November 2011

Dear Friend, 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and as I do every year, I want to share my favorite Thanksgiving poem, "Gratefulness" by George Herbert, and recipe (Fresh Cranberry-Orange Relish). I also wanted you to know about our Thanksgiving Sale and the amazing Black Friday sale from The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. You'll find it all below. I wish you and your family a joyous and thoughtful Thanksgiving.

Grace and peace,

Janice Campbell

www.Everyday-Education.com 

P.S. Just in time for the holiday, I've created a mini-poster of "11 Things a Paragraph Can Do." The front lists the 11 paragraph functions and the back briefly explains each of them. You can download it from the link at the top of our Thanksgiving Sale page. 

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (II Corinthians 9:15, NIV)

New Articles

I recently had the privilege of having the first level of Excellence in Literature reviewed by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Review Crew. Wow! I'll be sharing direct links to the reviews on the website soon, but for now, you can access all 100 reviews through this Linky page. Enjoy!

I've been writing a Thanksgiving article on the Ant and the Grasshopper fable at the entrepreneur blog, Do What Matters, Make it Pay. It should be up by the end of the day. I just wanted to get this newsletter out to you in case someone was looking for the Cranberry Orange recipe;-). Almost every year I hear from someone who tried it, loved it, and lost the recipe, so if that's you, it's below!

On the Taking Time for Things that Matter homeschool blog, I'll be posting a short but thought provoking statement from the new (coming very soon) Excellence in Literature Handbook for Writers about how literature connects academic disciplines. That should be up by day's end as well.  

The 5th Annual Black Friday sale from TOS Magazine

If you hate crowds or lining up in the cold to get a special Black Friday deal, head on over to The Old Schoolhouse® Store November 23 through November 28. You can shop from the comfort of your home, in your jammies if you wish, and then spend the rest of your time celebrating with family and friends.

 

TOS has wrapped up some special gifts, bargains, and prizes for you. In the spirit of the season, we are giving special gift packages to anyone who makes a purchase - of any size! Get all the details here.

 

Stop by daily because you won’t want to miss the FREE doorbuster specials! We're giving away a Sony E-Reader, Molly Pick a Pack, decadence baskets from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Cranberry Homeschooling With Heart totes, an MP3 player, and more.

 

Remember those shopping marathons with kids in tow as you struggled to manage bags and packages while you staggered back to your car? There's none of that when you shop the Schoolhouse Store - you can shop when the kids are busy doing something else or tucked in their beds. And you won't have to worry about getting your purchases home; we'll even ship everything right to your door FREE (U.S. only)!

 

So get ready to unwrap some great bargains at the Schoolhouse Store - and make your Christmas shopping a stress-free experience.

 

Grab your shopping list, kick off your shoes, and shop!

Gratefulness is my favorite Thanksgiving poem-- I find it beautiful and thought-provoking-- especially the last stanza. If you have been with me for many years, you know that you’ll receive it each year as my Thanksgiving “article.” It is a poem of grace and beauty, and I hope it will be as much of a blessing to you as it is to me.

GRATEFULNESS

by George Herbert (1593- 1633)

Thou that hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, a grateful heart.
See how thy beggar works on thee
By art.

He makes thy gifts occasion more,
And says, If he in this be crossed,
All thou hast given him heretofore
Is lost.

But thou didst reckon, when at first
Thy word our hearts and hands did crave,
What it would come to at the worst
To save.

Perpetual knockings at thy door,
Tears sullying thy transparent rooms,
Gift upon gift, much would have more,
And comes.

This not withstanding, thou wenst on,
And didst allow us all our noise:
Nay thou hast made a sigh and groan
Thy joys.

Not that thou hast not still above
Much better tunes, than groans can make;
But that these country-airs thy love
Did take.

Wherefore I cry, and cry again;
And in no quiet canst thou be,
Till I a thankful heart obtain
Of thee:

Not thankful, when it pleaseth me;
As if thy blessings had spare days:
But such a heart, whose pulse may be
Thy praise.

Our Favorite Thanksgiving Recipe

Fresh Cranberry-Orange Relish

2 bags fresh cranberries (frozen is okay)

3 juicy Valencia oranges, unpeeled, cut in eighths

2-3 handfuls of shelled walnuts

Sugar to taste

Chop or grind the cranberries and orange pieces in a food processor or old-fashioned crank-type food grinder. Chop the walnuts with a knife (definitely not the food processor– trust me on this) and add to the fruit. Add about a cup of sugar to start, stir and taste, and keep adding sugar until it’s perfect.

It’s good when made the day before, as the flavors blend nicely. If you do this, you’ll need to keep it out of sight, or you may have a problem with poachers. Whatever you call it, it’s been a family favorite ever since I can remember pouring berries through the grinder when I was a little girl. Yum!