Intro to Blog

I have so many blogs going right now that I had to take a breath, step back, and think about things. Did I really want to keep writing for 6-10 blogs, all about my life but different aspects of it? Cooking, gardening, homesteading, life, homeschooling, and much more.

My readers even got involved, and it was pretty much a consensus ... combine all of the blogs into one but keep writing about all of the different aspects about my life. So... I made this one. Vikki's Verandah. Why a verandah? Because it is technically a porch that wraps around the front and sides of a house, often found in the older houses, or around mountain cabins. That right there is for me.

So... pull up a chair, imagine joining me for a cup of herbal mint tea (or your own favorite beverage) and together we'll chit-chat about living a life of self-reliance.

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Mountain Gardens Learning Center (an Independent School)
I started a non-profit back in 2002 (I think) called "Mountain Gardens Community and Learning Center". The intent was to raise enough money to buy some land and start a large learning center for people who homeschool, need a place to take co-op classes and much more. I've also used it as the umbrella school for my own child. The Learning Center didn't go far, and from what I understand, the "National Heritage Foundation", under which my learning center is filed, is having financial troubles. As of Jan 4 2010, Mountain Gardens Learning Center is a legal entity in the State of Colorado, and has an EIN with the Federal Government. Soon we'll be able to help other people help their children learn from home (!) by enrolling. Watch for a link to appear that will have the curriculum guidelines, brochures, etc.. We will also work towards accreditation. If you're interested, please e-mail.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Here are some questions that are frequently asked:

Do you really do all of this stuff?
Most of it, yes. Although some recipes are just passed on, for the most part, I do the stuff I talk about, unless otherwise noted.

Um... that's it for now! If you have a question, please feel free to ask it as a comment to this post. I'll respond when I can. Thank you.

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Glossary and Definitions: Just to keep you up with the slang that I just might use in this blog...

*24/7 = 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
*H1N1 = Also known as "swine flu", of which a severe case first popped up in Mexico in Spring 2009.
* Kid = my oldest child
* Hubby = my husband
* MGLC = Mountain Gardens Learning Center
*WHO = World Health Organization
*WTSHTF = When the Sh** Hits The Fan

If I missed anything, please let me know. This is (obviously) still a work in progress!