Blog – Page 2 – Carrie Lee Ferguson

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June 14, 2020

To the Mama Lionesses

When, in his last moments, George Floyd called out for his mama, it was as if he called out to a Great Mother, to a benevolent Love that humans hunger for. The Great Mothering Energy who loves us just as we are: divided, bruised and depraved. When, in his last moments, George Floyd called out for his mama, he motivated many a Mama: black, brown and white. To the fierce Lionesses who take care of the pride. In what ways can we motivate? I tend to judge myself because my part feels “small” in the fight for exposing and ending systemic[...]

Homemaking, Uncategorized

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June 13, 2020

Minerals I am Made Of

I’m afraid. I’m afraid of saying the wrong thing, of being misunderstood. I’m afraid the pearl will never form inside this shell. The minerals I am made of— how will they solidify my pittance of wisdom, bring forth the revolution? But these are the fears of a caucasian the world-is-my-oyster crustacean, of a white female homemaker. I have traveled, I have written, I have swam in ocean’s waters while fires burned. While hands and hearts lay bare on[...]

Home Education

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May 29, 2020

A Seventh Grade World/Homeschool

Homeschool-Resources-Middle-School-History-Language Arts

My daughter’s educational journey (outside of the home) began at a PreSchool/Kindergarten inspired by Waldorf. She spent her elementary school years at a small Montessori school. I began dreaming about homeschool when Elle was around nine years old. I’d read Home Grown by Ben Hewitt and started envisioning a life of learning alongside Elle . . . a life of connection: to our world, to people and place. I had a strong desire to unschool myself. I wanted to feel the interconnectedness of everything, which I hadn’t experienced in my[...]

Family Travel, Home Education

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May 22, 2020

what should families do this summer? Let literature take you on a trip!

The school year is coming to an end. Travel plans are on hold. Summer camps are still in question. What should families do this summer? While international travel may not be an option just yet, what about a road trip? What about good ‘ole fashioned playing outside? In the ocean, in the woods, on the mountain trail. Whatever nature you are near, it calls. You can get the kids excited with a book about a great wilderness adventure! Read it out loud as a family or listen to the audio version together. You could choose a classic wilderness advent[...]

Family Travel, Home Education

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May 15, 2020

raising global citizens

Alexandra Tyson is a traveler, an elementary school teacher and the founder of the website TGC: Travel for the Global Citizen. Her husband, Chris, is the in the Navy and they have three grown children. In 2008, when their children were school age, the family was transferred to Atsugi, Japan. Alexandra and Chris thought about what skills their kids would need to be successful while living overseas. The five years spent in Japan and the decisions that came along with this experience led Alexandra down the road of global literacy. Alexandra and I met through[...]

Family Travel, Homemaking

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April 27, 2020

Family RV’ing: living well while traveling the country

Have you ever had the urge to sell the house and go explore the world? Chances are, you know a family doing just that. We often think of these families as being extraordinarily brave, but my friend Rachel, who spent two years traveling the U.S. in an RV with her family, says, “You can totally do it. It’s not like we’re special . . . we just sold our stuff!” That was how it began for this nature-loving family: they listed their stuff for sale. Rachel is a coach and meditation teacher. She is married to Adam and they have two children, Caelan (eigh[...]

Family Travel, Homemaking

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April 14, 2020

why this family was social distancing before social distancing was a thing

For me, the conversation around family travel inevitably collides with the conversation of home. How do we create the home we want in the world? How does travel inform our home processes and can home influence our travel style?What does it mean to be a home-maker in the 21st century? What has been gained and what has been lost in regards to our most basic element of society: the family, the home? I thought I’d ask around. What follows is the first in a series of articles in which I speak with moms about these connections between home[...]

Homemaking, Uncategorized

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March 30, 2020

To be human

“Our challenge is to create a new language, even a new sense of what it is to be human. It is to transcend not only national limitations, but even our species isolation, to enter into the larger community of living species. This brings about a completely new sense of reality and value.”Thomas Berry During this time of the pandemic, I am feeling some of my deep fears while also experiencing a rousing of my deep impulse to connect. To wake up from all the ways I’ve been asleep, to enliven my connection to the whole of Everything. The origin of th[...]

Home Education

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March 20, 2020

more for the suddenly at-home-schoolers

You’re working from home. You’re managing meals and your kids’ education. You are socially isolated and figuring out how to live in this uncertain time. Of course you are overwhelmed! Here are the tips I covered on the previous blog for new homeschoolers: Create a rhythm or schedule (without trying to turn your home into school)Add warmth to your home Today’s tip: Set up space Creating individual work space is nourishing and will help everyone function better. Your kids may have fun finding an area where they can easily stor[...]

Home Education

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March 18, 2020

to the suddenly at-home-schoolers

Are you homebound with your kids and wondering what in the world to do? My number one advice is this: Don’t try to turn your home into school. Seasoned homeschoolers know this, and I learned it right away when we started our home-education. It’s especially true right now . . . take a deep breath, don’t stress about academics at the moment . . . we are mentally and emotionally strained as it is. We are uneasy and uncertain as we navigate this time of confinement due to COVID-19. What we can do is give our home the attention it may need. We[...]