The Monthly Chat

September, 2020

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Printable bits of wisdom, ideas, and reflections for your friends and
homeschool group, from the members of HomeschoolClassifieds.com
Opinions expressed are those of the individual authors.
©1997-2009 HomeschoolClassifieds.com, Knoxville, TN

Homeschool helps
Don't Overthink!

Every year I get frustrated and upset two weeks or so before we're due to start the new school year, worrying that I am too disorganized, the house is too cluttered, and I have not prepared All The Things that we will need to make the school year a success. And every year we dive in anyway, don't do half the things I thought we needed to do, and still have a good year with discernible progress. Don't overfill your schedule to the point that you are stressed because it will never all get done. Remember that you are building Learners, not stuffing your children with only facts and figures for later regurgitation. Leave time to dive deep into the things that really spark interest. It will be enough and more.

hcinfo

Garden & Yard
Bitter cukes?

If your area is like ours this year, we have had very hot temps with little rain. Our grass is crunchy, and all that is growing well is a few weeds and unwelcomed grasses. Our cucumbers 🥒 are very bitter because of this weather pattern. There is something you can do to rid your cukes of the bitter flavor, and still keep the skins intact. Cut off the blossom end, rub it in a circular motion against the end you cut it from. A milky substance will start to appear. This milky substance (cucurbitacin) is the compound that causes the bitterness. After you stop seeing any additional “milk” coming to the surface, wash the “milk” off and enjoy a delicious cucumber 😋.

marylovestoteach