Last year my family participated in this Monarch Rearing program and it was a fantastic Nature Study experience for us. We're doing it again this fall, and heard from Wings of Paradise that they still are able to accept orders for the kit.

(If you want to see some of our fun with the caterpillars and butterflies, click on the link to PeaceLedge in the sidebar, and then in PeaceLedge's topics list, choose butterflies.)

I couldn't upload the pictures from the email they sent me, but if you go to the Wings of Paradise website, you can find lots of info about the Monarch Rearing Program.

Monarch Butterfly Rearing Kits are still available!

Order yours today!

• Last order date is September 11, 2009
• Monarch Butterfly Rearing Kits are available while supplies last.
• A limited number of kits are available

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Once again we are taking orders for Monarch Butterfly Rearing Kits - everything you need to Raise, Tag & Release your very own Monarch Butterflies!

Be amazed as your caterpillars miraculously develop into beautiful Monarch butterflies! Plus, this kit provides everything you need to RAISE, TAG & RELEASE your butterflies and track their migration to Mexico as part of the MonarchWatch international research project.

• AVAILABLE BY PRE-ORDER ONLY
• PRE-ORDERED MONARCH KITS MUST BE PICKED UP AT WINGS OF PARADISE ON SEPTEMBER 12th, 2009 between 10am and 4pm
• RECEIVE FREE ADMISSION FOR YOU & up to 3 GUESTS WHEN YOU PICK-UP YOUR KIT ON SEPTEMBER 12th, 2009 between 10am and 4pm

EACH KIT INCLUDES everything you need to RAISE, TAG & RELEASE five Monarch Butterflies: 5+ Monarch Caterpillars 1 Potted Milkweed Plant 1 Deluxe Collapsible Cage Caterpillar-Care Manual Lifecycle Poster 1 Pack of Milkweed Seeds 5 MonarchWatch Tags Monarch Watch Datasheet & Info

This Year's Crop

Our front boulevard garden attracts many looks, smiles and comments. It's surprising to many that the plants aren't disturbed by passersby, but somehow, I'm not surprised, and I credit our little city for being a friendly place for boulevard gardening!

We have cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, plum tomatoes, and regular tomatoes, as well as some peppers and beans this year.

We've already enjoyed nibbling on the beans, fresh from the vine, as well as many tiny tomatoes, rich and flavourful!

The peppers are "hotter than jalapeno", so I'm not quite sure what we'll do with them, as the little Ones I Love aren't very much interested in spicy foods! If you look closely you can see some of the very narrow peppers that have already ripened to red, while the larger ones are still green and growing.

Full Life = Quiet Blog

My brain aches with the fullness. Time to sit, think, process doesn't just come, it must be made.

One thing at a time.

Uruguay. One month ago it was a name of a country on the globe. Now it is our future home!

Can it be that this is finally happening? Years of longing to follow a calling to obedient service in overseas ministry has led to this: Appointment as long-term missionaries with Avant Ministries, in Short-Cycle Church Planting in Uruguay, beginning in fall of 2010!

Combining High School Biology and Nature Study

Barb at Handbook of Nature Study has a new post offering suggestions for working both Nature Study and Biology into a High School year. She shows one option of using Nature Study as the core, the other using a HS Biology curriculum as the core (in this case, Apologia).

Gifts From The Ones I Love

Tonight, as I was getting the table set for supper, Little Man asked me for a small jar. He saw a small vase on the counter and asked if he could use it. When I asked what for, he said he was going to pick some sunflowers.

This is what he brought in a few minutes later:

He was so pleased with his gift, that it inspired Brown Eyed Boy to run out and do the same.

I don't think there are sunflowers I'd enjoy more than these!

A Recipe

Amy pointed out that I didn't actually share the cookie recipe from Sunday's story. Here it is, for those who are interested.

Creative Chocolate Cheesecake Cookies

Cream together:

1 cup cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Beat in:

2 eggs

Melt 3 squares semi-sweet bakers chocolate and stir into mixture.

Add:

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Drop by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 6-7 minutes. Cool on baking sheet, then remove with spatula.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies.

Try not to eat too many! :)

Happy Birthday, Little Man!