- A few differences between hawks and falcons: falcons have round nostrils and black eyes and do not build nests.
2. When Dostoevsky was 28 he was arrested as a member of a secret society and sentenced to execution by firing squad. The tsar granted a reprieve, but the members were still lined up to be shot before being saved at the last minute. (Definitely fodder for his future novels!)
3. The Brothers Karamzov was published serially, just like Dickens’ novels.
4. AbeBooks is owned by Amazon. Do with that what you will. I’m not sure why I never knew that before.
5. I was looking for outline maps of the Canadian provinces and territories and I found some put together by Donna Ward, who was a mom in our homeschool group 25 years ago.
6. As promised, the tip that got me reading Charlotte Mason after having her volumes on my shelf for years (I did do an 18-month study of her principles before I began homeschooling, but I hadn’t read a volume cover to cover): writing in the book in pencil. I almost never write in books, but I wanted to engage with her thoughts but not get bogged down in making notes. Underlining key points worked well for me. I may never look back. (I still vow never to use highlighter!)
7. CSS Hunley was the first combat submarine to sink a warship (in 1864); we saw a replica at the Civil War reenactment in Madrid, NY. Sadly all threw crews who ever manned her perished.
8. I found a method to make deli style roast beef in the Instant Pot: pressure cook a 3 lb eye of round roast for 5 minutes, then keep warm 30 minutes before opening the lid.
9. Speaking of Instant Pots, you can fit 5 lbs of chicken breasts in ours.
10. The Ogdensburg International Airport has limited flights but they are very inexpensive and if you go to the ticket counter on Tuesdays from 9am to 11am, you can save about 40% more! We are excited to fly to Alabama in January!
I was hoping to also learn how to manually print or photocopy double-sided without making a mistake, but every time I forget and end up with something printed upside down or on the wrong side. Maybe someday I’ll figure it out.