Amazingly delicious Japanese Hoshigaki, persimmon ‘fruit of the gods’!
We tried a new thing this year, making hoshigaki (干し柿)! Nestled in the heart of rural Japan, where time seems to move at a slower pace and nature's beauty is…
Saving money DOES NOT EQUAL Adding value!
https://youtu.be/WTDO6YYoF6g?si=9Xxlyu6iKulgNye3 Yuki learns to fillet Yellowtail and makes homemade sashimi! The illusion of saving money It is truly astonishing how much time and anxiety we spend on the pursuit of…
Amber Museum in Iwate: home of Japan’s amber heart!
A strong maritime connection in amber! We took a field trip to the amber museum in Kuji, Iwate (Japan)! A very fun, family-oriented adventure that took exactly the right amount…
Homeschool vouchers: a trojan horse, but I still support
There has been a lot of conversation lately about homeschool vouchers! It seems to be a much more controversial topic than a first glance would suggest. After all, who would…
Koiwai Farm Field Trip – with some advice for large families!
Koiwai Farm (小岩井農場, Koiwai Nōjō) Koiwai Farm in Iwate, Japan, is a popular farm field trip for tourists, locals, and homeschoolers alike. With its beautiful scenery, fresh produce, and friendly…
Mid-life with no real skills? Teach what you lack!
A childhood of learning Let's take a trip in the way-back machine. All the way back to when you were in school - high school/middle school, whatever. Try to think…
Self-Reliance: an arrogant sin, or a lost art?
https://youtu.be/XFTqMDOtTzo Making a shovel out of a tree branch: self-reliance? Self-reliance, God-reliance, or folly? A story my Dad loves to tell: A very faithful man once had the misfortune to…
The philosophy of ants. And a free vocabulary worksheet for kindergartners!
https://youtu.be/A5UR5Ti_Ons Severe carpenter ant damage on a Japanese timber frame beam If you want to go straight to the free vocabulary worksheet for kindergartners - check out my new resources…
Danshari and Christian minimalism: strong medicine for the chaos of a large family!
We got to be a Danshari Family! Being a large, mixed-race, family in Japan we tend to get noticed. Even my ‘shrinking violet’ wife has gotten used to the curious…
Japanese Carpenter Ants: The creepy-crawly friends beneath your bath!
Japanese carpenter ant, Camponotus japonicus. https://youtu.be/luItX0kfSfs Carpenter ants: a few (thousand) friends closer than you think! As we were demolishing a portion of our Japanese farmhouse here in Northern Japan,…
