North Carolina Family Economics Conference

In March our family traveled to Raleigh, North Carolina for a Family Economics Conference.
Here we are in Pheonix, Arizona. We flew 'stand by' which makes for a very exciting trip. You never know when or *if* you will reach your destination. We spent about 6 hours in the Pheonix Airport because the plane going to Raleigh was full. There was no other flight leaving that day to NC, so we had to think creatively. We found a flight going to Baltimore Maryland that had enough seats to accomodate our family. We began looking up maps online to see if we could just get to the east coast and then drive down to NC.



On the flight from Arizona to Maryland. Fia reading Little House on the Prairie. Big brother taking pictures from the coveted window seat. This was a treat as we 3 were able to sit together. We had some MAJOR turbulance as we neared Baltimore.


Finally on solid ground (after turbulant flight) and in a new and unknown city at 11:30pm. Papa began his plan with his blackberry.


Off to leave the airport and find the car rental building.






The boys were getting a rental car while us girls rested. This was about midnight. We ended up renting a car with GPS (Praise the Lord for GPS). We drove through the night, passed many landmarks that tortured us because we couldn't stop. We saw the White House, the Washington Monument, crossed the Pottomac River, passed NASA, NSA and numerous Civil War historical sites and battlefields. We arrived at our hotel at 6am, had some yummy continental breakfast, went up to our room and went to bed for a few hours.


I had plenty of good knitting time during our day of travel, almost finished here with a sweater for Fia.


We met up with a wonderful friend from high school who lives in North Carolina. He brought his guitar so the boys could play.




Still reading...




Walking him out...


Family Economics conference, day one, session two. See Papa coming down the hall?


Some interesting trees.



Sunday morning going to church on the campus of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
A beautiful North Carolina morning.



Gorgeous architecture.




The inside was impressive and massive to say the least. It was amazing to go to church in such a beautiful building.






Scott Brown, Kevin Swansen and Doug Phillips were among the congregation that day.





Hurry back to the airport.


We must get the necessary equipment before boarding the plane.


Back home about 11pm Sunday.


A short but life-changing few days.

Electric station

I offer you my son's electricity workshop. He's been messing around with this the last few days. He pulled it out of the shop where it had been sitting since the last time they messed with it. My husband bought a bunch of stuff a few years ago at Lowe's for them to experiment with. Since then my son has added other found objects to his collection.

Yesterday he found my dead Sonicare toothbrush in the bathroom garbage and asked if he could take it apart.

This is the music 'thingy' that went to a little Christmas snowman decoration. You wound him up and then the music would play. He took that apart and found this interesting piece. It's not electrical, just mechanical.

He told me "This is what Walking in a winter wonderland (song) looks like."

Learning and living is usually messy (around here). In the background is an open Bible from reading today's Proverbs, my secret knitting project (shhhh) and little sister's pretend food beads.

We found Proverbs 21:1 particularly interesting today.

Assembling your own little kit has got to be much cheaper and WAAAAY better than a little cheapy-plastic-fake-o one at the local toy store.

I guess it needs to be said that if the TV was on, my children would most likely NOT be interested in figuring out how electricity works.

Boredom and quietness are essential to learning. They are also key to creating producers rather than consumers who live to be amused in front of the brightly-lit box.

At least I think so.

I wonder if Leonardo DaVinci would've become such a great artist if he could've spent his every free moment downloading visual and mental information, never having time to think or formulate his own thoughts?

I wonder?

I think they learn more things when they figure it out themselves.

Just give them the tools and let THEM become the experts.

(Of course, with proper supervision from Papa and Mama, so nobody gets hurt. Safety first!)

Tuesday Homeschool Tips: Paperback Swap

I know I was absent last Tuesday. How did you all manage without my 'tip'? The tip I should have posted was "Don't start painting your house on the day you plan to start school".

Let it be sufficient to say that the inspiration just came upon me and I was powerless to deny it. We have lived in our house for two years now. It takes me awhile to figure out where to put things, how to organize, where to hang pictures and what colors go where. (Read: I am easily overwhelmed) I painted the entire house the week before we moved in, and have not been happy with the colors I chose for two years now. So when the idea came, I went with it.

Enough said.

I am hoping some of you will share a tip in the comments section, therefore validating the title "Tuesday Homeschool TIPS".

(hint hint...please share)

Onto the first of many TIPS...?

This is such a great idea for us bibliophiles. It is decluttering, entrepreneurship and virtual thrifting all rolled into one. It's called PaperBack Swap. The story behind PaperBack Swap is that a few guys were sitting around one night talking about all the paperback books that they purchased over the years when they traveled on business. Each of them had a stack of books that they had read. So they decided to set up a web site that allows all of us to swap paperback books with each other. Now it's grown to include ALL books, hardcovers and audio too.

Here's how it works. I listed some books on the site (you have to list at least 10 books to get in the club) and I got 2 free book credits to get me started. So I can order 2 books right away - free of charge and have them mailed directly to me.

Then when another member selects one of my books that I have listed, I mail it to them. I pay for the postage. But then I get a book credit and I can select a book that I want. So another club member returns the favor and mails me one of their books free of charge. For every book I mail out, I get another book in return.

I listed about 12 books the other day. I have already mailed out 3. I think of my credits like pesto in the freezer. I'm excited that I have a good store saved up for a rainy day or until I know of a particular book I need.

So here is my plan. When I find a good book at a thrift store, garage sale or library book sale, I can load up (within reason) my paper bag devoted to PaperBack Swap and trade them in for other books I need for homeschooling. I know of one homeschooling mom who turns in her children's old picture books in exchange for classic literature for her now high school aged kids. This would be a great way to build your homeschool library with some of the classics, by listing other great books you know will be wanted by other homeschoolers. Who knows what you can find? I was browsing today and saw My Father's Dragon, Mr. Popper's Penguins, Petunia, and ordered Booker T. Washington's Up From Slavery.

If you do sign up, please list my email (windingtheskeinATgmailDOTcom)

in the referral section because then I get another free book.

Okay...let the other TIPS begin...

Roosters for sale

Look at these beautiful big daddys! My son bought 25 layers from our local feed store in the spring in order to start his own egg business. We realized a little while ago that some roosters had snuck into the batch.

Six to be exact!

There just wasn't enough room in town for six sheriffs. Five had to go!




Today he sold the last of them and are they ever going to a great home. They aren't going to be butchered, but will roam free with 40 hens on over 30 acres.

To be honest, it was sad to see them go because they are so beautiful, but my son knew it wouldn't be practical for him to keep them. He's all about the business.



And walking away with a check in his hand helped take the sting out of it for him.

We were asking practically nothing, but this Mom generously paid more. She said they were in great condition and were worth it considering the time and feed that had gone into them.

Thank you! You made a budding entrepreneur's day.

The Millionaire Mind

I have just started reading the book The Millionaire Mind by Thomas J. Stanley as mentioned by Dave Ramsey in a recent podcast.

Stanley (a professor and researcher) studied the habits and behaviors of millionaires. He explains the decisions millionaires make and how those decisions lead to building wealth. He asks millionaires to explain and describe their own thought process.

I wanted to share two interesting comments made in the first few pages. The first goes along with my current desire to turn away from consumerism and toward more contentment.

All were first-generation wealthy. Some were credit-dependent earlier in their careers, but they eventually saw the light. They went cold turkey, breaking the cycle of borrowing to consume, earning to consume, and borrowing more and more money. Others never became addicted to credit or the need to display their success.

The second point was sobering:

There were many important points made about how one can become an economic success, but one statement was riveting. It was made by Gene. He mentioned that those who are "credit-dependent" are in fact controlled by someone else, some institution.

Gene was in his late forties at the time. He listed his occupation as "owner of a salvage business." He purchased or "salvaged" real estate from various financial institutions. These institutions "have loans that are in default...six months or more."

Just a few weeks prior to the interview, Gene "salvaged" sixty-eight homes, a commercial shopping center, and five multifamily apartment complexes from a financial institution with which he'd had many previous dealings. Immediately after the deal was signed, the senior credit officer of the institution signaled to Gene and walked with him over to the large window in the officer's top-floor office. It was a tall building - they could see for miles and miles. There were thousands upon thousands of commercial buildings all around. Gene could even see some of the residential neighborhoods on the horizon.

As he looked out the window, the officer pointed to all the buildings, homes, offices, garages, shops, and so on, and said the words that made a lasting impression on Gene:

We [the lenders] own it all...all of it. The business out there? ... You [borrowers] just run these businesses for us. You guys run them for us, the financial institutions.

How many people today in America run "their businesses," "their professional practices" but actually work for or are being controlled by lenders? How many live in luxury homes yet work hard to make payements to the ultimate owner of the mortgage? How many people take care of autos they lease from the real owner? Too many. But Gene is not among them, nor were any of the other members of his focus group. All possessed the millionaire mind. None had a private credit officer doling out cash. All lived in fine homes, but not one had a "jumbo mortgage".

The cost of business

I came home from town the other night and found some 'good ole' boys at the table talking business.

Papa has gotten T1 set up with a ledger so he can keep track of his income and outgo. At this point it's all outgo (That probably isn't a proper business term but you understand).

We've been buying all the supplies but he is saving the receipts in his poultry notebook. This was the night to total up and settle accounts.

T1 was cringing as the amount owed grew and grew. Papa also offered to pay for some of his feed for taking care of the meat birds which are not for his egg business, but for the family freezer.

I really wanted the Araucana chicks which lay colored eggs, and so I made a deal with him that I would pay for the chicks. I bought 5 of them but they became a part of his laying flock. As it turns out, Sally Henny Penny is an araucana and my favorite chicky. She is so sweet, she seems to really enjoy sitting in your hand.

We have had him reading chicken books for awhile now. Any information he feels pertinent to write down he can put in his notebook.

I printed him off calendar pages for every month of the year where he can keep track of when anything and everything related to his chicks.

Back to business. The grand total spent so far is $133.04!! He told me today he is glad he is keeping track, because he had no idea he had spent that much. He is pained to see his savings account draining but we keep telling him that now is the time to do this. To take chances, learn new things, fail and learn more new things, all with no pressure to pay a mortgage or support a family.

His birthday is coming up. Today he told me that he wants gift cards to the feed store for birthday presents now. The boy is really growing up!

Here is one of the Cornish Cross meat birds today. They are really getting ugly and growing fast. They will be two weeks old tomorrow.

We put a 1/2" wooden dowel in the layer chicks brooder for them to roost on. They seem to like it. They are still small, not growing like the cornish cross chicks.

We still have 40 chickens. None have died so far.

My husband and I are trying to know just enough to support our son and as little as possible so that the responsibility to know and learn about them is on his shoulders. We would like for him to be the resident chicken expert for now.

And so far...he is.

Fluffing the nest

T1 has decided to start his first business...an egg business. He has read a couple of books on chickens with still more coming from the library. We had fun looking at the different chickens at McMurry Hatchery and also liked this comparison chart of different egg laying chickens. After the hard decisions were made he ordered them from the local farm store. They are scheduled to arrive next week.

He is getting Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rocks (Barred Rock), Araucanas and Boven Browns. We are going to try to get some of the Cornish Cross chicks to raise as meat chickens. We are told they only take 6-8 wks to mature until they are ready to butcher.

After all the reading my son has done on chickens and the drugs they are given, he is very motivated to grow our own healthy, farm fresh chicken meat.



The first order of business was to gather supplies. They need a brooder box of some sort, many people use a cardboard box, but soon have to increase the size of the container as they grow. We had trouble getting a large refrigerator box, but were able to get some free palettes.

Free never sounded so good to my son until it became HIS money on the line. He has a poultry notebook with an envelope for the receipts. He really doesn't want to spend ANY of his money but wants to get started. I can already see what a great lesson this whole experience will be for him.

Papa and the boys went to work, tearing down the palettes.

Here you see the basic skeleton that they have set up in an insulated outbuilding we have.

Next they covered it with numerous cardboard boxes and taped them together.

They taped another box to make a small portion for the chicks when they arrive and are very small. As they grow, they will be able to remove the partition and enlarge their dwelling.

We still need to figure out a portable pen for them once they are old enough to be outside. I liked this article on portable pens for pastured poultry by Wilma Keppel.

We've never raised chickens and know very little about them. It will be an adventure.