Yellow Star: A cast of homeschooled students and graduates present a story of faith and courage set in France during World War II. It is an inspiring Christmas drama for the whole family. Performed by The Homeschool Dramatic Society, Cookeville, TN. Trailer for Yellow Star DVD   "Maurice Beaumont and his sisters are living in their family’s large old house in a Nazi-occupied French village during World War II. In spite of the Nazi presence, the Beaumonts’ lives are calm and quiet. Things change, however, when they agree to take in several children from Paris who have been sent to the country to avoid the tension and fighting in the city." "Things change even more when four workers in the French Resistance ask the Beaumonts to take in several Jewish children who are being hidden from the Nazis. The Beaumonts recognize the danger to themselves and the children from Paris if they take in the Jews, but they also recognize the danger to the Jewish children if they do not take them in. If they agree, the identity of the Jewish children must be kept a secret from the other villagers and, most importantly, from the Nazis." "The children, the villagers, and the Nazis are all in desperate need of the peace that is found only in Jesus Christ. The star that shone above the Christ Child so long ago to point the way to Him is bright enough to illumine all of their war-torn hearts, but that light will not penetrate their darkness unless they let it shine through." "Traditional French songs and folk dances, as well as original musical numbers and choreography, bring this story to life for the entire family. This play was performed by the Homeschool Dramatic Society on September 11 and 12, 2008 at the Cookeville Drama Center in Cookeville, Tennessee." The production, written and directed by Mary Evelyn Notgrass, is available on DVD from the Notgrass Company. If you are considering homeschooling, realize the wealth of private music, drama, and sports training available to your family.  There is no reason to be beholden to the state for your child's education.

Each week Considering Homeschooling recognizes the faithful service of someone getting the message out about homeschooling.  This week we recognize Wayne Walker for his blog Hymn Studies, "studies of hymns that can be used in your homeschool as part of your devotions, Bible curriculum, or music study."   "All the Heavens Adore Thee" Dec. 13, 2008 on Hymn Studies "And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him" (Matt. 25.6) INTRO.: A hymn which aplies the thought of this parable to us is "All the Heavens Adore Thee." The text was written and the tune (Wachet Auf or Sleepers Awake) was composed both by Philipp Nicolai, who was born on Aug. 10, 1556, at Mengeringhausen in Waldeck, Germany, where his father, Dieterich Nicolai, was a Lutheran minister. After an early education at Mengeringhausen under Ludwig Helmbold and Joachim von Burgk, in 1575 Philip entered the University of Erfurt and in 1576 went to the University of Wittenberg, where he graduated in 1579. Living for some time at Volkhardinghausen neare Mengeringhausen, he frequently preached for his father. In 1583, he was appointed Lutheran preacher at Herdecke in Westphalia, where his father had been minister earlier, but found many difficulties there and resigned his post. In 1586 he became minister at Niederwildungen near Waldeck, and in 1588 moved to Altwildungen, where he also served as court preacher to the widowed Countess Margaretha of Waldeck and tutor to her son, Count Wilhelm Ernst. In 1596, he became minister at Unna in Westphalia. It is believed that he produced these words there in 1597 during a pestilence of bubonic plague which claimed some 1,400 victims. The song was first published, with the tune, along with two other hymns in the appendix to his devotional work Frewden-Spiegel dess ewigen Lebens, printed at Frankfurt-am-Main in 1599.  In 1601, Nicolai was selected minister of St. Katherine's Church at Hamburg, where he married at age 44 in 1606 and died of a fever two years later on Oct. 26, 1608. It is possible that this hymn is based on the Wachter-Lieder (Watch Songs), a form of lyric poetry popular in the Middle Ages and introduced by Wolfram von Eschenbach (1170-1220). However, while in the Watch Songs the voice of the watchman summons the workers of darkness to flee from discovery, with Nicolai it is a summons to the children of light to awaken to their promised reward. The translation was made by Catherine Winkworth (1829-1878). It was first published in her 1858 Lyra Germanica, Second Series, and revised in 1863 for her Choral Book for England. Several alterations, especially in the third stanza, have been made to Miss Winkworth's original translation, various ones attributed to illiam Cooke, Edward A. Dayman, Philip Pusey, and Frances E. Cox, which appear in the 1872 edition of the 1871 Hymnary. It is possible that the melody is based on the "Silberweisse," c. 1513, by Hans Sachs (1494-1576). The tune was sometimes ascribed to Jacob Praetorius, the music director of the St. Katherine's Church in Hamburg where Nicolai was minister. However, it is now known that Nicolai was the composer and Praetorious only arranged it.    The modern harmonization was made by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). It was done for the concluding chorale, "Gloria sei dir gesungen," in his Cantata 140, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme of 1731, based on this hymn. The hymn has been called "The King of Chorales" (chorale being the name for hymns used in the German Lutheran church of that day). John Julian calls the text, "A beautiful hymn, one of the first rank," and Winterfeld says, that the tune "is the greatest and most solemn melody of evangelical Christendom."  Among hymnbooks published by members of the Lord's church during the twentieth century for use in churches of Christ, the first one in which I have seen the song was the 1963 Christian Hymnal edited by J. Nelson Slater, where only the third stanza is used. The entire song appears in the 1986 Great Songs Revised edited by Forrest M. McCann, the only other book among us that I know of to use it. This is not an easy song to sing. Believe me, I know because we sang it when I was in high school chorus. However, it is an important hymn historically. The message is good and the tune, while difficult, is majestic and inspiring. The song encourages us to wake, to watch, and to worship. I. Stanza 1 is a call to awake "Wake, awake, for night is flying: The watchmen on the heights are crying, 'Awake, Jerusalem, arise!' Midnight's solemn hour is tolling; His chariot wheels are near rolling; He come! O church, lift up thine eyes! Rise up, with willing feet; Go forth, the Bridegroom meet: Hallelujah! Lo, great and small, We answer all; We follow where Thy voice shall call." A. Christians are to awake out of the sleep of darkness: Rom. 13.11-12 B. God's watchman, through the written word, is calling us to be alert: Isa. 52.8, Ezek. 3.17 C. Therefore, like the five wise virgins, we need to be vigilant: Matt. 26.7-13 II. Stanza 2 is a call to prepare "Zion hears the watchmen singing; Her heart with deep delight is springing; She wakes, she rises from her gloom. For her Lord comes down all glorious, In grace arrayed, by truth victorious; Her star is risen, her light is come! Ah, come Thou blessed One, God's own beloved Son, Hallelujah! We haste along, An eager throng, And gladsome join the advent song." A. We need to remember that someday the Lord will come down all glorious: Acts 1.11 B. He who will come is the bridegroom, God's own beloved Son, for whom we wait: Jn. 1.29, Phil. 3.20-21 C. And we must be prepared so that we can join Him in the marriage feast of heaven: Rev. 19.6-9 III. Stanza 3 is a call to praise "Now let all the heavens adore Thee! Let men and angels sing before Thee! All praise belongs to Thee alone! Heaven's gates with pearl are glorious; We there shall join the choir victorious Of angels circling round Thy throne. No mortal eye hath seen, Nor mortal ear hath heard The wonders there; But we rejoice and Thee adore, And sing Thy praise forevermore." A. All the heavens, both men and angels, will adore Christ: Rev. 5.8-14 (the original third line read, "With harp and cymbal's clearest tone," but Christian Hymnal uses a different version to eliminate the reference to instrumental music) B. This will be the primary activity in that eternal city where the gate is made of pearl: Rev. 21.1-21 C. As yet, no mortal eye or ear has experienced this: 1 Cor. 2.9 CONCL.: The latter passage is not talking about heaven, but the language can still be used in this regard to remind us that while we as yet have not been to heaven, it should be our desire, both here and in eternity, to let "All the Heavens Adore Thee."

I didn’t manage to get my workout in yesterday. I ran out of disk space on my webhost site and didn’t know how to increase it. I fiddled around with it too long before sending an SOS to support. I ended up doing the Pyramid Pulse II workout today. Everyone else on this challenge is enjoying a week of easier workouts while I am playing catch up. School has been on schedule this week. I spent the last two weeks drilling the days of the week into my little girls’ heads using the Adams Family theme song. So, we took this week off and just let them play. They are still singing the song and moving the hungry caterpillar along the wall where I put large labels for each day. I really enjoyed this unit study. My husband was really surprised at my grocery shopping savings yesterday. It was fun to see the look on his face. So, now I will attempt to do even better next week. I have a lot to learn about coupon stacking and such, but my competitive spirit will get me through the learning curve. Here were the meals today: #1: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, frozen blueberries, 12 almonds and a cup of coffee #2: Post workout shake of 1 scoop protein powder, frozen blueberries, 1/4 cup coconut milk and 1 cup water. #3: Leftover chicken soup from last night’s dinner. #4: apple and almonds #5: Teriyaki pork butt roast, steamed broccoli drizzled with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and walnuts #6: Protein pudding Post from: Homeschool Fitness Coach

This contest has ended.Family Time Fun is one of my new favorite companies!Anyone who knows me well knows that my family is always at the top of my priority list. Our schedules are insane between me and all my ventures, my amazingly hard-working husband, and my 4 kiddos and their activities! But I have always made it a point to make dinners a family affair. We may eat at 10:00pm, but we ALWAYS eat together! :)All too often however, while we are all gathered around the table the TV is on, or everyone is talking at the same time! So although we are physically "spending time together," it is not actually quality time!Family Time Fun has created some incredible solutions to this problem!They are the creators of The Restaurant Game... And The Dinner Game!I wish I could say I have a favorite, but I just love them both! We played The Dinner Game the moment it arrived (because my kids couldn't WAIT until dinner!), and we loved it. We played it again that night at dinner, and now it is a staple on my table- it has a home just beside the napkins!And although we haven't been out to eat since The Restaurant Game arrived, you can rest assured it is already in my car awaiting a trip out with the family!Both games have questions such as, "Everyone at the table should guess your favorite song" and "Hum the tune to a song while everyone else tries to guess it." The Restaurant Game also has cards that say, "Guess how many sugar packets are in the caddy at the table" and "Guess your server's favorite color." The Restaurant Game makes no noise, so it will not disrupt any surrounding tables.These games are sure to bring new life to your family dinners, no matter what the ages of your kids are. My 2 year old got a kick out of hitting the "start" button on The Dinner Game.Family Time Fun is offering The Restaurant Game to YOUR family, as well!To enter to win this competition...To enter, please do any or all of the following:1. Comment below, with your email address, telling me how this game could change your "family time" at dinner.2. Visit the "Family Time Fun Games" site by clicking HERE, and leave a comment telling me what you think you will love about their games!3. Subscribe to this blog (enter your email address in upper right corner), and comment that you do.4. Follow this blog (in right hand column), and comment that you do.5. Become a fan of this blog on Facebook by clicking HERE, and comment that you do.6. Email this contest out to your friends, and copy me on it at vaagen@bellsouth.net7. Follow me on Twitter (vaagen) and ReTweet this contest on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vaagen/status/2765236593. Comment below that you did.8. Favorite this blog on Technorati by clicking HEREThe winner will be chosen by random drawing on http://www.random.org/integers/ on Friday, July 31th at 6pm. Good luck!Thank you for coming to Mingle Over Mocha with Anna!

Ahhhh, Harry. You've done it again. When I'm looking for new music, I will generally enter a genre on my iPhone app, "Pandora Radio," and see what comes up. Lately, I've not been too thrilled with Pandora's choices for me.If you're in the same situation- a little tired of the same old songs in your collection, look no further.Harry Connick Jr's newest album, "Your Songs," is set for release on September 22nd.What will you find in this album?Harry's timeless voiceSoothing musical accompanimentSome jazzWell-preserved classics, with a unique spinA little something for all agesCheck out these amazing Tracks!Album Tracklisting (Originally performed by):All The Way (Frank Sinatra)Just The Way You Are (Billy Joel)Can’t Help Falling In Love With You (Elvis Presley)And I Love Her (The Beatles)(They Long To Be) Close To You (The Carpenters)Besame MuchoThe Way You Look Tonight First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Roberta Flack)Your Song (Elton John)Some Enchanted EveningAnd I Love You So (Don McLean)Who Can I Turn To? (Tony Bennett)Smile (Charlie Chaplin)Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole)Here is a fun "behind the scenes" look at the making of this album:http://bit.ly/HCJrVideoThis CD is perfect for so many situations!Romantic evenings, reading-a-book-by-the-fireplace night, calm drives, bath time... the list goes on and on! You'll want to put the release date on your calendar so you can pick up a copy of "Your Songs!" Are you a big Harry Connick, Jr. fan? Check him out on these TV shows:9/25 – Oprah “Live Friday”9/28 – Today Show9/29 – The View9/30 – Imus in the Morning9/30 – Letterman10/1 – Today ShowWeek of 10/5 – Rachael Ray FTC Disclaimer:Thank you to One2One Marketing for donating the free copy of "Your Songs" for my review. I was not compensated monetarily for this review, or for any on my blog site. All reviews are provided after I recieve a free/donated product from the publisher, manufacturer, or PR company. Reviews are written from an unbiased point of view. Only business relationships exist with those who provide products for review.Thank you for coming to Mingle Over Mocha with Anna!

The American Patriot's Almanac: Daily Readings on Americaby William J. Bennett? William J. Bennett (Author) › Visit Amazon's William J. Bennett PageFind all the books, read about the author, and more.See search results for this author Are you an author? Learn about Author Central ? and John T.E. Cribb I was given the opportunity to review this book through BookSneeze.? The very first thing that comes to mind when I remember taking the time to go through this book is the unmatched value we found in it as a homeschooling family.? The authors have listed one major historical event for every day of the year.? We have had fun reading one of the events each day, and discussing the impact the events must have had on our country!? But the "this day in history" pages are not the only parts of value!There are also several articles, including "Twelve Great Reasons to Love a Great Country", "Flags of the Revolutionary War", "The History of the Stars and Stripes", "Fifty All-American Movies", "Flag Etiquette: Guidelines for Displaying and Handling the U.S. Flag", "How the Declaration of Independence Was Written and Signed", "The Declaration of Independence", How the Constitution Was Written and Ratified", The Constitution of the United States", "The Bill of Rights", "Amendments to the U.S. Constitution Since the Bill of Rights", "The Gettysburg Address", "The Emancipation Proclamation", The Pledge of Allegiance", "The American's Creed", "Songs of American Patriotism", "Poems of American Patriotism", and "Prayers for the American People"!? The collection itself is highly impressive before you get to the real "meat" of the book, which is readable every single day for a year!? I recommend this book constantly to fellow homeschool families.? Even if your children aren't homeschooled, this is a wonderful way to become more involved in your child(ren)'s education.? You can purchase this book on Amazon for a great value!? This link will take you to the ebook edition, but just because of the amazing aesthetics of it, we enjoyed the hard copy!? Thank you for coming to Mingle Over Mocha with Anna!

I am a HUGE fan of Norah Jones. And when I heard that One2One Network was offering me a chance to review her music, I was SO excited! She has that husky, bluesy, smooth voice that I have always loved. Take a listen by clicking below!? Another awesome thing about this album is that she is only "featured" in all the songs!? She is performing with many other artists, and there is not one song on this album that is like another.? Some of them completely shocked me, for example, her duet with Willie Nelson in "Baby It's Cold Outside!"? What a strange combination- Norah and Willie, and what a strange song to imagine them singing together- but it was FABULOUS!The album "Featuring Norah Jones" was released to the public November 17th, and if you haven't bought it yet, this would make a wonderful addition to your music collection!See below for the list of songs and artists in this new album.if (browserHasRadio()){ document.write('');}1. Love Me - The Little Willies 2. Virginia Moon - Foo Fighters featuring Norah Jones 3. Turn Them - Sean Bones featuring Norah Jones 4. Baby It's Cold Outside - Willie Nelson featuring Norah Jones 5. Bull Rider - Norah Jones and Sasha Dobson 6. Ruler Of My Heart - Dirty Dozen Brass Band featuring Norah Jones 7. The Best Part - El Madmo 8. Take Off Your Cool - Outkast featuring Norah Jones 9. Life Is Better - Q-Tip featuring Norah Jones 10. Soon The New Day - Talib Kweli featuring Norah Jones 11. Little Lou, Prophet Jack, Ugly John - Belle & Sebastian featuring Norah Jones 12. Here We Go Again - Ray Charles featuring Norah Jones 13. Loretta - Norah Jones featuring Gillian Welch and David Rawlings 14. Dear John - Ryan Adams featuring Norah Jones 15. Creepin' In - Norah Jones featuring Dolly Parton 16. Court & Spark - Herbie Hancock featuring Norah Jones 17. More Than This - Charlie Hunter featuring Norah Jones 18. Blue Bayou - Norah Jones featuring M. Ward Thank you to One2One Network for offering me this album for my review. I was in no way compensated for this review, and the opinions expressed above are solely my own.Thank you for coming to Mingle Over Mocha with Anna!

I was so excited to be chosen to review the One eskimO album "All Balloons!"One eskimO is a critically-acclaimed English band fronted by singer-songwriter Kristian Leontiou and includes musicians Pete Rinaldi (guitar), Jamie Sefton (bass, horns) and Adam Falkner (drums).They currently have the #1 adult alternative song called 'Kandi' which you may have already heard since it's the most played song on all adult rock radio 4 weeks and counting! ? Billboard Magazine calls One eskimO's self-titled debut album "...catchy, ambient pop." and Los Angeles Times Magazine hails the song "Kandi" “a beautiful, aspirational track.” The album is available in stores now.? ? Watch the amazing Kandi video now!The album release comes in tandem with a full length animated film. “Hometime”, one of the tracks that an animated short was first done with proved to be quite a sensation. It received numerous honors at film festivals around the world, as well as a 2008 British Animation Award. My opinion on the album...I LOVE quite a few songs on this CD.? Astronauts, WHICH YOU CAN DOWNLOAD FOR FREE HERE, is amazing.? It is bathtime music for me.? It just takes you away.? Kandi is the funnest, funkiest, jazziest, sassiest song I can think of at the moment.? And I can truely say there are NO SONGS on this CD I don't enjoy!!The listing of tracks on this CD are:HometimeAstronautsKandiSlipSimple DayGivin UpChocolateAll BalloonsChosen OneUFOAmazing? Be sure to visit One eskimO's Facebook page: http://bit.ly/906Gp3, their YouTube Channel:? http://bit.ly/bgZM8P , and subscribe to their newsletter:? http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1410294733! One? eskimO? is on tour May/June/July supporting Michael Franti and in addition to festivals and headlining showsTour Dates-May 14 Miami, FL Fillmore May 15 Jacksonville, FL Free Bird LiveMay 18 Orlando, FL House of BluesMay 19 Tampa, FL The Ritz YborMay 22 Raleigh, NC Lincoln TheatreMay 24 Asheville, NC The Orange PeelMay 25 Charleston, SC The Music FarmJun 01 Toronto, ON The Guvernment Jun 03 New York, NY The Beach at Governor's IslandJun 04 Boston, MA House of Blues Jun 05 Essex Junction, VT Camplain Valley ExpoJun 06 Hunter, NY Mountain Jam FestivalJun 08 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music ThtrJun 09 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit RoomJun 12 Memphis, TN Minglewood Hall Jun 13 Kansas City, MO CrossroadsAug 14 Denver, CO Mile High FestivalYou can download the deluxe edition of this album HERE!? You can also enter to WIN a copy from One2One Network and Mingle Over Mocha!? To enter, please do any or all of the following items. The "Mandatory" item(s) must be completed before getting any additional credits from the "Optional for Extra Credit" section.Mandatory:• Visit the One eskimO site by clicking HERE, and leave a comment (BE SURE to include? your email address in case you win!!? Sometimes, people never get their prize, because I can't find their email address!!) telling me what you love the most! Optional for Extra Credit:• Subscribe to this blog HERE, and comment that you do.• Follow this blog HERE, and comment that you do.• Post about this giveaway on your blog, and comment with a link to the post!• Digg this post by clicking HERE!• Become a fan of this blog on Facebook by clicking HERE, and comment that you do.• Email this contest out to your friends, and copy me on it at vaagen@bellsouth.net ? • Follow me on Twitter? HERE and ReTweet this: "I want to WIN the new One eskimO CD from @vaagen on her site http://www.mingleovermocha.com/!"? ? Comment below that you did! You can retweet this contest every day for extra entries- simply leave a comment each time you tweet!• Invite friends to follow Mingle Over Mocha on Facebook, and comment that you did!The winner will be chosen by random drawing on http://www.random.org/integers/ on May 31st at 6pm!? GOOD LUCK!Thank you to? One eskimO and One2One Network? for donating the free CD "All? Balloons"? for my review!! I was not compensated monetarily for this review, or for any reviews or giveaways on my blog site. All reviews are provided after I receive a free or donated product from the publisher, manufacturer, or PR company. Reviews are written from an unbiased point of view. Only business relationships exist with those who provide products for review. The Author of Mingle Over Mocha is not responsible for your difference in opinion or happiness with this product, or your safety when using this product.Thank you for coming to Mingle Over Mocha with Anna!

Watch these videos just added to the Library of Congress website.ARC Ensemble: Artists of the Royal Conservatory of Music, CanadaThe ARC Ensemble musicians (Artists of the Royal Conservatory of Music, Canada) are considered among Canada's leading cultural ambassadors. Its 20-year history of excellent concerts and superbly-produced recordings documents the ensemble's focus on the research and rediscovery of music suppressed and marginalized under the 20th century's repressive regimes.Conversation with Simon Wynberg of ARC Ensemble? Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices from The Colburn SchoolThe Colburn School's Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices encourages the performance and awareness of music by composers suppressed during the years of the Nazi regime in Europe. Artistic Director James Conlon conducts the school's orchestra in a significant work by the Austrian composer Franz Schreker, known in the early 20th century primarily for his operas.Conversation with Ziering-Conlon Initiative for Recovered Voices? Homegrown: Herb Ohta, Jr., Hawaiian Ukulele MasterMega songwriter Desmond Child ("Livin' on a Prayer," "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Dude Looks Like a Lady") tells the Library about writing one of his biggest hits, "Livin' La Vida Loca," in the late 1990s, when record executives were afraid Americans wouldn't know what "la vida loca" meant. The song was inducted into the 2022 class of the National Recording Registry.Conversation with Herb Ohta, Jr.? ? Joy Jumps from the PageThis event is part of the 12th annual Jonah S. Eskin Memorial Program, a feature supported by the Jonah S. Eskin Memorial Fund of the Library of Congress. The fund was established to honor the late son of Marcia and Barnet Eskin.? Before the Religious RightJoin the Kluge Center for a discussion with Gene Zubovich who explains the important role of liberal Protestants in the battles over poverty, segregation, and U.S. foreign relations in a global context.? Mary Lou Williams: Jazz, Race, Gender, and IconographyReporter, "Down Beat" columnist, author of "The Golden Age of Jazz" (1979), and photographer William P. Gottlieb (1917-2006) pioneered jazz iconography and shaped the American public's view of jazz. With access to Black jazz musicians in their work environments of nightclubs and concert halls and, in some cases, the private realms of these musicians' homes, Gottlieb documented New York's jazz scene during a ten-year period from 1938 to 1948. His photographs of jazz pianist-composer Mary Lou Williams (1910-1981) are exemplars of jazz iconography and serve as a case study of how Gottlieb depicted jazz musicians to the mainstream White public through his camera lens. Analysis of these photographs provide insight into the intersections of race, gender, and the politics of Jim Crow (racial segregation) with jazz.? Damon Galgut, Winner of the 2021 Booker PrizeWatch a conversation with South African novelist and playwright Damon Galgut in celebration of Africa Month. Galgut won the 2021 Booker Prize for his ninth novel "The Promise," a fictional account of a white South African family living on a farm outside Pretoria during the waning days of apartheid. Using humor to broach difficult subjects, the novel was praised by the Booker Prize judges for offering an "unambiguous commentary on the history of South Africa and of humanity itself."?

News from the Library of CongressLionel Richie, the Kitchen Sisters, New Online Collections & More Lionel Richie to Receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular SongLibrarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced that pop music icon Lionel Richie will be the next recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Richie will be honored with an all-star tribute concert in Washington, D.C., that will be broadcast nationally on PBS stations May 17 at 9 p.m. ET.Learn more. The Library Acquires Kitchen Sisters' Audio ArchiveFor more than 40 years, radio and podcast producers Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva — best known as? The Kitchen Sisters — have chronicled the lives, rituals, triumphs and tribulations of people from all walks of life, weaving together a rich tapestry of America's cultural heritage. Now the Library of Congress is acquiring their full body of work, including more than 7,000 hours of audio, photos, handwritten journals, podcasts and storybooks.Learn more. New Collections OnlineThe Library is constantly adding new items to its available digital collections online. Check out this post from The Signal blog for the latest additions, from film descriptions from copyright registrations to rare illustrated children's books in Hebrew and Yiddish, to musical theater sheet music, to maps, and more.Read the blog post. New Magazine: Jazz's Last StarHazel Scott had fame, money and artistic success — then she lost it all. Read about this little-known jazz star and discover a world of jazz from the Library's collections in the new issue of the Library of Congress MagazineRead the new issue.Friends of the Library of Congress brings together a community of donors committed to preserving this nation's cultural memory. This group is integral in advancing the Library's mission to engage, inspire, and inform and help make everything possible from digital resources to public programming to exhibitions.Join now and take part in unique opportunities to see, experience, and learn from the Library's staff and collections first-hand.

News from the Library of CongressFriends of the Library of Congress, Materials from the Musical ‘Hadestown' and More Be A Friend + Vote for the 2024 Friends Choice Awards!What does a preservation makeover really look like? How does supporting librarians serving the blind and print disabled worldwide build accessible collections? Where do you begin celebrating Africana food and foodways? Help us find out! Be a friend and Vote for your choice in the 2024 Friends' Choice Awards.    The Friends' Choice Award recognizes the project donors most want to fund. You get to decide! If you're already a Friend of the Library - check your email for the voting link. If you are not a Friend - join today! Memberships begin at $50 annually. Learn more about the proposals and vote for the one you want to see come to life.Be a Friend + Vote today!Materials from the Musical ‘Hadestown' Added to Library of Congress CollectionsThe Library of Congress has added rare materials from the development of the Tony Award-winning musical “Hadestown” to its collections, thanks to a donation from the show's Tony Award-winning creator, singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell.Learn more.Library Announces 2023 Music Commissions from Koussevitzky FoundationThe Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress has awarded commissions for new musical works to six composers. The commissions are granted jointly by the foundation and the performing organizations that will present the world premiere of each work.Learn more. George Chauncey, Historian of LGBTQ+ Life and Kluge Prize Recipient, Releases New Video Series “Through History to Equality”George Chauncey, recipient of the 2022 John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity, released three videos today with the Library of Congress examining the experiences of LGBTQ+ Americans. These are now available to watch on loc.gov and the Library's YouTube channel.Learn more. The Wright Brothers History Takes Wing at the LibraryAt 10:35 on the morning of Dec. 17, 1903, on a remote sand dune in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, mankind flew for the first time. Orville Wright piloted a homemade airplane powered by a homemade engine for a few wobbly seconds while his brother and co-creator Wilbur ran alongside the right wingtip. “Success four flights thursday morning” Orville telegraphed their father back home in Dayton, Ohio. The world would never be the same. Humans flew to the moon 65 years later.Read more in the latest issue of the Library of Congress Magazine.

Abraham Lincolnborn February 12, 1809Abe Lincoln by Betty Anderson[verse 1]Lincoln lived in IllinoisThen went to WashingtonThe people made him president in 1861.[chorus]Lincoln, LincolnAbraham LincolnLincoln, LincolnAbraham Lincoln[verse 2]Lincoln … [continue reading] The post Abraham Lincoln Songs & Poems appeared first on Homeschooling on a Shoestring.

Snowy MorningEvery whereI walk and go.I leave my step-marksIn the snow.You may also like:Abraham Lincoln Songs & PoemsHomeschoolingGeorge Washington PoemsHomeschoolingAmerican Flag PoemsHomeschooling… [continue reading] The post Winter Poems appeared first on Homeschooling on a Shoestring.