Writing goals down is the key to success in achieving them. There is a second key. One must check in on one’s goals on a regular basis. Success coaches recommend you read through your goals daily. Some say, copy them down. Every day? Yes, every day. Our son holding one of our cats, OC – a reminder to not take ourselves too seriously as we review summer goals This way, you stay with your goals and your goals stay with you, in the forefront of your mind. You remember where you are supposed to go and you stay on track. Also, you find ways, means, and solutions for your challenges. We are past t ..read more

Our daughter attended Cohutta Spring Teen Camp last week, with an emphasis on Mountain Lore. That’s code for Arts and Crafts. My daughter and I on drop off day at Cohutta Springs Youth Camp Every day, the campers go through four rotations, of different activities. However, they have one main emphasis and you can choose which one you want. This year, our daughter wanted to focus on Mountain Lore because she really enjoys making candles and crafts. They place her in the same cabin with other teen girls who chose Mountain Lore so it is easier for everybody to stay on schedule. At Cohutta, each ..read more

We live in a mountain resort and many black bears live here with us. They visit our neighborhood daily and go by our house at different hours of the day. There is no routine, so I do not walk around our neighborhood that much anymore. Black bear on our patio – a daily occurrence I miss walking through our neighborhood because it is so hilly and wooded, it is simply a beautiful walk. But these bears are everywhere these days, at all hours of the day and night. They trigger our cameras at odd times so we cannot detect a routine or a pattern. So I have to get in my car and drive to a gym or a t ..read more

When your homeschool is on summer break, you should also be on summer break. These are the dog days of summer, when you can take it easy and schedule some fun things for yourself. Posing just for fun Taking Care of Mamma must be a mantra you repeat to yourself throughout the school year and especially during a break. Put your oxygen mask on first, then assist your children. It is basic training for survival. In this vein, I took an hour and scheduled a photo shoot for me, myself, and I, with a good friend who has a photography business. Taking it easy You might think it is vain, but hear m ..read more

Our son chose to attend the paintball camp at Cohutta this year. So far, he has gone there eight times, we think. He started going when he was 7, but missed a couple of years because of the pandemic and then one year he just did not want to go. My son and I at Cohutta Springs this morning This year, he decided to try not a regular camp, where they rotate through different activitie, but a rad camp. A rad camp at Cohutta specializes in only one thing, which you choose. It could be wake boarding, arts and crafts, wilderness survival, paintball, you name it. Our son wanted paintball because he ..read more

If you have never heard of forest bathing, you should probably look into it. We humans living in the Western Hemisphere, spending most of our day indoors, in front of a screen for legitimate work, are suffering from Nature Deficit Disorder. The solution? Spending time in a forest, also known as forest bathing. My son sunbathing on a river rock, Old Sugarland Trail While simply hiking will bring you physical benefits, it also helps with your mental state. Forest bathing implies that you engage all your senses while in the forest: you see trees and plants and animals and birds. You hear squirr ..read more

Without a vision, the people perish. Unless we write down the vision, the goals we have for our homeschool, we will not accomplish them. So I hope you are writing down your goals for every school year and every school break you have. My children having fun with a sign which said “trail” twice, at Cumberland Gap National Park Here are some of our goals for the summer: we finish the US History curriculum; we work through a few lessons in Algebra II, which should be done harp lessons continue children work at dad’s business as needed (Zoder’s Inn and Suites) children work at mom’s business as ..read more

And that’s a wrap on this school year, my friends – our 11th year homeschooling. Speaking of a wrap, it is hard to wrap my mind around the fact that my youngest just finished 8th grade. My oldest just finished 10th grade and in just a few months, in the fall, he will take the PSAT. My two children on an overlook near Cumberland Gap National Park You have to understand something: the PSAT represents the Holy Grail of my long-term planning this whole homeschool adventure. When my children were preschoolers, I read in the local newspaper about the National Merit Scholarship and thought, “THAT ..read more

As you might know, the SAT is now strictly digital. There is a software one must download called Bluebook, not to be confused with other blue books out there. Bobcat at my house the other day, while we were preparing for the digital SAT The College Board will give you more details about it on their website. I can tell you we are finding it easy to use and navigate, but everybody is different. I would strongly advise you to have your child take at least one practice test inside the Bluebook platform and then review what went wrong. We all know the SAT or the ACT do NOT test a child’s true ed ..read more

Our daughter has been taking harp lessons for almost two years and her teacher takes some of his students to a couple of events around town. One is the Valentine Day’s Harp Concert at the Maryville Public Library. The other is the Rossini Festival, the largest street festival in Knoxville, TN. Our daughter playing the harp on the Union Ave stage during the 2024 Rossini Festival Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating that day, but we made do. At least the rain stopped before we got to the stage. The William Lovelace Harp Ensemble right now consists of the teacher, William Lovelace, an ..read more