has a rather uncommon profession.  Bishop and I couldn't quite understand our friends perspective.  We understand that different people have different interests.
We understand that someone might not want to really delve into the subject matter relating to a persons profession.
But we didn't understand the total disregard for the other acquaintances knowledge and experiences and, thus, different perspectives he might contribute to any give conversation.
Bishop said "I would have liked to talk to this guy, he sounds interesting. "
Which then led him to share with me how interesting he thinks people are and that there is much to glean from others if we make the effort to be interested in them.  That, in turn, can lead to us being more interesting people ourselves and he shared that he and Maceo strive to be interesting people.
I was really quite pleased with this as one of my my maxim's is "Be interested.  Be interesting."
Although I have written those exact words when explaining my educational philosophy, this is not something I have directly said to my boys so I was extraordinarily pleased that they have imbibed that.  There is so much to learn if we are interested in the world and people around us and if we are striving to be interesting than we will stay motivated to learn more, pursue more interests, think more deeply.

So, on to to our interesting lives...

Maceo attended an advanced improv class for 2 1/2 hours.

Maceo began rehearsals for Titus Andronicus (2 3/4 hours).

Bishop watched the Constitutional Literacy and Personal Finance lessons

Maceo, Bishop and I discussed the finance and constitutional lessons.
Bishop had his culinary internship.
Bishop began working on his presentation for the Citizenship in the Community merit badge.
Maceo had preprofessional acting class for about three hours.
Bishop attended Boy Scouts and worked on a requirement for the Communications merit badge.

Maceo and Bishop played Magic.
Maceo had a dentist appointment.
Maceo gave three vocal lessons this week.
Maceo went to Teen Players rehearsal.
Maceo was invited to audition for our city's premier improv group.  (So cool!!!)
Maceo went to a friends house for a sleep over.
Bishop attended science group.  We watched this video and the students were issued an engineering challenge to build the tallest freestanding structure that they could with the marshmallows and toothpicks.  Bishop began with a very simple structure but did start with the strongest shape - triangle, pyramid.

All the kids had a great time.  Some had more elaborate structure than others and there was even a little collaborating.

Maceo and Bishop played even more Magic.

Bishop and I found an art competition for Bishop to enter so we began the process.
Bishop has been sharing science related podcasts with me which have led to some great conversations.  Bishop is interested in learning journalistic interviewing techniques as he is considering the possibility of doing a podcast.
Maceo went to the doctors to address his elbow issues.  He apparently has tennis (or dancers) elbow.  He is learning how to treat that.
Maceo and I had extensive conversations regarding the sexual harassment and sexual assault allegations coming out of Hollywood and Capitol Hill.  We talked about sociological and psychological aspects related to these issues.
Bishop went to a friends birthday sleepover which always involves D&D campaigns and such.
Maceo saw a high school productions of Anything Goes, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Les Mis.
Maceo performed with his puppet improv team, No Strings Attached.
Maceo and Bishop played more Magic.


We were thinking about doing a variety of things this week, special lectures and art shows and such, but we decided to take it easy instead.  But it's been a good, interesting week, nonetheless!

Lifestyle of Learning 2017 Edition: Volume Forty-One

November 5 - 11

I started the week going back to the art museum to take another look at the Wonder Rooms exhibit.  It is so inspirational.

Below are close-ups of Mary Chenoweth postcards.  This is the type of art I like to create.  Inspirational!

Beyond the Wonder rooms exhibit were some other fun pieces,

My absolute fav painted by a local artist.

 ...including the new Chihuly chandelier.

Maceo was supposed to have advanced improv class but it was cancelled.  He went to view the final performance of The Miracle Worker instead.

Bishop returned home from his campout.  He said it was one of his favorite campouts.
The scoutmaster took this photo of two of the scouts sleeping in a huge hammock.  Yup that would be Bishop's head on the right.  Two peas in a pod, for sure!  Love it!!!

We shared some of Bishop's original pieces of pottery work online for some feedback and submitted one piece for consideration for an exhibition.

Maceo went to the gym for a workout.

Bishop went to his culinary internship.

Bishop went to scouts.
Bishop has been listening to a podcast entitled "Flash Forward."  He shared it with me today.  We listened to an episode called "Easy Bake Organs" which was about bioprinted replacement organs.  Fascinating!
I bought air plants, and learned to care for them, for a piece of Bishop's pottery.  Isn't it fabulous?




Bishop introduced me to Ralph Bakshi and his animated version ofThe Lord of the Rings.
Maceo had a three hour troupe rehearsal where they were being taught by Nikki Snelson and Ben Cameron, both productive performers on Broadway and beyond.

After a day of dancing (for Maceo and his girlfriend) came an evening of "fighting".  Maceo and Bishop relived their younger years by dueling with their light sabers.  Bishop defeated Maceo so Brenna stepped in.  It was her first such duel and she defeated the mighty Bishop.
(P.S. Please pardon the absolute mess in the living room.  I assure you that it is not typical.  I decided to clean the attic and Maceo decided to seriously clean his room and it is as if they both heaved into the living room.  Sigh!).

Bishop attended science group today where they had an open ended project to make a catapult for some mini punkin chunkin.

Bishop had lunch at Creasian than went to pottery lessons.
Maceo had preprofessional acting class than dinner with friends at a China buffet.
Bishop told me about an interview of Alison Gopnik, a researcher and the author of The Scientist in the Crib, that he had listened to.  We then spent about an hour discussing the research and the implications for eduction.  I must read this research!
Bishop has been listening to the podcast Origin Stories.  He told me about an episode entitled The Power Paradox.  More interesting knowledge!
Maceo has been working diligently on learning to play the guitar.
Maceo has been going out for runs and has continued doing his stretches and yoga.
The boys and I went to an art exhibit.

This cool piece was not part of the exhibit but greeted us upon entering the building.

The boys spent the better part of an evening reliving bits of their childhood.  They pulled out old DS games and searched through boxes in the attic for their YuGiOh cards.  They watched some videos on playing YuGiOh and Magic then spent over an hour playing YuGiOh together.

Maceo and his girl went to a holiday vintage and craft fair.  Maceo bought me a cool piece of concrete art.
Bishop and I attended yet another Eagle Scout Court of Honor.  He called for the color guard, again.

Afterwards, I took the boys to buy Magic cards and then spent some time playing.
Maceo ended the week by going to a Rocky Horror Show cast reunion and Bishop playing video games with his friends.

So another week ends and we begin to look towards another week.
This is on our to-do list.

As is this event.

Additionally, we hope to see a speaker on international issues at a local university, a photo exhibit that has to do with immigration issues in Italy and another that has to do with the Ozarks.  We also hope to go to a special event at the museum that will include stories and poetry regarding the Vietnam War and while there we will look at the Wonder Rooms exhibit.
Bishop will likely have culinary internship and needs to begin preparing for Thanksgiving baklava orders.  I believe will be starting the woodwork merit badge and, hopefully, making progress on Eagle Scout merit badges.  He also has some pots to trim and might sign up for more glass blowing and blacksmithing.
Maceo will likely be starting Titus Andronicus rehearsals, will have ppt acting and vocal instruction and an improv show, and will begin giving vocal instruction to a young student.
We want to get caught up on Constitutional Literacy and Personal Finance.
And, I think I should begin planning our Thanksgiving meal and I want to meet with Ozark International Outreach.
It should be a wonderfully adventurous week!