Haystack Full of Gunthers
Anyone care to venture a guess as to why these large golden bales are in our driveway?
And no, it is not a publicity stunt in advance of the book! Though the timing is perfect!
July 13, 2008
July 09, 2008
What people are saying!
When you have a moment, please click on the icon above to see what people are saying about the book so far. I am thrilled to say that there are some beautiful reviews by Karen Edmisten, Leticia Velasquez, and Lissa, along with wonderful blurbs from Laura Berquist (from the foreword) and Danielle Bean! And another from Mary Ellen Barrett, not to mention my friend Mary Alice!
Updated to add: According to Hillside's website, the pre-order sale (20% off retail) will end July 11th at midnight. Orders will be shipped July 18th in the order received.
June 26, 2008
New Book, New Blog
Just in time for the upcoming release of my book, Haystack Full of Needles: A Catholic Home Educator's Guide to Socialization, comes this pretty new blog design (almost complete) and companion website. Both sites still need a bit of tweaking, but I hope you like them and let me know what you think!
Many thanks to extremely talented designer, Cathy of Avalon Rose Design, for turning a dream into reality!
Haystack is now available for pre-order. Here is a portion of the beautiful foreword written by Laura Berquist:
Everything in A Haystack Full of Needles is guided by the principle that we must see Christ in all those around us. That is what makes this such a valuable resource. Frankly, I think it is a valuable resource not only for those who are homeschooling, but for all who have school age children or grandchildren. Alice talks throughout the book about her good friends and she does it in such a way that she, and they, become our friends, too. They become the very best kind of friends, those united in the pursuit of virtue and the love of God.
I love this book and I don’t say that lightly. It is truly wonderful. I am honored to write the foreword.
If you have a moment, please consider picking up a copy!
February 17, 2008
The Fine Print
Eight-year-old Marie was talking to her sister Margaret about my upcoming Socialization book. I managed to catch a snippet of their conversation in which Marie was announcing:
"And on the cover page, Mommy's going to have an asterisk with teeny, tiny letters at the bottom saying, 'RESULTS MAY VARY.'"
February 12, 2008
My First Book, coming soon
Years ago, when my husband and I were considering home education for our first two daughters, we were excited, but also a bit uneasy. Knowing hardly any homeschoolers at the time, we wondered if our children would grow up lonesome, missing out on the seemingly irreplaceable social activities available through school. How many nights I agonized over these concerns, wishing for some reassurance!
Now, over a decade and many happy memories later, it seemed a good time to give some of that reassurance to other families. My prayer is that "Haystack Full of Needles: A Catholic Home Educator's Guide to Socialization" (coming soon from Hillside Education) will do just that, encouraging new homeschoolers while sharing ideas with the veterans.
Far from being a weakness of home education, socialization is its greatest strength--and joy! Among other things, the book will discuss a "Fatima Model" for gatherings, show how our St. Francis Nature Club was formed nine years ago, and tell the story of that full-length production of Shakespeare performed in the backyard. It will demonstrate how home education leads to life-long friends--not only for the children, but the parents as well--sharing numerous ideas for clubs and activities.
"Haystack" provides a hopeful and positive message, making it a good book to pass along to family and friends or anyone interested in knowing more about the social lives of Catholic homeschoolers. I am hoping it will go a long way toward answering the age old question, "But what about Socialization?"
Many thanks to my publisher, the incomparable Margot Davidson of Hillside. She has been a joy in every way and yet another friend met thanks to the blessing of home education.
If you have a moment, please say a prayer for this project as it nears completion. I would very much appreciate it!
But so much more important than that, please pray for a friend of mine who is having an important medical test done tomorrow.
Thank you very much!
