Back in the homeschool classroom: Staying in touch with homeschool friends

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9Wt5U485Ogodnf069BMZv-B2xxO1xUucItIvN5dyMdiZrVfhQl1uGzGhqbHeuNVr2eWXsKNfiZ4ggaDSWBgQMstRPbLthlowrMvTVIvNuX5285ivGxOMq-aLxy7Mu43-8WeTSXlkLtx0/s1600/school+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw9Wt5U485Ogodnf069BMZv-B2xxO1xUucItIvN5dyMdiZrVfhQl1uGzGhqbHeuNVr2eWXsKNfiZ4ggaDSWBgQMstRPbLthlowrMvTVIvNuX5285ivGxOMq-aLxy7Mu43-8WeTSXlkLtx0/s1600/school+books.jpg" /></a></div><br />I got a phone call this morning, out of the blue, from a homeschool friend here in Augusta County, the first homeschool friend I made when moving back home to Virginia seventeen years ago. Back in those day, I had left my name and phone number at the Staunton Library at the children's desk -- homeschoolers spend hours at the public library and I knew that was where I could find local moms -- and Christine was the one who called.<br /><br />She was in leadership with the local homeschool group, Parent Educators of Augusta County Homes, and it wasn't too long before she pulled me into leadership, too, once they found out I had been the newsletter editor with our homeschool group in North Carolina. We spent many happy years raising our children and teaching and working in leadership with others who were doing the same. She was the one who introduced me to Milmont Greenhouse and Nursery in Stuarts Draft ... her husband was part of one of the local Mennonite families with ties to that area of the county.<br /><br />Our children graduated from homeschool and then from college, and we drifted apart a bit but still catch up occasionally. After her phone call this morning, today is one of those catch-up days. So I'm heading to her house on the Middle River for a lunch of quiche, salad, and iced tea along with conversation and, always, laughter. Because when the two of us get together, we laugh the silly, carefree laughter of longtime friends.<br /><br />It reminds me of the saying, "Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver, the other gold."<br /><br />How very true. <br /><br />---<br /><i>Lynn Mitchell educated her children at home for 16 years and was part of leadership in North Carolina's Iredell County Home Educators (ICHE) and Virginia's Parent Educators of Augusta County Homes (PEACH). Her son graduated from Harrisonburg's James Madison University (JMU) in 2007 with a BS in Computer Science and a minor in Creative Writing. Her daughter graduated from Staunton's Mary Baldwin College in 2012 with a BS in Sustainable Business and Marketing. Lynn and her husband live in Augusta County located in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The story of how she began her homeschool journey <a href="http://swacgirl.blogspot.com/2013/01/back-in-homeschool-classroom-blazing.html">can be found here</a>.</i> <br /> 

Augusta County Back in the homeschool classroom homeschool leadership homeschooling Mennonites Middle River Milmont Greenhouse Parent Educators of Augusta County Homes Stuarts Draft Back in the homeschool classroom: Staying in touch with homeschool friends

I got a phone call this morning, out of the blue, from a homeschool friend here in Augusta County, the first homeschool friend I made when m...

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Milmont Greenhouse: Mountain views, gardening values

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhe4TGno8tpNkHx8xt7prvYjh5tH4E4uD-FDSMXo9Y66ggQyFtdlqUk8p3q04JEc93KJI_V_wlLmS1w62iCRriT-F1PCRKAqVJZYy-ILy-fOOugQP1Zvovy2s5DIg24O8FupM27fnubJoy/s800/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhe4TGno8tpNkHx8xt7prvYjh5tH4E4uD-FDSMXo9Y66ggQyFtdlqUk8p3q04JEc93KJI_V_wlLmS1w62iCRriT-F1PCRKAqVJZYy-ILy-fOOugQP1Zvovy2s5DIg24O8FupM27fnubJoy/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I snapped a photo while shopping the 50% off premium annuals on Tuesday at <a href="http://www.milmont.com/">Milmont Greenhouse</a> in Stuarts Draft. With the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background, this Mennonite-run nursery has a beautiful view both inside the fence and beyond. It's been my first choice for plants for 16 years.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbANETENsOpvOaQUE5F03-Tim4xCW6MnKsp81i4PbGa-8z7u143nw2cLOLE7eLpv9tGPndx8WCmUMYykaJ7MxeGU5EG1-aJph2sZjehCqnCZO32qGJoqzykA8j7XuSpvVGVS6Vw8PwtYm8/s800/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbANETENsOpvOaQUE5F03-Tim4xCW6MnKsp81i4PbGa-8z7u143nw2cLOLE7eLpv9tGPndx8WCmUMYykaJ7MxeGU5EG1-aJph2sZjehCqnCZO32qGJoqzykA8j7XuSpvVGVS6Vw8PwtYm8/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Sprinkles fell from the clouds throughout the morning before finally turning into downpours by the middle of the day.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1-fg0ELCO80sjfMFnOLoPzNe_t7XsBcGtrEWBsassf-5yaPLxlWfYssVo1j_YURn5fVzl3C9e_p91Rcv88rQgdwWECDW7TvKomrXJ6NvJTL_jWnLTQvdNsoIFh1i84BCGZhjDsgQcpmJ/s800/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_1-fg0ELCO80sjfMFnOLoPzNe_t7XsBcGtrEWBsassf-5yaPLxlWfYssVo1j_YURn5fVzl3C9e_p91Rcv88rQgdwWECDW7TvKomrXJ6NvJTL_jWnLTQvdNsoIFh1i84BCGZhjDsgQcpmJ/s400/3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkv9Rq5ZOS5IJVuo1IZxyVgreSU8vRNvDYZ1UVwCD7_PyUhd3nXITgfYCEGmSM6fvFJD6gUzifia1RnaAhUw7_b3o3Qcaoaj5YEzISnnFyq3gnEzZE0zWu5ZQOWnvMlIMMlcrA1mNo25j/s800/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkv9Rq5ZOS5IJVuo1IZxyVgreSU8vRNvDYZ1UVwCD7_PyUhd3nXITgfYCEGmSM6fvFJD6gUzifia1RnaAhUw7_b3o3Qcaoaj5YEzISnnFyq3gnEzZE0zWu5ZQOWnvMlIMMlcrA1mNo25j/s400/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> I was looking for flowers to fill in blank spots in pots that had been planted with Milmont products in the spring.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGHdaYfhkuv9vI8aPnK0Xsyv3opbRO47UfREDgvApPC04p72GIk6oAgIt6ojDOWpFTuqI6KqZMzFhGu5iZEarxM7Q568vJww3qY43KuTC9ahxgcOTzr9iz_lE0zCaic5FQCiIJoF05zHf/s632/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGHdaYfhkuv9vI8aPnK0Xsyv3opbRO47UfREDgvApPC04p72GIk6oAgIt6ojDOWpFTuqI6KqZMzFhGu5iZEarxM7Q568vJww3qY43KuTC9ahxgcOTzr9iz_lE0zCaic5FQCiIJoF05zHf/s400/5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuJ9Ia1kE6zyW4FhOZNvz_yHgzq44R8Sd8IRfbbFZt0MBZTJUINYzkfgtTFcU0PqPjtScAxtvgEJ4vAocFztwq7C1MhzOpEWsNQb-gMx5BjAFBaoPJVBdm54iu4w81L6T5pcZfymxOydP/s800/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDuJ9Ia1kE6zyW4FhOZNvz_yHgzq44R8Sd8IRfbbFZt0MBZTJUINYzkfgtTFcU0PqPjtScAxtvgEJ4vAocFztwq7C1MhzOpEWsNQb-gMx5BjAFBaoPJVBdm54iu4w81L6T5pcZfymxOydP/s400/6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_nufNOpHT53BmZ5TYRuJElwJEPWU-JmGbkXuMpdO6l1qYxshyphenhyphen1tYBH9SQgdbXlhEg_XjPi2YLFndGEgQHJLKKnyMynCylKhU4LsZUkOv2e87NDgfsjrsdVeSWJUQUh16gNKXAsfu8H7-/s790/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir_nufNOpHT53BmZ5TYRuJElwJEPWU-JmGbkXuMpdO6l1qYxshyphenhyphen1tYBH9SQgdbXlhEg_XjPi2YLFndGEgQHJLKKnyMynCylKhU4LsZUkOv2e87NDgfsjrsdVeSWJUQUh16gNKXAsfu8H7-/s400/7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhln1tMa2TASsEtjMxygUY-emeNR-QlOBm_ayAhmiRXYIAMSL063cAk_Ywc5fiNYVL5ctK64vCgbQ2ZFaDY51RZEi-MjRzUSRDXd9gNFcVhB0ojlLCN_Pd8lxlptGeUSKiyZiZcki-bXYUE/s657/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhln1tMa2TASsEtjMxygUY-emeNR-QlOBm_ayAhmiRXYIAMSL063cAk_Ywc5fiNYVL5ctK64vCgbQ2ZFaDY51RZEi-MjRzUSRDXd9gNFcVhB0ojlLCN_Pd8lxlptGeUSKiyZiZcki-bXYUE/s400/8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The sale on hanging baskets and premium annuals began July 2.</div><br />Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />July 2, 2013

Augusta County Blue Ridge Mountains Mennonites Milmont Greenhouse Milmont Nursery Shenandoah Valley Stuarts Draft Milmont Greenhouse: Mountain views, gardening values

 I snapped a photo while shopping the 50% off premium annuals on Tuesday at Milmont Greenhouse in Stuarts Draft. With the Blue Ridge Mounta...

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