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Van Gogh Exhibit at the Denver Art Museum ~ field trip

Van Gogh Exhibit at the Denver Art Museum ~ field trip

My kids and I had the opportunity of a lifetime this past week.  We went to the Denver Art Museum to see the Van Gogh Exhibit.   It was absolutely amazing.  Just seeing the masterpieces that this man painted and sketched, was truly an experience.  Vincent Van Gogh didn’t start painting until he was 27 and what he was able to accomplish in those 10 short years with his paintings and drawings, before he took his own life at the age of 37, was truly amazing.

post card of a Van Gogh painting, museum brochure and a book by Sandra Forty called Van Gogh

When we first arrived at the Denver Art Museum, we met up with our homeschool group.  We were then lead to the Van Gogh Exhibit area, where we were all handed a headset so we could listen to the audio tour.  Above certain paintings were numbers that coincided with the history or story of how that painting came about.  The tour talked of how Van Gogh got started in painting and how at different times, different artists inspired him.   They told a little about his life, how close he was to his brother Theo and how Van Gogh felt a connection to the poorer folks and people who worked a lot with their hands.

It is so hard to put into words what I felt, as I listened about his life and the connection he had with certain people and how he portrayed his feelings and thoughts on paper and canvas.  While he did have happy times, Van Gogh also lived a troubled life.  He was in and out of a mental hospital and fought depression often.   I wish I could have taken pictures of some of the paintings, but photography was not allowed.  If you ever get a chance to attend an exhibit like this, I highly recommend it.

After we left the Van Gogh Exhibit, we went to a section with paintings by Charles Partridge Adams.  He was from Colorado and painted landscapes of Colorado during the last 1800’s and early 1900’s.  His paintings were gorgeous.  He really captured the colors of the different seasons.

Charles Partridge Adams~Denver Art Museum.

My pictures aren’t all that great because I was taking them with my phone.  All I can say is that they are truly amazing and if you are ever in the Denver area, you definitely need to go to the Denver Art Museum to see them.  The Rocky Mountain Majesty exhibit will be on display until September 8th, 2013.  I am definitely planning a trip back, before this exhibit leaves the museum.

Charles Partridge Adams~Denver Art Museum.

The last section we made it to before a couple of the kids got to feeling bad was the American Indian Art Exhibit.

American Indian Art Exhibit~Denver Art Museum

Again, no words to describe the beautiful artwork, bead work, baskets, pottery, textiles that were on display in this area.

American Indian Art Exhibit~Denver Art Museum

I loved how it talked about how they lived, what they wore and how they survived.

American Indian Art Exhibit~Denver Art Museum

What hit me the hardest though, was the two pictures below.  It is two pictures of The Great Smoky Mountains with Indians walking along the bottom of both pictures.  They represent the Indians being led down what was eventually known as the Trail of Tears.  This was when the government forced the Indians to leave, to go live on the reservations in the West.  Because of that exile, so many lives were lost.

American Indian Art Exhibit~Denver Art Museum

We didn’t even get to see half of this collection before we had to leave.

I love history and the stories it tells.  You can learn so much from history, if you will view it with an open heart and mind.  Let’s just face it, some history, you don’t want to repeat itself.

Do you love to read about history?  What is your favorite time period in history?

 

 

 

Teaching Creation Thursday~ {Demystifying the Mayan Calendar}

Teaching Creation Thursday~ {Demystifying the Mayan Calendar}

TeachingCreationsThursdays

Growing up in a Christian home, going to church my whole life and reading the bible, I believe everything that the bible says.  I know with all my heart that God sent his son to die on a cross for my sins.  I also believe, just like the bible says, that Jesus will come back one day to gather his children.  It also says in the bible that no one knows the day or the time that this will happen, only God does.

Matthew 24:36

36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.

Mark 13:32

32 “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,but only the Father.

Yet there are some people who believe differently.  Some actually think that the Mayans have predicted the world will end on December 21, 2012.  That is tomorrow.   There are a lot of people preparing for this, buying extra supplies to help them survive.  A lot of people are afraid and are worrying about what will happen. As a Christian, I am not worried at all.  If you believe in God, believe what the bible says, then you shouldn’t be worried either.  I do my best to live my life to the fullest, praising and giving God all the glory.  By doing this and raising my children to do the same, we are ready for when Jesus does come back.

Dr. Carolyn Reeves has written a couple of articles talking about the Mayans and what they believe.  Please read her one article below and then go visit the other article that she wrote for the American Family Association Journal.

Demystifying the Mayan Calendar

Written by Dr. Carolyn Reeves

It’s time to demystify the Mayan calendar, which ends on December 21, 2012. It is causing quite a stir among many people who are wondering if the Mayans have really identified this date as the time for worldwide catastrophic events.

My husband and I were traveling through a small town recently and stopped at a local café to eat. A young man seated near us was passionately trying to persuade his friends to stock up on food, water, batteries, and other supplies, because December 21, 2012, was going to start a period of worldwide catastrophes.

Later that week, I read a news account of a large number of New Agers who were gathering in France near a mountain where they believe space ships were coming on December 21 to beam them up before calamity struck the earth.

During the following week, I asked several people what they thought about December 21.  Some people said they planned to buy extra food and supplies for that time–just in case.

So, what are Christians to make of an ancient Mayan Indian prediction? First of all, the early Mayans were not a primitive ignorant tribe.

They had an in-depth scientific knowledge of astronomy, made correct observations of heavenly bodies, and developed accurate calendars based on these skills. Amazingly, they were able to recognize that our sun travels in a long pathway through the skies, and it was predicted to intersect another astrological pathway in the skies on the winter solstice (December 21) in 2012. They considered this intersection to be so unusual that they may have started with this date and worked their way backwards as they constructed their calendar.  The Mayans also developed shorter accurate calendars, but the long count calendar is the one getting all the attention this year.

The end of some of the Mayan calendars was believed to mark when the sun moved into a new house. There is evidence that entire Mayan cities moved into new homes on these dates, abandoning or burning their old homes as they left.

The Mayans didn’t progressively acquire their knowledge of astronomy on their own.  It seems as if older civilizations across the Atlantic Ocean, such as Egyptians, Phoenicians, and Chaldeans, were the first to possess accurate science-based knowledge of astronomy and keep up with time and dates. Some of these early civilizations also produced skilled sailors who were able to travel far and wide in well-built ships looking for minerals and other resources.

At some point, a group of Mediterranean navigators are almost certain to have crossed the Atlantic and established cities in the Central America area, from which the Mayans descended. Similarities between the Mayans and the early Mediterranean civilizations are strong evidence of this connection–massive  pyramids, a cuneiform type of written language, a similar mathematical system, similarities in artistic works, and accurate knowledge of astronomy.

The Mayans probably lost much of their scientific and technological knowledge over the centuries as they became immersed in pagan worship of the sun and eventually lost contact with Europeans, but they retained the knowledge used to make their calendars.

As for the last day of the old Mayan calendar, it is just another day in which the sun may cross an astrological pathway in the sky on December 21, 2012. It may well be a rare solar event, but it’s no more a sign of bad luck than someone walking under a ladder on Friday 13th at the same time a black cat ran across the person’s pathway. Christians would do well to reject such superstitious signs as a source of knowledge and reality.

 

over at The Homeschool Village today ~ talking family traditions

over at The Homeschool Village today ~ talking family traditions

I am over at The Homeschool Village today talking about Family Traditions.   I love the family traditions that we have and we are all the time making new ones.  Do you have any family traditions?  Are there special places you go or special things you do together?  Stop by The Homeschool Village to see what family tradition I am talking about today!

Don’t forget to leave a comment and tell me about what special traditions you have with your family!

Teaching Creation Thursday ~ Made in Heaven {The Spider and Bullet Proof Vests} and giveaway!!

Teaching Creation Thursday ~ Made in Heaven {The Spider and Bullet Proof Vests} and giveaway!!

TeachingCreationsThursdays

Welcome to another week of Teaching Creation Thursday!  We have had some great discussions at Creation Conversations in Teaching Creation Thursday group.  We would love for you to stop by and join our group.

God’s creations are amazing.  What we will be sharing with you today will show you just how amazing His creations are.  The book “Made in Heaven” is written by Ray Comfort and Jeffrey Seto and they show you how scientists, inventors and engineers have studied and examined God’s creations,  and have drawn inspirations from all that God has created.  Let’s take a look at an example from the book “Made in Heaven” to see how they do use God’s creation as inspiration.

“Thoughts of a Rocket Scientist”

Attribution: Richard Gunther.

The Spider and Bullet Proof Vests

 We love the men and women who keep us safe.  From local police officers to our military and our troops who serve overseas, these faithful protectors face dangers on a daily basis.

One of the greatest dangers that these brave men & women face is gunfire.  Usually the only thing that stands between life and death is an anti-ballistic vest, commonly known as a bulletproof vest.
The most commonly known is Kevlar® which was invented in 1965 and has been synonymous with bulletproof vests.  Unfortunately nothing practical exists that is bulletproof, only bullet resistant.  Scientists have been cleverly searching new avenues to change that.  Where they are looking may surprise you.
The spider may seem an unconventional source for the next generation of anti-ballistic defines.  The spider has long been the stuff of myth, movie, story and fable.  What isn’t a fable is the amazing strength found in their spider silk.  It is the strongest known biological material to date.
Recently scientists have discovered that the Malagasy spider, also known as Darwin’s bark spider, is strand for strand 10 times stronger than Kevlar®.  Can the search for the next super material be closer than we think?

Adapted from Made in Heaven by Ray Comfort and Jeffrey Seto available at Amazon.com (Ray Comfort is a best-selling author and *Jeff Seto is an Aerospace Engineer).

Enter to win a copy of Made in Heaven!!  Giveaway runs Thursday, December 13 – Tuesday, December 18.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesdays Around the World ~ a giveaway!

Wednesdays Around the World ~ a giveaway!

**UPDATE** Winner of the $20 store credit is Jenn from http://justusscotts.blogspot.com/2012/08/history-lesson-comedy.html!

Welcome to another Wednesday Around The World.  This is a link-up where we talk about and share all about our history and geography.  This is for those who use the history and geography that is published by Bright Ideas Press.  I hope you will join in!

This past week, because I was not feeling well, we did not do any of our history or geography.  There are times when my Fibromyalgia and Arthritis really cause me a lot of pain.  During those times, we just read a lot and do the basics of Writing, Math and Reading.   That is also why I am late in getting this post up.  So I do apologize for that.

Have you do any special projects or learned anything interesting in history or geography this week?  I would love for you to link up!

I thought I would highlight a couple of blogs who linked up last week.  Stacey at Layered Soul and her family are using All American History Jr.  They just finished a lesson where it was suggested they watch The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band.  Stop by to see how she used the movie in their homeschool.  Ticia at Adventures in Mommydom and her kids studied about the Spanish American War.  Be sure to stop by to see all that she did with her kids in teaching them about the war.

This will also be the last link up for the year.  We will be taking the rest of the year off for the Christmas holidays.  Our first link up of the new year will be January 9th.

However, before I go, I would love to have a giveaway.  The giveaway is for a $20 store credit for Bright Ideas Press.

If you have done a post using any of the Bright Ideas Press history or geography, please link up and your name will be in the drawing for a $20 store credit!

This giveaway will end on Tuesday, December 18th, 2012.  I will draw the winner 9:00 pm (MST).

**disclaimer~ This link-up is not officially affiliated with Bright Ideas Press but is my own project. I am a customer and fan.