tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37298335957080019512011-12-13T10:43:22.734-08:00A place for me to post my musings about learning ...Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.comBlogger831100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-51183335145993573092011-12-08T13:06:00.000-08:002011-12-08T13:07:30.581-08:00

 As I get ready to decorate our house for Christmas, I am always struck by the amazing things my children made with Sculpey when they were young.  We used to make a lot of things with clay dough - flour, salt and water.  Then we discovered Sculpey.  They made food for Lego and Playmobile people, decorations, jewelry, game pieces for games they designed, and little sculptures with this very

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-3882909661879447502011-12-07T10:39:00.000-08:002011-12-07T10:44:12.185-08:00

One of the things I enjoy about December is reading Christmas stories. I loved reading them in my mom's magazines like Ladies Home Journal, Redbook, etc. as a teen. As my children came along, I found new stories to read, reread and enjoy every year. Rather than repeat the list of some of our favorite Christmas books, please follow this link to my other blog, Great Read Alouds, and the Nov. 25th

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-41550392898805409182011-11-29T00:28:00.000-08:002011-11-29T00:28:51.659-08:00

One of the things I love about this time of year is the special music associated with it. As I mentioned in my previous post, Sinterklaas music is something I still sing even though it has been 55 years since I lived in the Netherlands.  I love Christmas music, too.  In 2001 my sons, Josh and Robin, recorded the music they had been playing together for a number of years at various concerts

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-26523029644496615452011-11-13T17:34:00.001-08:002011-11-16T13:21:41.770-08:00

Now that we're half way through November and it gets dark so much earlier with the end of daylight savings time, I often find myself singing the Sinterklaas songs from my childhood that my mom sang to us and that my sister and I now sing together on the phone with each other. Yesterday, the wind was blowing hard and I found myself singing  "Hoor de wind waait door de bomen." Here's a link

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-69528284691023480132011-10-23T15:15:00.000-07:002011-10-24T14:20:17.446-07:00

In between doing some work this morning I've been looking at all of the fun and creative paper toys The Toymaker has available for free on her site and smiling away.  I can hardly wait to make some of these things.  The child in me is just itching to get busy with scissors and glue. Her Halloween toys are up on her site now. If you subscribe to her email newsletter, she sends a link to her

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-31694079603188170532011-10-22T13:25:00.000-07:002011-10-22T13:25:20.580-07:00

When my children were young, we liked decorating the house for Halloween.  They made lots of small paper jack-o-lanterns, approximately  3 inches x 3 inches.  They drew scary and happy faces on these little pumpkins and I would hang them up on the wall in the kitchen.  A few days ago I took out the envelope of Halloween decorations and put up many of these little pumpkins, saved over the years. 

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-65473855463345629612011-09-23T23:15:00.000-07:002011-09-23T23:15:29.586-07:00

I'm running a workshop in Victoria, BC on Oct. 22 - Spinning Straw into Gold - a workshop for mothers. A workshop where you can explore your path as a mother.  Each path is unique.  Each path is important.  Each path is valuable.  Each path is filled with stories of surprise, delight, sadness, joy, love, tears, laughter, and adventure. During the day there will be time for quiet reflection

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-55892516282436061312011-09-08T16:07:00.000-07:002011-09-09T13:00:16.049-07:00

If this September you are learning at home for the first time with your child, you are about to go on a  wonderful adventure that will be exciting for both you and your child. "Your life may change in ways that you do not expect: I never imagined I would perform as a children’s entertainer in a shopping mall to help make payments on the loan for a son's harp.  I never imagined I would

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-19008353429334088292011-07-27T22:08:00.000-07:002011-07-27T22:08:24.094-07:00

My grandson is five weeks old today.  His grandpa and I had a wonderful visit with him, his mama, our daughter, and his papa, our son-in-law for weeks three and four of his life.   What a delightful experience to watch one's own child become a mother and see her eyes filled with love for her new little babe.  And to see the love his papa has for him as he holds him, rocks him, walks with him and

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-50872921668453022182011-06-08T00:29:00.000-07:002011-06-08T00:29:38.847-07:00

A summer day We swim Mom comes with a picnic. We join her outside the fence, by the picnic tables We sit and eat – fried chicken, potato salad. Did she make it after she came home from work?  Or did our daddy do it? He was there, too, then. “Come Mom, come in the water and swim with us.” He stayed on the sidelines, watching, rarely going in the water. “OK, but not too fast, let me go in slowly

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-67028404537919321792011-06-02T11:55:00.000-07:002011-06-05T10:06:56.225-07:00

I was looking up information about bird books for children when I ended up at the Dover Book site.  What an amazing and varied press!  When my children were young, we used a number of their colouring books as identification guides for plants.   At that time, they also published small little books that had animal paper dolls, such as a teddy bear and a rabbit.  My children had such fun cutting out

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-90799730026803749702011-06-01T14:47:00.000-07:002011-06-01T14:47:37.512-07:00

This morning I watered the plants on my patio by leaning over the edge of the deck and spraying water on the various pots and the flowers and plants growing in the flower bed beside the patio.  A hummingbird zoomed down from the cedar tree above, down into the forget-me-nots growing there.  I turned the sprayer off.  The little female Anna’s Hummingbird sat on a branch of the lilac bush and then

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-44212063159473625132011-04-26T22:44:00.000-07:002011-04-26T22:44:24.144-07:00

Exciting News! Onions and Garlic This painting by my son, Noah, is one of 100 paintings chosen by the American China Oil Painting Artists League (ACOPAL). Three grand prize winners will be selected from these 100 paintings to exhibit with ACOPAL's Honorary Members at the National Arts Club in New York City and the additional opportunity to exhibit at the World Art Museum in Beijing in

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-57887291836795581182011-04-12T15:51:00.000-07:002011-04-12T16:18:17.966-07:00

My friend, Rebecca, recently wrote a blog post about the importance of happiness and added the videos of the Shawn Anchor lecture "The Science of Happiness."  Her post and the lecture are both useful reminders to "Don`t Worry Be Happy" now backed up with scientific studies that show the benefits of happiness. PAPER SCULPTURE BY CHRIS K. PALMER EXPERIMENTING WITH MOVEMENT AND LIGHT, BETWEEN THE

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-72231318496912481422011-03-31T20:02:00.000-07:002011-03-31T20:02:33.099-07:00

Establishing a warm, cozy, focused time with your child in the evening before bed is a an important part of building a relationship with your child.  It’s the gravy on the meat and potatoes of making sure they have adequate shelter, food, clothing, etc.   It’s the cuddle time, the wonderful sharing and being close time, snuggled up, reading a story or singing a song to your children as they fall

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-77305197847509870772011-03-31T02:17:00.000-07:002011-03-31T02:17:05.853-07:00

Spring - that wonderful hopeful season of one day warm sunshine and the next grey skies and cold winds.  Yesterday I was outside in the late afternoon to do a spot of weeding in my flower beds.  The grass seems to like to grow there and it was taller than the flowers in some places.  As I was pulling out grass, the birds in the neighboring bushes and trees were singing up a storm. As I was

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-51516190656440803692011-03-28T01:04:00.000-07:002011-03-28T01:04:02.283-07:00

Custom Waldorf type dolls made just for you.  Let me make a special little doll for a special person in your life - suitable for children 5 and up    Each unique weighted doll is approximately 12-14 inches tall with jointed movable arms and legs.  Each part of the doll's body and head is made with two layers of cloth.  The inner layer is white cotton knit, the outer layer is organic creme or

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-1379444106145759122011-03-20T14:30:00.000-07:002011-03-20T14:31:17.299-07:00

Happy Spring! I love seeing the buds opening to leaves, flowers blooming, the magic of renewed sunshine and life that happens almost everyday in March, here in Victoria.  Going for a walk always brings me a new appreciation for the beauty around me. One of the things  I do as I go for walks is recite poems or sing songs.  Because I taught my Games to Play with a Baby program from 2000 - 2009,

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-45709067932229315612011-02-28T15:19:00.000-08:002011-02-28T15:19:26.383-08:00

The snow is almost gone although there was a little sprinkle of snow this morning.  It is now supposed to stay above freezing.  I took some photos of some signs of spring around the yard. These crocuses got a bit smooshed by the 5 days of snow sitting on top of them. The squirrels have been busy chewing off end bits from the Scotch pine trees in the back yard and strewing them around.  I am

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-63574632784377126222011-02-23T11:51:00.000-08:002011-02-23T11:51:07.678-08:00

What a surprise – snow this morning! I went for a walk around the block late last night – 11:30 PM. We’d had some snow flurries during the day yesterday from hail to fat flakes, but nothing stuck.  During the walk, we found the road a bit icy and as we walked, we noticed that some yards had snow.  There was some snows on some of the cars, too. Yet in our yard and our nearest neighbors’ yards,

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-78162746163699662532011-02-11T15:36:00.000-08:002011-02-11T15:36:33.159-08:00

Over the years various people have asked me what I did for art when my children were learning at home.  Did I teach them perspective, the colour wheel, or? Just recently a number of people asked me these questions again – hence this blog post. First and foremost we had many markers, pens, pencils, crayons and colored pencils (or as they are known in Canada pencil crayons) and lots of paper. 

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-67172056502365707172011-01-06T14:28:00.000-08:002011-01-08T15:15:36.125-08:00

A few days ago, I woke up to the sounds of the birds twittering and chirping in the cedar tree and a pyracantha bush beside my bedroom window.  The sun is shining and as I get out up, I think about hanging sheets out on the clothesline.  Yesterday the wonderful smell of clean laundry fresh from outdoors filled my nose unexpectedly as I went into my bedroom. A cascade of images and seasons

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-74953030576113928272010-12-02T15:47:00.000-08:002010-12-02T15:47:34.412-08:00

At this time of the year when people are giving each other presents, young children often need some help to find gifts that they can give.  We found books based on a child’s story made wonderful presents. Here are some simple steps that you can follow that might inspire you or your child to make a unique book for a special someone. Create a story – this can be done in many ways.  You can be a

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-2970292746659996772010-11-25T12:10:00.000-08:002010-11-25T12:10:47.847-08:00

At this time of year, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of seasonal activities and forget to take time to enjoy the things that make the time of the winter solstice special. The word solstice comes from the Latin sol meaning sun and stice meaning standing still –when the sun stands still.  During the three or four days around the winter solstice, the nights stay long and the

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-4124808131990135462010-11-23T12:09:00.000-08:002010-11-23T12:09:48.238-08:00

I love this time of year -  the colour of the  light in the sky at dusk -  pink and blue,  the mist in the evenings and all the Christmas lights on the houses.   As I walk or drive past  the houses decorated with lights and figures, I think about a visit to a Hallmark store 25 years ago.  I was pregnant with my  fourth child.   My youngest, then 3, was with me.  As I wheeled the shopping cart he

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-3827058494426999462010-11-13T16:44:00.000-08:002010-11-13T16:44:43.942-08:00

For the rest of this month, you can win a copy of Autumn Stories by clicking on this link and filling in the form.  Only one entry per person to win.  Contest ends Nov. 30, 2010 at 11:59 pm PST.  Draw will be held on Dec. 1 and winner will be notified by email.  More info and rules here. If you're a blogger and you post this contest on your blog, send me the link and I'll give you another

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-86011188482397002432010-11-06T21:33:00.000-07:002010-11-06T21:33:06.707-07:00

It's here!  Hurray! and it looks terrific! full colour  8.5" x 8.5" paperback     I am so excited to announce that my children's book is now in print and available.    I like this version even better than my original print run of 50 in a very small size (4.25" x 5.5"). I sculpted the little animals in the book from wool roving.  I made the little doll - Little Blue Feather - from a pipe

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-76348313720669378902010-10-05T13:03:00.000-07:002010-10-05T17:47:21.558-07:00

I was fortunate as a child and then as an adult because my mom loved music and loved to sing.  She sang the songs she’d learned in school in Holland.  She sang with my brother and sister and me the songs we learned in school.  And as my children came along, she sang the Raffi songs we listened to.  She sang until the end of her life.  She was in and out of consciousness at the end, but when my

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-2200895899054277532010-10-02T14:10:00.000-07:002010-10-02T14:10:36.205-07:00

I first heard about John Holt when I was working as a classroom assistant in a grade 1 classroom in an inner city school in New Haven, Connecticut.  I’d been in the early childhood and primary education programs at two different colleges/universities and was familiar with schools of thought about how young children learn.  I wanted to know more about school aged children and began to read books

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-21169536699797915962010-09-26T11:36:00.000-07:002010-09-26T11:36:51.986-07:00

It's fall and time to gather in the harvest and celebrate the bounty of summer.. In Canada, our harvest celebration, Thanksgiving, is the second Monday in October.  It took me a while to adjust to this as I lived in the US from age 8 - 21 and there Thanksgiving is celebrated at the end of November.  Because we are vegetarians, the focus of our Thanksgiving meal is and has been pumpkin pie. 

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-16400738243178568992010-09-20T21:21:00.000-07:002010-09-20T21:21:42.798-07:00

Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by all the materials available to help your child succeed at homeschooling?  Items that promise to help your child learn better, faster and more….  As homeschoolers have increased in numbers, companies that sell educational products have jumped into the burgeoning homeschooling market.  Homeschooling parents are willing to spend money on educational materials,

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-72749403164297102122010-09-12T16:15:00.000-07:002010-09-12T23:35:57.992-07:00

Learning Theory I took a course to become a reflexologist about 6 years ago.  As I was attending the classes and learning the methods, I wondered how learning this new information would be for me.  Would I find it difficult to memorize?  Do I know how to memorize?  Do I know how to study?  And what exactly does studying look like when I do it? It was interesting to see that the understanding

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-32192087530226773092010-09-08T14:14:00.000-07:002010-09-08T14:20:13.956-07:00

September - a time when many homeschooling parents look at scheduling the learning year.  I thought my article published in Life Learning Magazine (now no longer in print) three years ago might be useful. A few years ago I helped a ten-year-old boy at the beach build a dam across a little stream.  I was helping my husband who teaches grade 4 and 5 with a class field trip. At the end of each

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-38554251822398278442010-09-04T15:20:00.000-07:002010-09-04T15:20:17.576-07:00

As I was trying to decide what to write about my daughter's wedding, I did a lot of thinking about ownership of story.  Sometimes it is difficult to know where one's own personal story runs into another's, especially in the mother and child relationship. In my homeschooling book, Learning At Home: A Mother's Guide To Homeschooling, I share a lot of stories about my children.  I asked them at

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-85601702307625542882010-09-03T22:29:00.000-07:002010-09-03T23:11:01.313-07:00

I now have a married daughter and a son-in-law.  The day was perfect.  Our backyard was lovely.  The bride and groom were luminescent with their love for each other and surrounded by the love of their family and friends. I couldn't have wished for a more beautiful ceremony or celebration afterward. From babies to grandparents and everyone in between, it was a delightful multi-age gathering. 

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-66446430615678747412010-08-17T22:35:00.000-07:002010-08-17T22:35:41.436-07:00

My writing activities are on hold for the next few weeks.  My daughter is getting married soon.  See you in September!

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-7124513205942295062010-08-08T21:37:00.000-07:002010-08-08T21:44:28.077-07:00

I've been getting ready to do a second print run of my children's book, Autumn Stories.   The first print run had a plain tan colored cover.  The second printing has this cover: I've received some lovely comments from my first set of readers and have added some of those to the back of the book.  Thanks to all who gave me their feedback and comments.  It is satisfying to know that Autumn

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-59136675553370392952010-07-25T14:02:00.000-07:002010-07-25T22:08:22.743-07:00

This morning when I got up I started my sourdough mix.  I made a fantastic sourdough starter about 2 years ago by putting some organic whole wheat flour and water mixed together to form a batter similar to pancake batter into large jar.  I had it on the kitchen counter and stirred it once a day.  In a few days, it began to form a few bubbles and in 5 days, it had a lovely smell and was ready to

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-41177347218837186402010-07-08T16:10:00.000-07:002010-07-08T16:10:32.407-07:00

Wouldn't you know it, the deer in this neighborhood have become readers.  I am sure they read my last blog post and decided to come by and graze on all of my up and coming daylily flowers.  The day after I posted my previous post, I stepped out of my front door and found the day lilies had all been cropped. My neighbor across the street had her daylilies eaten as well. 

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-15948723087131266012010-07-03T23:16:00.000-07:002010-07-03T23:16:24.160-07:00

The wind was soft and warm today in Victoria.  We had just a few days of warm weather in June.  This morning as the day warmed up, I am sure the tomato plants on my deck grew 3 or 4 inches before my eyes, reaching for the warm sunshine.     I have an experiment going - I have two tomato plants on the deck and three in a pot in the front of the house.  The deck has shade at various parts of the

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-31823351511363356812010-06-30T17:04:00.000-07:002010-06-30T17:04:25.775-07:00

I put together a PDF newsletter a few years ago about read aloud books centered around a theme.  I've decided to start this project up again in a different format - a blog.  I've posted my first two recommendations today.  You can read it here - Great Read Alouds Blogspot When my children were young, they signed up for summer reading programs at our local public library.   These  fun programs

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-89951313202951392032010-06-29T23:35:00.000-07:002010-06-29T23:35:37.041-07:00

Years ago when my two oldest sons were 5 and 3 and my third son was three months old, we were in line at a health food store cafeteria choosing our lunch.  We made our choices and carried our food to a table.  My 3-year-old was carrying a glass of freshly made carrot juice that we were going to share.  He walked carefully so that he wouldn’t spill any juice.  I pulled out some chairs so that we

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-30743584640246040552010-06-20T17:13:00.000-07:002010-06-20T21:31:02.592-07:00

  We have a lot of shade, so I put cucumbers, tomatoes, and zucchinis in pots in the front of the house where there is more sun, hoping the deer won't eat them. Peonies in various colours.  When we moved into this house, I was so surprised to see this type of peony as I'd never seen any like this before.  These aren't the best shots - they are pretty well bloomed out.  The bees still like

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-5154562897703651212010-06-19T20:32:00.000-07:002010-06-19T20:34:23.171-07:00

I love peonies.  The buds started very early this year but they've bloomed about the same time as every other  year.  I keep them outside in a vase on the deck because it makes some people in the house sneeze. Here's another picture.  The pinkish, purple flox seed themselves everywhere and so does the feverfew.  I love a tangled flower garden!  So I recreate it in vases!

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-32800638521272481632010-05-19T23:02:00.000-07:002010-05-19T23:05:05.918-07:00

A video article introducing Jay's new story about NASA is available on YouTube.   We started listening to Jay's stories in 1983 when my husband and I started a book business.  He's an amazing storyteller.  You can now see him telling three of his stories.  Forged in the Stars -  In 2008, NASA commissioned storyteller Jay OCallahan to write a story to celebrate the national space agencys

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-39123783695041629002010-05-16T11:03:00.000-07:002010-05-16T14:42:13.474-07:00

 I took a walk Saturday down to a beach where my children used to play for hours.  It was close to the house we lived in then.  We called it the little beach.  I now drive to it down a new road past new houses that have been built since we first discovered the beach in 1982.  There is still a large field, a beautiful shoreline, and various beaches in what is now a park – Glencoe Cove -

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-65363870549527158882010-04-13T23:34:00.000-07:002010-04-13T23:40:33.094-07:00

I wasn't feeling very well yesterday and spent most of the day sleeping.  Felt better today and went outside to look around at all the flowers in my yard.  The warmer air, bird song, and beautiful flowers lifted my spirits. I started at the end of the driveway leading to the backyard.  I picked a bunch of these bright red tulips and a big bunch of white candy tuft and popped them in a small vase

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-40579591834556434442010-04-04T21:38:00.000-07:002010-04-04T21:41:05.345-07:00

I've been working on a hinged Waldorf type doll for the last few days.  I wanted to try to make a weighted/heavy (relatively speaking) doll.  I made a small body out of some recycled white cotton knit and filled it with budgie gravel, then sewed it up.  I inserted it into a full sized body with with the same recycled white cotton knit and added polyester fill around it so that the body feels

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-79773539913347003372010-03-27T12:53:00.000-07:002010-03-27T12:53:10.778-07:00

I took some photos of my lilac bushes yesterday, March 26.  Compared to the same bush in mid April 2008 A very early spring! My lettuce seeds have sprouted and are begining to grow! Although we don't have very many sunny spots in our front and back yards, I am hoping to grow more food this spring and summer.  These lettuce sprouts are a promising start.

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-61801247400548956742010-03-26T21:04:00.000-07:002010-03-26T21:08:01.547-07:00

As I lay in bed last night, I had this great idea or at least I hope it's a great idea.  I've been meaning to start some cucumber plants in egg cartons to plant when the weather is predictably warm most of the time.   Other years, I've wrapped the egg cartons in clear plastic wrap to keep the seeds damp, etc.  In another part of my mind I was thinking about green houses.  Then the two things came

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-54382924404428381052010-03-15T14:04:00.000-07:002010-03-15T14:06:45.718-07:00

Mrs. Cluck talking to little Peep.  My latest needle felted little animals.  At this time of year, I think about the various chickens I've taken care of over the years.  My favorite hen was one I had in Cape Breton 39 years ago.  She was a Bantam hen with an injured leg.   I've been racking my brain to remember her name but I can't.  She disappeared for about three weeks and we thought

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-28955191092283811622010-03-14T20:42:00.000-07:002010-03-14T20:43:21.731-07:00

I've been doing some research about mason bees.   My goal is to put houses out for them and buy some cocoons. "What are Mason Bees? Mason bee, Osmia lignaria, also known as the blue orchard bee, is friendly and an efficient pollinator for fruit such as apple, cherry, almond and blueberry. Beediverse houses are an excellent way to encourage these pollinators into

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-86801224672713313072010-03-02T22:24:00.000-08:002010-03-02T22:27:41.206-08:00

I've had a very busy February.  I 've been busy with writing as well as learning some new skills - needle felting upcycled felted wool sweaters.  You know how sometimes a wool sweater gets into the wrong wash cycle and it shrinks.  Well, I've been doing that on purpose and creating other things with those felted sweaters. A little girl's hearts and flower sweater made out of a felted merino adult

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-8357272762924429622010-01-21T13:35:00.000-08:002010-01-21T13:35:27.481-08:00

I constantly use analogies of flowers in my work with parents either in regard to learning at home or raising children - one can't change a daffodil into a tulip, that the strength and beauty of a flower is partly determined by the soil, etc.  The last few days here in Victoria have brought sunshine and my primroses are beginning to bloom as well as my snowdrops, and even a crocus or two.  I

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-63110470323372346702009-11-04T09:38:00.000-08:002009-11-04T09:38:02.173-08:00

This little elf doll makes me smile every time I look at her.  As well as selling little elf dolls, I have kits for sale so that anyone can make a little elf doll.  I thought they'd make fun projects for children 10 years old and up who have some rudimentary hand sewing skills.  All the pieces are cut out and the frame is included, wrapped with roving, and the head and hand beads and Sculpey

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-60994235520619259852009-11-01T22:43:00.000-08:002009-11-01T22:43:03.624-08:00

I just completed little Acorn Cap. He joins the other little dolls I've been making. I'll post more tomorrow. Happy November!

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-14119449991045845712009-10-12T23:14:00.000-07:002009-10-12T23:38:04.369-07:00

Hot off the presses, Autumn Stories is now available in a 32 page paperback with colour photographs.  In both stories in the book, Little Blue Feather helps his animal friends get ready for winter.   In the words of one reader "Autumn Stories is charming!"  In the first story, Little Blue Feather helps his friend Nutkin, the squirel to store his acorns for the winter.   In the second

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-35252542804613530982009-09-26T23:48:00.000-07:002009-09-26T23:49:44.699-07:00

I put my needle and wet felted woodland play mat for sale on ArtFire.  As I was wet felting the base, I kept singing "Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry" - etc.  One of my favourite songs to sing in the fall.  You can listen to the song by clicking here.  You can order a copy of my CD here.  In the month of October, I will donate 10% of the proceeds of each CD, book, little fuzzy sold to my local food

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-18568868157812254582009-09-22T23:38:00.000-07:002009-09-22T23:40:29.459-07:00

On this first day of fall - the sun was too hot so I had to move into the shade to work. I started to make a few play mats/scenes yesterday.  I completed one today.  It made me smile and brought back so many memories of my children playing with little Lego people or Playmobile people or other little creatures and dolls that they had.  I like toys.  I like imagining a child playing with a toy

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-90979104035118164852009-08-31T11:09:00.000-07:002009-09-02T10:55:06.500-07:00

This morning as I sat on the deck eating breakfast, I heard a continuous scolding from the downy woodpeckers who live in the neighborhood.  The table and chair were in a different place on the deck and the woodpeckers wanted to get to the feeder hanging by the kitchen window.   One of them flew over and landed on the feeder briefly.  I realized that where I was sitting seemed to disturb them, so

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-8035252401016417172009-08-30T00:30:00.000-07:002009-08-30T00:34:57.504-07:00

I am offering some needle felting classes in the fall at Knotty By Nature downtown.All classes are $30 plus a materials fee of $5.00, which includes a felting needle and a foam sponge Pumpkins and Gourds   Tuesday, Sept. 15th 7:00 – 9:00 PM and Saturday, Sept. 26 1:30 – 3:30 PM  Owls  Thursday, Sept. 17th 7:00 – 9:00 PM and Saturday, Oct. 3 10:00 – noon  Snowmen 

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-23316275303421652602009-08-28T21:46:00.000-07:002009-08-29T19:35:40.758-07:00

Although the pumpkin plants I planted in pots grew and grew, they only produced one pumpkin. Others rotted on the vines for unknown reasons. However, I've been needle felting pumpkins. Some little hedgehogs decided that my one hollow pumpkin was a good place to hide.And I've had a large crop of felted pumpkins and gourds - as you can see the elf crew helped to bring in the harvest.

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-58088583556707857202009-07-27T13:39:00.001-07:002009-07-27T13:51:31.440-07:00

The pumpkins are getting bigger every day. I've not grown this kind of pumpkin before. They've always been green as they are growing. It will be interesting to watch and see when they turn orange.The second harvesting of zucchinis. It's interesting that there are two ready at the same time, that happened before as well. There's also a winter squash plant growing in this container and so

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-48901848066230126212009-07-20T12:08:00.000-07:002009-07-20T12:53:00.391-07:00

On these beautiful sunny mornings, my husband and I often sit on the deck and eat breakfast while watching all of the little birds chirping and beeping in the oak trees above our heads. There's a pattern to their arrival and departure. The nuthatches find bugs traveling down the tree and various wrens travel up the tree. It amazes me every summer how this way of finding bugs allows for both

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-39458797849052811372009-07-17T11:27:00.001-07:002009-07-17T11:55:53.433-07:00

I just posted the information about my parent and baby/toddler classes starting in September. I've taken an 8 month break from teaching these classes. I'm looking forward to starting them again. I love watching the interaction between parent and baby. I am also always amazed when all the babies in the class sit and watch me as we sing 5 little ducks. My duck glove puppets are always a big

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-91463178443444551042009-07-06T08:08:00.000-07:002009-07-06T08:35:35.551-07:00

I've been making lots of penguins. I love showing them off - adults' faces relax and a big grin or wistful smile appears. Children immediately want to hold one and even though the penguins are small, a child will hold it up in a cuddle position close to his or her face.Two weekends ago I spoke at the Wondertree 25th Anniversary Celebration. On my way home on the ferry, I sat in the buffet and

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-44686051099621068832009-05-03T23:35:00.000-07:002009-05-06T00:26:22.531-07:00

I changed servers for my website in January. I'm going to be adding previous postings here and there. Here is one from April 2006April I love spring! And I especially love April in Victoria. Yesterday I mowed my backyard with my human powered push mower. It is not as efficient as a gas mower, but it doesn’t smell like anything other than grass being cut –none of those gas mower smells that

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-41572459704740918662009-04-09T23:36:00.000-07:002009-04-11T23:32:31.549-07:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));try {var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-5113560-2");pageTracker._trackPageview();} catch(err) {}I recently found this delightful poem by Rowena Bennett. She wrote a number of

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-50759115021098044572009-03-31T10:28:00.000-07:002009-03-31T15:08:15.252-07:00

It was sunny but blustery this morning. Now there's an overcast sky. The trees in my backyard are just beginning to show signs of blossoms - at least three weeks later than usual.Here's a photo of a cherry plum tree from March 19, 2007Here's the same tree todayThe forsythia is blooming away though and adds a note of cheery yellow to an otherwise gray day.As I walked out to take these photos, I

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-87396580605034108532009-03-30T23:37:00.000-07:002009-03-31T10:28:46.478-07:00

I was working on and off all day trying to figure out the best way to sell my needle felted little animals online. I'd been thinking of using Etsy for the last two weeks and decided to try it today. You can follow the link above to see the five items I have for sale there.I still have things for sale on my website. In fact there is a bit of overlap that I'll fix tomorrow. It's been an

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-7066867865596992502009-03-27T20:42:00.001-07:002009-03-27T21:06:33.860-07:00

I taught my first needle felting class last night at Knotty by Nature Fibre Arts. Seven women and the owner's seven year old daughter joined me to make bunnies. It was fun. Here's a photo of the bunnies everyone made.If you live in Victoria, you can register for the next bunny making class April 9, 2009 from 4-6 pm. The fee is $25 for 2 hours of instruction and materials.I was going to

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-89380145195712933442009-03-24T15:02:00.000-07:002009-03-24T15:36:05.433-07:00

Interesting to note that Michelle Obama, following in the tradition of Eleanor Roosevelt, is creating a vegetable garden at the White House. These two women seem to be the only ones who have had vegetable gardens at the White House within the last 100 years or so. A revival of "growing vitamins at your door."Lawns into gardens!Now I just need to find vegies that will grow in the shade with

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-73233585593429206102009-03-22T22:49:00.000-07:002009-03-22T23:48:17.788-07:00

I just read some excerpts online about food security. It made me think about my various attempts at creating food security. Thirty eight years ago I moved to a small farm in Cape Breton to become a self-sufficient farmer. We had goats for milk, chickens for eggs, and a work horse to help us haul wood out of our woodlot, plow our gardens, and spread manure from all the animals on the garden

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-54527237876793208642009-03-20T21:59:00.000-07:002009-03-20T22:07:27.399-07:00

I ran out of coloured wool today - so dyed some with food colouring. As you can see I stuck a lot of wool into my quart canning jars. Water, vinegar, salt and food colouring makes a colorfast non-poisonous dye for wool.The colours are almost finished being absorbed by the wool.Drying in the morning sun on my deck. It was hot enough for about 15 minutes today that I thought I should go inside

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-3172747560459154702009-03-20T21:35:00.000-07:002009-03-20T22:12:08.418-07:00

I've been needle felting. As I am still not 100% well, this is a great way to make something and sit with my feet up at the same time. Plus it is so satisfying to create a special little animal and watch as it comes alive under my fingers.My children made lovely things when they were learning at home. I was busy supplying them with materials, observing their work, making bread, cookies, cakes,

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-79846267810475784372009-02-15T21:12:00.000-08:002009-02-15T21:34:22.031-08:00

I was out counting birds today in the morning. I couldn't see many but I heard a lot of calls. One little sparrow was singing his heart out sitting on the front porch of a bird house in my neighbor's backyard. I heard and saw a number of crows, too, and then heard the keening calls of a Cooper's Hawk. No wonder there weren't too many little birds around.We had a nest of Cooper's Hawks last

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-29004540814236354182009-02-04T23:29:00.000-08:002009-02-05T00:26:35.962-08:00

One of my husband's students gave him a small bird feeder and a homemade peanut butter, lard, and cornmeal concoction to put in it for Christmas. We hung it up outside the kitchen window. We have feeders in other places we can see from our windows downstairs but not one from the kitchen window. Within a week, 15 bush tits at a time were all over the feeder. The nuthatches, chickadees and a few

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-50528988075794736382009-01-31T21:02:00.000-08:002009-02-18T22:31:09.525-08:00

In November, I made some dolls as presents for various grandnieces - I had so much fun making them. I find myself needle felting at the oddest times. Here's a photo of a little barnyard group. You can see more on my website.If you'd like to needle felt little animals, go to woolpets.com and order the book. That's where I learned how to make the animals above.Snowmen are also fun to make out

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-77683279110729312992009-01-31T17:01:00.000-08:002009-01-31T17:05:33.427-08:00

Learning all the timeI just finished updating my website with a new server and have added a link to this blog on the site. As I was rebuilding my site, I was struck by my ability to cope with "mistakes." When I made a mistake, I had instant feedback - it didn't work or look like I wanted it to look. What fascinated me was that when I was fresh and rested, I was quite philosophical about my

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-72169359566246109612008-06-19T12:51:00.000-07:002009-01-31T17:21:10.620-08:00

The June Issue of Read Aloud Ideas is now available. Books by two great authors - E.B. White and Patricia MacLachlan make for delightful summer reading.This is the 10th anniversary of the publication of my book Learning At Home: A Mother’s Guide To Homeschooling, now in its third edition. (It’s also the year I turn 60.) How those ten years have flown! My children have found their passions and

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-56661632119831024342008-03-20T23:53:00.001-07:002008-06-19T12:40:30.486-07:00

_uacct = "UA-4758392-1";urchinTracker();I've posted the March edition of Ideas for Homeschoolers here. Enjoy!Marty

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-1449406139177601782008-03-16T16:16:00.000-07:002008-03-16T16:22:18.627-07:00

I've just posted the March issue of Ideas for Homeschoolers with a number of book recommendations for spring reading. Go to www.martylayne.com and then click on Ideas for HomeschoolersI'll email you a PDF copy of this newsletter if you fill in the form on my web page.Enjoy!

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3729833595708001951.post-81946849228377099692008-03-09T13:08:00.000-07:002008-03-10T14:43:36.557-07:00

I recently downloaded a trial copy of Adobe Photoshop with more bells and whistles than the program I have. I found it quite interesting to see how much I rely on what I've already learned when I'm using a new program to do a familiar task. My fingers want to move in certain ways to various placings that were there in the old program but have moved in the new one. Same thing for mouse moves.I

Marty Laynehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11292209181619672483noreply@blogger.com0