Mrs. Coverlet’s Magicians

A Tree of Good Wishes

Every year we hang antique holiday postcards all over our Christmas tree.  Real postcards from back in the day when a 1 cent stamp covered postage (early 1900’s).  Real postcards with holiday messages displaying splendid cursive penmanship.  Over the years, we’ve loved how the vintage illustrations dress up the tree, but this year my son and I decided to actually read what was written on the postcards:

The majority of the cards:  Wishing happiness! – Wishing good health! 
Wishing many good Xmas wishes! – Wishing a joyful Xmas! – The kindest of wishes! 

MOST POETIC POSTCARD MESSAGE goes to “Charity” (1908), who squeezed into the small writing space:
“Each year to ancient friendships adds a ring. As to an oak, and precious more and more. Without deservingness or help of ours.  They grow, and silent, wider-spread each year. Their unbought ring of shelter or of shade.”  (Either we are too immature to appreciate this or perhaps this is a secret message written in code, but Charity, wherever you are:  CHEERS!).  

MOST UNIQUE CHRISTMAS CARD MESSAGE was certainly from Mattie to Albert (1909):  “Received the chickens – all O.K.”.  Apparently Miss Mattie was not given to effusiveness.  (Effusiveness:  new vocabulary word for my son).

December Reading –

Mrs. Coverlet’s Magicians:   My dad first read Mary Nash’s clever Christmas themed book to my sister and me when it arrived via “The Weekly Reader Children’s Book Club” back in 1962.  I remember asking my dad to re-read the page that listed the names of the household’s kittens:  Mary Mouse, George Soup, Ernest Waffle, Sally Egg, and the baddest kitten, John Napkin.  This book struck a chord with me, so here I am decades later, reading it every single December to my son.  And we are reading the very same precious 1962 edition (although I do have 3 backups for just in case).

Dogtown:  co-authored by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko.  This book is a charmer, written from the viewpoint of a dog who has found herself in the local dog shelter (“Dogtown”).  It eases the reader into looking beyond diversity and disability and focusing on real issues (forging friendships/finding a “forever home”).  There were tears when we read the final page (from me, not my son), and my son was glad to see the sequel, “Mouse and His Dog” under the Christmas tree.

December Reading Comprehension – My son smiles big when he sees a new Clem and Clyde reading comp worksheet.  I smile big when I am writing a new Clem and Clyde reading comp worksheet:

Story Problem from the Local Diner –

During December, the diner adds their rich, creamy, “town-famous” hot cocoa to the menu.  Each mug of chocolate deliciousness is topped off with 5 mini marshmallows.  If the diner buys 16-ounce bags of mini marshmallows, and each bag contains 700 mini marshmallows, how many bags will the diner need if they predict serving 3,000 mugs of hot chocolate this December?

a)  5 bags     b)  22 bags    c)  300 bags    d)   700 bags (answer at bottom of post)

Our 2025 Christmas Music Obsession –

Somehow, we came across John Rutter’s “Shepherd’s Pipe Carol” and became enchanted with the lavish harmonies and unexpected rhythms. We found out what a shepherd’s pipe is (lots of definitions: recorder, wooden flute, pan pipes) and we read that composer/lyricist John Rutter, was inspired by Menotti’s one act opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors (first performed in 1951) (so we read a synopsis of Amahl and the Night Visitors).  Rutter wrote this carol in 1966 when he was an undergraduate at University of Cambridge.  We just love this piece!

Finally, looking toward the new year –

Another story problem from the Local Diner:  The diner has set up a New Year’s Resolution bulletin board next to the cashier’s counter.  The board will be up all year.  Anyone can tack up a card with their New Year’s Resolution.  As soon as a goal has been reached, a giant gold star sticker will be put on the card.  

– For example, Miss Olive has made a resolution to clean up her dining room, 
which has turned into a warehouse of clutter.  As soon as Miss Olive’s dining room looks again like a dining room, she gets to stick a gold star on her resolution card. –  

To further encourage success, the diner will serve up a hot fudge sundae to anyone presenting their gold starred resolution card!
– If 250 customers tack up resolutions and at the end of the year there are gold stars on 40% of the resolution cards, how many people did NOT fulfill their New Year’s Resolution?
a)  40  people  b)  60 people     c)  100 people     d)  150 people
– If a hot fudge sundae costs the diner $3, how much money will they have spent on the customers who fulfilled their New Year’s resolution?
a)  $30     b)  $120     c)  $300     d)  $750 (answer at bottom of post)

Welcome to the best part of my day!
– Jane BH
Story problem answers:  b)  22 bags of marshmallows and d)  150 people and c)  $300 

Indian Summer

Summertime studies for the likes of us – 

India, Incredible India, an A+ book by Jasbinder Bilan, content well matched with Nina Chakrabarti’s A+ graphics.  Clever premise:  a young lady, “Thara”, and Nanijee (nanijee – totally great word – translates to maternal grandmother), sort through grandmother’s treasure box, which is filled with souvenirs from every state and territory in India.  Page by page, we learned facts about each area and souvenir, then located the state/territory on the included map.  Every night, my son and I were drawn in by the exuberant illustrations positioned among splashes of vibrant colors.  We would read anything by this team.

While Mrs. Coverlet was Away, by Mary Nash.  I subject my son to this book every August because it is funny, imaginative, and champions the concept of self reliance.  Spoiler alert:  chapter 15 includes such a poetic passage, transporting us on a lazy summer’s day to the town swamp for turtle hunting.  The story gets us ready for our Mary Nash December read (Mrs. Coverlet’s Magicians). 

, by Mariana Swift.  Oh, we do like this man (1473-1543) who had the nerve to propose the heliocentric theory.  Big shocker, Copernicus was not in the good graces of the church, but did he shy away from enthusiastically explaining his observations?  NO!  Role model!  Copernicus published his groundbreaking book, “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres”, at age 70.  Role model!

The Travel Book (a Lonely Planet Kids book).  We started this quirky fact book January 1st (with Canada) and finished August 1st (with Kiribati). One page every night, one country every night. (and BTW, I just took an online geography quiz and correctly identified 26 countries out of 30…before this unit I probably could have pinpointed about 9 countries).  Study unit highlights:

Welcome to our “Travel Book” Quirky Awards Ceremony:

Quirky Fashion Accessory Award, Grand Prize Winner:  Lithuania develops a signature perfume “Scent of Lithuania” (2011)
Quirky Global Citizen Award, Grand Prize Winner:  Global Seed Vault – entirely funded by Norway (officially started in 2008)
Quirky Destination Award, Grand Prize Winner:  An underwater post office! (Vanuatu)
Quirky Flag Design Award, tied for Grand Prize Winner :  A completely awesome hat (the symbol of Lesotho’s main ethnic group) is emblazoned on the Lesotho flag


Quirky Flag Design Award, tied for Grand Prize Winner:  Nauru is located just south of the equator and their flag is a model of brilliant simplicity.  See what I mean? 


Quirky Sob Story Category, Grand Prize Winner:  Awww, Nauru.  In the 1980’s, this country experienced a huge economic boom when they were able to sell  phosphate (used in fertilizers) (from scrapings of BIRD POOP).  Alas, they did such a good job of scraping the rocks of the guano, that there was no more phosphate to sell. Economy collapse. Heart breaker.  At least they still have that well designed flag.

A summer school cooking class story problem from the local diner – Chef Hank’s theme this year:  “It is all about the POTATO”.   The agenda:

Monday – twice baked potatoes
Tuesday – the secret of hash browned taters
Wednesday – Vichyssoise, co-hosted by the high school French teacher, Miss Suzette
Thursday – home-made potato chips and dips
Friday – cottage fries and the diner’s famous bar-b-que sauce

Well, who doesn’t want to improve their potato skills?  The diner kitchen has room for 15 students (and there is already a waiting list with 10 names on it).  This is a most popular class.

1)  If the class runs from 10 am until noon, how many hours will the students be in the diner’s school during the week?
2)  If the chef needs an hour of preparation before each class, for how many hours will the chef be paid at the conclusion of the week?  
3)  If the chef earns $20 an hour, how much will the chef earn for his potato week efforts?
4)  If students pay $40 tuition for the week long cooking class, will that be enough to pay the chef?
5)  If the supplies for the week run $100, will that be covered with the tuition income?
6)  If Miss Suzette is to be paid $20 an hour for 3 hours of work on the Wednesday, will that be covered by tuition? (answers at bottom of post)

Music to conclude the evening:  Impression from India

Ravi Shankar’s “Concerto for Sitar and Orchestra”, movement 3 (composed in 1971), performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andre Previn.  The first minute and a half of this piece is calmly exotic, then we are abruptly treated to the energetic, frenetic sound of the sitar.  What a thrill ride!  What a way to introduce my son to the sound of this complicated looking instrument!

The Beatles, “Norwegian Wood” (1965), the first piece of western pop music to use the sitar. George Harrison studied with Ravi Shankar and the unique sound of the instrument was woven into this piece in a decidedly tame (but decidedly lovely) manner.

Léo Delibes, “The Flower Duet” from his opera of 1883, Lakmé, which takes place in 19th century India.  No sitar in this at all, but oh, the harmonies in this simply dazzling duet.  I can find no evidence that Delibes ever traveled to India, so this might be a case of “write what you don’t really know”.  It is still stunning.

Welcome to the best part of my day!
 – Jane BH
(story problem answers:  1)  10 hours     2)  15 hours     3)  $300     4), 5), and 6) yes)

December Template

December Staples –

If it is December we are smiling our way through Mary Nash’s “Mrs. Coverlet’s Magicians”.  What about this book makes us eager to read it for the 15th time?

funny ✓  original plot ✓  champions self-reliance ✓  holiday spirit  ✓

Or we might be enjoying “The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus”, by Julie Lane.  This is our third time through this old fashioned December read. The author has skillfully woven plausible reasons for Santa’s sled, Christmas stockings, Santa’s red suit, etc into the story. 

The best book we’ve read in 2020 – Katherine Applegate’s award-winning “Home of the Brave”:  Kek, a refugee (we discussed differences between immigrant and refugee) from The Sudan (found it on globe, briefly read of its inner turmoil/armed conflict and despaired) has a new home with his aunt and cousin in America.  Every word in this book has been so carefully selected; it is easy to read, calmly poetic, heart-wrenchingly deep, and even funny.  It is about kindness and appreciation.  I was pretty much choked up by the end of every single short chapter.  This is a book that makes us be better people. 

Walruses for the win – We have just finished a unit on pinnipeds (fin footed), using “Scary Creatures:  Pinnipeds” by John Malam as a resource.  We now have the basics on seals, sea lions, and walruses, but seriously, there wasn’t too much that was tremendously interesting except this:

Guess how many clams an adult male walrus can eat at one meal?  6,000.  As in SIX THOUSAND.  How is it that there are any clams left?  My son and I decided that from now on when we see somebody gobbling up way more than their share we are not going to refer to them as a pig or hog, but rather as a walrus.

“American Trailblazers” by Lisa Trusiani – This book presents compelling introductions to 50 Americans who have shaped US history.  Some, my son was familiar with –  Example:  Paul Robeson.  My son loves Robeson’s recording of “Old Man River” from the musical “Showboat”, but we had no idea that Robeson was majorly intellectually gifted with a first-rate education (Rutgers University valedictorian in 1919, Columbia Law School graduate in 1923).

Some were new names to my son – Example:  Alexander Calder.  We learned that Sandy Calder (of the fabulous ultra modern mobiles) came from a line of professional sculptors.  His grandfather, Alexander Milne Calder constructed the bronze statue of William Penn that stands atop the Philadelphia City Hall.  His father,  Alexander Stirling Calder created a sculpture of George Washington that is part of the Washington Square Arch in New York City.  We had to see photos:

Story Problem Time – Jingling all the way at the Local Diner – Somebody, probably the diner cashier, Miss Fran, decided it would add a lot of holiday cheer if 5 large jingle bells were attached to every chair in the diner.  Chairs pushed in, chairs pulled out:  jingle, jingle, jingle.  

  • If there are usually 32 chairs in the diner, but due to the pandemic, 3/4 of the chairs had to be placed into storage, how many chairs would be adorned with bells?
  • If each bell costs 50 cents, how much would it cost to jingle up the chairs remaining in the diner? (answers at bottom of post)

December Listening – Handbell Choirs! What says HOLIDAYS ARE IN THE AIR more than the ting ting tinging of a handbell choir? –

First, a very cute performance of “Up on the Housetop” by the Raleigh Ringers –  

Next, LeRoy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” – a perfect match with a handbell choir (all that jingling), and the usual shenanigans provided by the Raleigh Ringers – 

And finally, “Patapan” – a superb performance by the Hong Kong Youth Handbell Ensemble.  Adorable ending –  

Welcome to the best part of my day!
– Jane BH
(story problem answers:  8 chairs, $20)