At Home in Dogwood Mudhole {Book Review}

I recently received volume one of At Home In Dogwood Mudhole - Nothing that Eats in the mail and have spent a delightful few weeks in gales of laughter thanks to Franklin Sanders. In this book I have been on adventure after adventure with the Sanders Family living in Dogwood Mudhole somewhere in Tennessee.

Details

• At Home in Dogwood Mudhole
• Author: Franklin Sanders
• Paperback: 379 pages
• Publisher: Four Rivers, Inc.
• Published: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN-13: 978-1-938817-06-9
• Paperback $22.95
• Kindle $16.95
• PDF: $16.95
• ePub: $16.95
• Purchase from:  The Money Changer Store

There are four sections to the book with a total of 88 short chapters

1. Leaving Memphis Five Miles at a Time
2. Living in the Country Changes You
3. Learning Curve
4. A Real Farm

Scattered throughout the book are 23 black and white family album photographs.  You can see some colour photographs from the book at the At Home in a Dogwood Mudhole, Vol One Facebook Album.

My Thoughts

My first thought was "What on earth is a Dogwood Mudhole ?" and I was so pleased when I started reading this book that Franklin dove straight in and explained the title. 

Nothing That Eats is a tale of the Sanders family's move from the city to rural living. Their decision to move was motivated by the impending Y2K countdown and all the "what might happen with the arrival of Y2K..."

I enjoyed Franklin's humour and the easy down to earth conversational style of this book.  Having grown up in town and reading the funny side of learning to farm was at times so humorous I was holding my sides with laughter. I found that reading At Home in Dogwood Mudhole was a little like reading one of James Herriot's novels. The book covers the families exploits of acquiring pets and farm animals (dogs, horses, cattle, poultry, pigs and sheep) despite Susan's expectation when they moved they would have nothing that eats ...

Each chapter contains a gem of insight and inspiration that speaks to the heart or a practical life application that can be applied to your own life regardless of your walk of like. Here are a couple of examples I enjoyed.

Susan reminds me often that every day God gives us time enough to finish the work he has appointed for us. God gives us peace. We work; then we rest. We don't have to work seven days a week; we work six, but he pays us for seven. Our success does not depend on our efforts, but on Christ in whom we rest - Franklin Saunders (page 10)

In section one chapter five I enjoyed this statement about traditions

Now a tradition is not a rut. A rut is doing the same things year after year because you don't have enough imagination to do anything new. A tradition is something you do once and discover a joy so deep that you do it again, Christmas after Christmas, to keep on savoring it and make it last -  Franklin Saunders (page 23)

While it does not have the smooth transitions of a novel it is a meaningful read. It is honest and down to earth.  It is based on a collection of personal letters written over 17 years.  This first volume covers the years from June 1995 to September 2002. This book is the memoir of one families life and is not a how to begin farming or sustenance living.

Raising pigs is only slightly less trouble than raising children. They can escape any pen; hence our boar's name, Houdini. Once they get out, they can run 1,400 miles per hour, and make right-angle turns like a flying saucer. This is what Susan wanted to capture and train to an electric fence. - Franklin Saunders (pg 214)

When I reached the end of volume one I was pleased to discover that there are two more books scheduled for release. I am looking forward to Volume Two: Best Thing We Ever Did which is scheduled for release soon and currently available for pre-order, as well as Volume Three: The Sage of Dogwood Mudhole. 

Connect with Franklin

• Blog Talk Radio
• Facebook

I look forward to handing this book to Sir N when he reaches the teen years and hearing what his thoughts will be.  I feel that Franklin does an excellent job of sharing his faith and the heart of the matter as well as taking you on a journey of discovering life at the very heart of living in a Dogwood Mudhole and the grace of an ever present ever loving Heavenly Father.

Blessings
Chareen

Creating Christmas Traditions

Here is a sneak peak of my guest post over at the Crew Blog.  I'm sharing on Creating Christmas Traditions.A tradition is something that can change over time or be created with a sense of purpose. Special moments need to be created they do not occur by accident or without planning.  

Psalm 77: 11—12 I will remember the deeds of the Lord, I will remember your miracles of long ago.  I will meditate on all your works, and consider all your mighty deeds. I am sharing some ideas to remember the miracles and mighty deeds of the Lord at Christmas with our families.

• Nativity Trek.
• Setting up the tree
• Advent
• Jesse Tree
• Up-cycled Nativity

Blessings

Creating Christmas Traditions {Schoolhouse Review Crew}

To Grade or Not To Grade

Grading your students work as a home educator is a highly personal choice unless your state/country requires that you submit grades in which case it's a must. Some subjects lend themselves to easy grading and others are more subjective such as poetry or composition.

One of the things to take into consideration when grading a students work is their personality.  Some students love the challenge and others can't stand feeling like they are constantly failing. Some see the glass half full and others half empty.  Some students find watching you grade their work exciting and others see only doom and gloom as you do so.  Take this into account when grading. Do not expose a students grades to others keep it personal.  Very few people (and this includes both the adult or student) cope well with being put on the spot unless it's favorable.

Personally I do not write down grades.  I am however constantly grading where my student is mentally so that I know what I need to teach, I know where his strengths and weaknesses lie. It's important for us as home educators to be aware of exactly where our students are.  I do grade spelling and math as these are two subjects that are not subjective in nature.  They are either correct or incorrect.

Pro's to grading

• A grade indicates the level of mastery or the level of information your student has not learned 
• It gives you a concrete yard stick of progress
• It can help our student learn more when they know they are being measured.
• It prepares your student for college
• College admissions
• Obtain a scholarships

Cons to grading

• It can become overwhelming if you are grading every single thing your student is doing.  You loose the ability to simply be immersed and enjoy the journey with your student.
• You can end up distorting the grade by creating a test around what you have taught.
• You can feel you are 'boxing' your student in.

Is grading biblical
Yes it is.  On a number of occasions the Lord tested kings and even his disciples.

• Jesus asked Phillip to provide bread for the multitude, and in John 6:5 And then in John 6:6 it says “He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do.”
• God tested Abraham in Genesis 22:1-3
• He used their enemies to test them in Israel Judges 3
• God tested the men for Gideon Judges 7:4

These are a few examples of testing in scripture.

On the www

• Keeping Homeschool Grades from Homeschooling for Dummies
• Grading Guidelines for High School Credit over at HSLDA
• Making the Grade: Why does Grading Matter? by Lesha Myers and Mark Smith over at HSLDA
• Report Card and Grade Records for Homeschoolers over at Donna Young
• How To Grade Your Student’s Work
• My Homeschool Grades
• Homeschool High School - Should I Give My Student Pass/Fail Grades?  by Lee Binz

I'll finish off with a quote that is important for us to remember when tackling the grade issue

Homeschooling is all about finding the heartbeat of your family and following that pace—not your neighbor’s, not your best homeschooling buddy’s, and not the grade level expectations for your child’s age.- Sarah over at Simple Homeschool

Tell me more about your decision to grade or not to grade ?

Blessings
Chareen

This post is part of the Homeschool Help series brought to you by a group of home school Mom's from around the globe.  Do not forget to visit and read their inspirational insight.

This week

• Bernadette   Passing grade
• Julie  Grades Not Required
• Savannah shares 
• Lucinda  Surprising Consequences of Giving Kids Grades 
• Nicole  School Without Grades or Tests?

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