Icebergs in Lake Michigan?

Someone who knows my love for Lake MIchigan sent me these amazing photos of icebergs reportedly in Lake Michigan.  I say reportedly, because you cannot always believe every thing you are sent in an email.  Even if they turned out not to be in Lake Michigan, they are amazing and worth a post here.  The following text accompanied the pictures.  If I knew who to give credit, I would.  Despite that, enjoy these awesome works of art from the hand of our Creator. 


"Icebergs in Lake Michigan sometimes have stripes, formed by
layers of snow that react to different conditions.

Blue stripes are often created when a crevice in the ice sheet
fills up with melt water and freezes so quickly that no bubbles form.

When an iceberg falls into the lake, a layer of water can
freeze to the underside. If this is rich in algae, it can form a
green stripe.

Brown, black and yellow lines are caused by sediment, picked up
when the ice sheet grinds downhill towards the lake.

Frozen Wave Pixs - Nature is amazing!

 

The water froze the instant the wave broke through the
ice.  That's what it is like in     Lake Michigan   where it is the
coldest weather in decades.  Water freezes the instant
it comes in contact with the air.  The temperature of the
water is already some degrees below freezing. 

Just look at how the wave froze in mid-air!!!  

 





Jenn here, again.  These pictures confirm my long standing belief that there are icebergs in Lake Michigan that never thaw, thus making the lake so cold all summer long! (lol) The main reason I cannot usually get much more than a toe into the water until Labor Day.  But it sure is a pretty lake!  

And alas, these photos have been confirmed to not be of Lake Michigan origins, just as I suspected.  You can read more about it here on Snoopes.com.


A good reminder to always check first if you get an amazing forwarded email! 
 

This Week At Home

In which we have a normal week.

On the Heart and Mind:
 
Thankfulness comes to mind.  I am thankful for this quiet week.  Trevor is all better.  We lost a little sleep this week from violent storms, but it could have been much worse.  It was for some not too far from us.  Roofs were lost during the night.  I am grateful for safety, even if we were robbed of our sleep one night.

Life and Learning:

We have had a great week of lessons.  The biography of Mother Teresa is a fantastic read.  It has made me very sorry that I did not pay much attention to her when she was alive.  I find it fascinating that she was in India for 15 years before she saw the poverty around her as a problem.  Once she started to see others as "Jesus in disguise", she totally changed her focus.  The book is graphic about the poor dying destitute people of India.  And the daily finding of babies in garbage cans just breaks my heart!  I am so glad we are reading this book.

We are also very much enjoying the book, Shadow Spinner, by Susan Fletcher.  I am not usually a fan of middle eastern themes.  I do not enjoy reading about how people are ill-treated, especially the women.  This book is no different in that respect, however, the story is interesting and we are kept in suspense.  We can't wait to see what happens next.

I  added another book a few weeks ago that I forgot to mention, Wisdom and the Millers by Mildred A. Martin.  We read this book before when the kids were very young.  Each chapter is based on a verse or more of Proverbs.  There is a simple story that goes along with the verse.  We are using this as our devotional at this time.

In the Kitchen:

We made peanutbutter cookies for our AWANA leaders this week.  Other than that, it has been more of the usual.  This weekend is a big birthday for my oldest, he will be making his cake with my mom, a much loved tradition.  I will post pictures next week.  I almost forgot, Grace did make a cake all on her own last week.

On the Nook:

I've had too much fun this week reading more books from Louisa May Alcott. I read An Old Fashioned Girl, which was a total delight.  I am an old fashioned girl!

I also read Behind a Mask, or a Woman's Power.  Now this is a bit of a different book from what I've read from her.  The story was good.  It was just different.  The main character, instead of being a goody-goody as usual in her books,is a big stinker!  She is after money and prestige.

Scripture Memory Work: 

This is my last week spent on these verses.  I drew a picture last week so that I could visualize the verses.  I am a visual learner, after all.

Quote of the Week:

"When you feel out of sorts, try to make someone else happy, and you will soon be so yourself."
An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

 

Thank you for taking the time to read about our week.
~Jenn

Lake Michigan in February

Just a few notes taken down recently at my favorite spot on this great earth!  

The shelf ice, dangerous as it is beautiful, was spectacular.  It hides the lake until you climb a little higher onto the dunes, exposing the bright, clear blue water.  I love to see the waves crashing behind the shelf ice, producing a clap of spray.  It was hard to capture on film, but you can kind of see it in this next photo. 

Here is a good shot of Dune Creek, which empties into the lake.  I love how it snakes through the beach. 

I love to hear the reaction of locals (my husband's family) when we tell them that we went to the lake.  They think we are crazy.  I think it is they who are missing out.  I cannot imagine living 3 miles from this awesome place and only going to the beach during the summer. 

This Week at Home

In which, we start really slow and catch up, despite it all! 


On the Heart and Mind:

Our weekend away last week, while wonderful, took its toll.  Trevor came home with a fever of 102F and has been struggling all week with tiredness and congestion.  I came home with some kind of stomach flu or food poisoning.  Therefore, I did not even get out of bed all day Monday to face the world!  It was Wednesday before I felt normal. Otherwise, the weekend was wonderful.

 Shelf ice on Lake Michigan. 

 Grace's dress matches the cake!  (Unplanned) 

 My little men! 

Learning and Life: 

We took off Monday to recover and Thursday was a day for the kids to play with my Mom.  Because of our flexible schedules as homeschoolers, we will still be able to get our planned 5 days of lessons this week.  We will just do Saturday school while Daddy is working overtime.  It all works out in the end! 

Despite our unusual schedule this week, we finished Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling.  There were a few stories that really captured the kids' imaginations.  For me, I found the language  hard to read aloud sometimes.  He would use nonsense words, kind of like Dr. Seuss. Otherwise a fun book.

We finished a short book on the culture of India, and started another book on the people of India. We also read an entire short book on Gandhi.  We started a biography about Mother Teresa and a couple fictional books, one called Shadow Spinner and the other, Ali and the Golden Eagle.   So far Shadow Spinner is very interesting.  I'll write more about that next week.

Math Tacular is working out just the way I hoped.  It is a good way to put into practice the skills we have learned this far.  The story problems in Math Tacular 4 are just what we needed.  The review games in 3 are fun too.  Long division is on hold for another time, which really is OK.

 Isn't it beautiful? I could sit here for hours and just stare.  

 Scary!

In the Kitchen:  

Friday:  Breakfast Night
Saturday:  Cheeseburgers
Sunday:  Roasted Chicken
Monday:  Stir Fry & Spring Rolls
Tuesday:  Homemade Pizza
Wednesday:  Pasta & Homemade Maranara Sauce
Thursday:   Chicken Soft Tacos

Waiting at Grandma's House.

On the Nook:

I had a great deal of time to read while I recovered this week.  I devoured Lousia May Alcott's Little Men, which is so dear!  I've uploaded her An Old Fashioned Girl, however, I really need to get back to Senior High: A Home-Designed Form+U+LA, by Barbara Edtl Shelton.  Maybe I'll do a little of both.  *wink* 

 My little woman! 

Scripture Memory Work:

Week two of working on Proverbs 3: 21-23 NLT

21 My child, don't lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them,

22 for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace.

23They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble. 

 

 

 I bought myself some spring! 

 

Quote of the Week:  

 

Another quote from Little Men.  

"Simple, generous goodness is the best capital to found the business of this life upon.  It lasts when fame and money fail, and is the only riches we can take out of this world." 

Our front walk this morning.  (It won't last!)  

So, that is our week, my friends, another beautiful week of learning and life together at home. 

~Jenn

Homeschool Fashion Show

A picture is worth a thousand words, or so they tell us.  One of the things I love about home education is how my children are free to dress as they desire without peer pressure.

Even at our church, Grace has told me that she feels odd being one of only one or two of the girls in 5th grade who consistently wears dresses.  And it is no wonder.  We tried to find a new dress for Grace at the nearby stores and it was nearly impossible.  But that is another reason we do not support those companies, if we can avoid it.

Hats are big! 

When I was in the 5th grade, chasing boys was the popular sport.  Wearing tight jeans with a comb in the back pocket to keep your winged bangs perfect was high fashion.  I'm glad my kids are free of all that.

I'm glad that we are a home educating family!  Sometimes you are so glad that you just have to give it a shout!

A Mother's Brave and Tender Love

"...for no matter how lost and soiled and worn-out wandering some may be, mothers can forgive and forget every thing as they fold them in their fostering arms.  Happy the son whose faith in his mother remains unchanged, and who, through all his wanderings, has kept some filial token to repay her brave and tender love." 

from Little Men, Lousia May Alcott 

(Oh, I am really enjoying this book!  My dear, not-so-little, son downloaded it for me onto the Nook when I was having a recovery day this week.  It is so handy to have a son who likes computer gadgets.  I would be lost without him to guide me through them all.) 

This Week at Home

In which we had a great week!

On my heart and mind:

My mind is whirling today as there is so much to do before we leave for a family wedding this weekend.  Jeff's "little" brother is getting married Saturday!  I am very thankful that we are all healthy and that the weather is cooperating for our travels.

I am also thinking about what a good week we've had and how much I appreciate being well again.

Visiting Grandma Last Sunday

Learning and Life:  

We finished  the book about William Carey.  Oh, he had so many troubles in this world, yet he was always moving forward to build God's Kingdom.  What an example!   

We started a little book on the culture of India.  The pictures are great.  We are certainly getting good at recognizing  world views.  The book stresses how people of India value tolerance so that the many different people who live there can coexist.  It was a good and lively discussion we had after reading that!  This is why I love Sonlight so much.  We are so enjoying this year.  

Math Tacular 3 & 4 arrived!  We watched a little yesterday.  Grace and Trevor will be playing some of the suggested multiplication games in 3 today for review.  They can also start from the beginning of 4, which is story problems.  I am going to have Ryan start deeper into the program so that he is not too bored.  It starts with rather simple problems and ends up very complex.  Even my husband, who is Mr. Mensa, said that he's impressed with the complexity.  This book will last us the rest of our homeschool career.

I also got my copy of Senior High:  Form+U=La .  I am no longer in a panic about high school, by the way. 

Grace painted this for me! 

Grace crocheted this for her dragon!  

In the Kitchen:  

Cookies!  We made Snickerdoodle cookies for a bake sale at church this week. 

The rotation menu I started last week is going well.  It just takes out all the guess work.  And I am able to still shop wisely because the categories are flexible and filled with several ideas.  For example, if my store has a sale on a certain meat, that fits right in with several categories.  I still think planning a menu around sales is the cheapest way to go, as long at they don't pull you into buying more! 

 Grace bought herself some new boots to play in the mud! 

We went to a favorite park. 

On the Nook:

I started reading, My Lady Ludlow by Elizabeth Gaskell.  I wanted to read it after watching Cranford.  So far it is interesting, but kind of a simple book.  No real plot twists.  I will finish it soon. It is going to take me a long time to read Senior High:  Form+U=La, so my husband will have his Nook all to himself for awhile.  

Scripture Memory Work:  

Working on this passage for the next couple weeks.  

Proverbs 3: 21-23 NLT

21 My child, don't lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them,

22 for they will refresh your soul. They are like jewels on a necklace.

23They keep you safe on your way, and your feet will not stumble. 

Picture of the Week:

I told them to do that, by the way. 

Have a great weekend!  Check back next week for pictures of "my" lake!

 ~Jenn