first THH newsletter

Herein is a copy of our first "Tales of the Heartily Homeschooled" newsletter :). I won't be pasting it here every time, so if you'd like to subscribe, use the subscription box on the right!

Tales of the Heartily Homeschooled: The Newsletter!

Issue #1, March 14, 2008

Newsletter Contents:

1. Publishing Update

2. Chapter Previews!

3. The Family Fun Story Contest

4. Recipe: German Pancake with Homemade Buttermilk Syrup

5. Writer's Corner: To Be Or Not To Be

A Note from Rachel:

This, our first newsletter, comes to you a day late because I spent seven years hours in emergency yesterday with my little sister Anna, waiting for them to take her in and stitch up her hand. Our parents are out of town, hence it fell on me to make the hospital trip. Despite the obvious frustration of waiting seven hours, the chance to step in and take care of her reminded me again how much I appreciate life in our big family.

I hope you enjoy this newsletter!

Rachel

Publishing Update

Tales of the Heartily Homeschooled is marching along ahead of schedule! The cover, featuring Deborah Thomson's original, classic cartoon style artwork, is finished. It's very funny! Have a look at www.LittleDozen.com/thh.html .

This week, we've finished the final line edit. We'll now send the book off to our wonderful volunteer proofreaders. We've only made simple changes, but we're excited by how much stronger each chapter sounds! In this issue's Writer's Corner, we've included one of our chief revising strategies.

Chapter Previews!

The first three chapters of Tales are online at www.LittleDozen.com/thhchapters.html . "Ontario: The Journey Begins," "We Wish You a Currey Christmas," and "Freezing at 85 Degrees" follow both our families through the perils of packing, Christmas trees that won't stay standing, and sisters whose internal thermostats wildly conflict. We had fun writing these, and we hope you enjoy reading them!

Starting next week, we'll introduce a new sneak peek chapter in every newsletter.

The Family Fun Story Contest

If you haven't yet heard, we're holding a contest for homeschooled kids ages 8-18. We're looking for your favourite family memories, be they funny, dramatic, touching, or thoughtful. The contest deadline is May 1, and winners will receive an autographed copy of Tales of the Heartily Homeschooled and publication in this newsletter and on our Web site.

Get more information here: www.LittleDozen.com/thh.html .

German Pancake with Homemade Buttermilk Syrup: The Perfect Breakfast for a Snowy Morning!

As March continues to roar like a lion, we want to share one of our favourite recipes with you. This one has been a joy in delight in the Currey kitchen for years, and it's recently become a favourite of the Thomsons as well. Don't be fooled by the name--this is nothing like any pancake you've had before! It's heavy on the eggs, baked, puffy, and marvelous. For our large families, we make two or three pans. The syrup is worth checking out on its own. It's inexpensive, delicious, and simple to make, and you can use it with this recipe or with traditional pancakes.

The recipe comes courtesy of Taste of Home and can be found here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/German-Pancake

Writer's Corner: To Be Or Not To Be

by Rachel Starr Thomson

Of all the questions a writer must ask, one that comes up over and oft is: to be or not to be?

The verb "be" has eight forms, some of which look nothing like "be." They are be, being, been, is, am, are, was, and were. These are often called state-of-being verbs.

"Be," in all of its forms, has its place. Most of the time, though, it acts like the common cold. It makes your sentences weak, runny, and stuffed up. Every time you write a form of "be," see if you can use a stronger verb instead.

For example, a weak sentence:

"The ramshackle mansion was on the hilltop."

A stronger verb strengthens it: "The ramshackle mansion sprawled on the hilltop" or "The ramshackle mansion towered on the hilltop." Suddenly, this sentence is more lively and descriptive.

Now, a runny sentence. "Be" is the culprit again:

"It was in the trees that birds were singing and the leaves were rustling under a sky that was sunny and clouds that were puffy and white."

Go after those "be" verbs, and see what happens:

"In the trees, birds sang and leaves rustled under a sunny sky festooned with puffy white clouds."

Finally, a sentence that's all stuffed up:

"I am a person who is happy to be of help whenever there is an opportunity."

Edited, it reads:

"I am happy to help whenever I can."

Not every instance of "to be" needs cutting, hacking, or replacing. Many, however, do. When you revise your own writing, keep a sharp eye out for "be" verbs. Don't let your writing catch cold!

***

For more writer's reflections, tips, and updates, check out Rachel's writing blog at http://rachelstarrthomson.blogspot.com

***

We hope you enjoyed this week's Tales of the Heartily Homeschooled Newsletter! Please feel free to forward this to your homeschooling friends!