[email protected]

Thank you all for giving me much to think about. After the first little flare
ups I think we have, for the most part, discussed this issue with respect and
sensitivity. When my children and I discuss this issue, I will be able to
share with them a more informed perspective of the other side of this
extremely complex issue.
Teri


Co-author of <A HREF="http://www.championpress.com/unschoolingmain.html">
Christian Unschooling: growing your child in the freedom of Christ</A>
Pre-order's available now!
Assistant Editor of <A HREF="http://www.egroups.com/group/Seedling">eGroups :
Seedling</A>
For more information see:
<A HREF="http://www.inspirit.com.au/unschooling/default.htm">Homeschooling -
Christian Unschooling - Natural Learning</A>

Sandi & Scott Spaeth

Hello everyone!

I feel the need to share our wonderful experience this past week at the
Unschooling Rural Oasis at Winona Farm in Winona Minnesota. Farm Web Site:
http://members.nbci.com/winfarm/index2.htm

If you live anywhere near Winona, try to make it over there! Dick and Sue
are two of the most fascinating people we have ever had the pleasure to
meet! Dick Gallien is a man that has been many places and has done many
things and has some great stories to tell. Sue (who I just noticed is on
this list, HI SUE!!) is Dicks partner and after nine kids has seen
everything I think. The four kids that live there now were fun to hang out
with (tell them that Ian and Riley miss them terribly already!!). We spent
quite a few evenings sitting around with the kids sipping hot cocoa and
watching them play.

The farm itself is almost its own living organism. It really has a life of
its own. There was so much to learn!! Scott and I got a real taste of
what it is to be unschoolers ourselves too, which was most eye
opening. Dick and Sue did not hold our hands and drag us around, but gave
us space to take it all in, think about things, ask questions, and do
things on our own. It was such a nice change of pace!! Scott and I felt
like kids ourselves with of the questions we had and things we had to
learn. We learned about composting, animal gestations, farm equipment, the
importance of returning what we take from the earth, recycling of all
kinds, and what it feels like to do work, and not just a job. We also
learned that chickens will eat just about anything, including chicken (we
city folks had assumed that chickens were vegetarians, lol!!)

The kids had a fun time sledding, snowboarding, collecting eggs, and
playing with the other kids. Riley got to ride on a goat (she fell in love
with the goats!!)

Let me put it this way: If we had another 8 days to take a vacation and
had to choose between my sisters place in Florida (where it is nice and
warm, and near the beach lol) and going back to see the wonderful folks at
Winona Farm, the Farm would win hands down every time.

Though, if you are looking for a quaint country cottage where you can sit
sipping tea while watching the youngsters frolic in the meadows with the
sheep, you are probably going to be disappointed. This is a working farm,
where there is a ton of work to be done and take part in. No one is going
to hold your hand through it all either. Just like we leave the bulk of
learning up to our young unschoolers, the exact same is expected of us. It
was truly a wonderful experience for our whole family.

The town of Winona is GORGEOUS too. This was our first visit to Minnesota,
and instantly fell in love with its landscape. I even HATED snow before
this visit, but now I can appreciate its beauty. Living in a huge city
like St Louis, snow is usually a nightmare waiting to happen. There it was
almost peaceful.

So, if you are looking for a REAL experience and not just some manufactured
one, take a trip to meet the nice people at Winona Farm. Open your minds
and take in the new experience and learn along with your kids. It is a
great way to prove that we are always learning, never to old to learn
something new, and that age should never be a restriction (Dick is almost
70 and is the most agile and tenacious person I have ever met! He makes
most people 1/4 his age look like slugs!!). It is a wonderful place to
learn about real animals (though be warned it is NOT a petting zoo),
composting, waste reductions, and just how backwards a lot of things are
done in our society (ie landfills, and the way we recycle waste). If you
are not afraid to get dirty (and you WILL get very dirty) and are open to
new experiences, this is worth the trip. We drove 8 hours to get there and
would do it again tomorrow if my husband was not expected back at work (but
he works for Chrysler, so I am sure he will be laid off again soon!!)

Has anyone else been there? If so I would love to hear your
impression! feel free to email me off the list at vespass@... if
you want.

Here are our personal pictures from the trip!!
http://photos.yahoo.com/unschoolerz

Sandi
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Take no heroes,
Only inspiration.

Piston Ported Vespas:
http://www.piston-ported.hompage.com/index.html
words
http://www.geocities.com/vespass/words.html
ST Louis Secular Homeschooler's Co-Op
http://www.stlsecularhomeschool.org

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