About a month ago, my sister, Bonnie (Bubbie Dear) and her grand-daughter Robyn were standing in front of Granite Park Chalet in Glacier Park. Since then, over a foot of fresh snow has fallen around their cozy home in the Flathead Valley. The bird feeders are full, and they are using their snow plow to get a road out to the main highway. (You have to do that, if you want to get to work on time.) Well, Bonnie's been telling me to visit her this winter - mainly, being retired like me, it keeps some of the winter blahs away. In the Flathead Valley, as here in Tacoma, one grey day can follow another, until 'cabin fever' sets in, and everything gets quite dismal.
This winter, Bonnie extended a unique invitation - to monitor, videotape, audit, and enjoy her 'Academy of the Arts and Sciences' held at her kitchen table every day. English, History, Math, Social Studies, and Science are offered for four hours a day, year-long. She is home-schooling her two high school age grand-daughters. Her classes and guidance are suplimented with projects, homework, independent study, and .....playing hookey. Yes! She admitted that they took a day off to drive into town. They shopped for cosmetics, had lunch at Red's Wines and Blues, a fancy restaurant, and did some second-hand shopping at 'The Re-finery'. They browsed through a furniture boutique and ended the day at the Imagination Station, where they bought gifts for Bonnie's grandchildren. The day wore them out, and gave them the sensory overload that one must savor from time to time when living out in the country!
When she told me about the lessons and where they explored in town, I figured it was time that I get on a plane and head over there. I'll be in Montana for a week, and when I return home, I hope to have upgraded my Math skills.
