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Painting area!

Getting there!

We started with 3 rooms in the basement - one long and skinny; I took down the wall a few months ago to that narrow room. Last Friday, I took down the framework for it.

This week, I got the shelf in that room cleaned up, painted all pretty white and turned it into my painting area wink emoticon It is SO bright coming down into the basement now!

Got rid of boxes we just won't ever use. It was time. I have kept so many for moving purposes over the years (all well used! Not ONE regret!) and then utilized appropriate ones for shipping purposes for Garden of Francis. Now that we are more settled (one more move in my lifetime???), this first batch included all damaged boxes and "product" boxes that just don't work for GoF shipments.

Legoboy getting the fire started.

Garden of Francis - Current Sales!

Garden of Francis Sales through July 4th:

Economic Geography Stamps - Supplementary Set - 25% off

All soap prices will be raised 10% after July 4th:

New Montessori Products at Garden of Francis

Some recent new additions to the Montessori "family" at Garden of Francis:

Oceans Puzzle Map

Choose to combine it with a world puzzle map (movable continents AND oceans) or be a straight-up ocean puzzle map (only the oceans are puzzle pieces).

Banded Line Paper in Green, Pink and Blue

These colors do NOT correspond with the PBG series, but are correlated to the paper sizes provided via AMI training: start with the green lined paper which is widest; move to the pink when ready (might be using pink for some and green for other writing), then move to blue (the narrowest) when ready. Many lower elementary children are still using the blue paper.

Printables:

Garden of Francis now offers many of the downloadable files in printed format to be mailed to you. Lamination is also an option on the printed items. All primary and elementary downloadable materials currently available for sale are now available in printed format.

Downloads AND Printables

Every download you need for the content of elementary Montessori language experience is NOW ready to purchase! Logical analysis, the "I love" packets for verb tenses, word study, grammar boxes, and more!
This includes all the necessary content - additional supplements will be added over time; such as downloadable/printables for creating boxes to hold the verb tense material and more.

Faith Formation Montessori-Style:

New design on the Liturgical Calendar with deeper prisms for the Sundays of the church year.
If painted calendars are purchased, the outer edge of each Sunday prism is painted gold to represent the light of Christ remaining constant throughout the year. This also helps the child situate the pieces properly within the liturgical calendar.

Liturgical Seasons Sale - 10% OFF

Liturgical Seasons 10% off sale at Garden of Francis

A bit of a sale between now and December 31st (ends at New Year's EST).

10% off all items in the liturgical season categories of Garden of Francis. This includes such items as the following:

cosmic cross puzzles
Christmas season version of the Jesse Tree ornaments
Jesse Tree ornaments (Advent)
Jesus Tree ornaments (Lent)
Easter season version of the Jesus Tree
season-appropriate prayer table cloths, made to the size needed, with or without lace
MUCH MORE!

Anything with a Christmas season item will be upgraded for free to rush order shipment, so that you might enjoy those items during Christmas THIS year. All other orders (and the non-Christmas components of large orders) will ship in the order orders were placed, over the next 2-3 weeks.

God bless!

This item is not on sale, but is SO beautiful, I am advertising it anyway ;)

Our New Workshop

Instead of driving 25 minutes to someone else's basement and less than 10 square feet of space, here is what we have now:

Not just the prettiest picture - I was just too excited to GET the picture that moving items out of the way to SEE wasn't a priority.

Montessori Economic Geography Stamps - Now AVAILABLE for pre-order

The Economic Geography Stamps are now available for pre-order at Garden of Francis. (click here)

These are now shipping! ~~They will begin shipping out prior to March 1. I am taking pre-orders to see if it is worth purchasing the tackle-boxes and the wood holders in bulk, or just buy a few at a time as I need them.~~

My son is so excited!

(ok, I am too!)

I am so happy to be offering these for substantially less than the ONLY other set available anywhere online that I can find - and they correspond with our KotU geography album!

By the way, side-note: if, as we are using them, anyone wants a different stamp image made, the process I'll be using can very easily accommodate this! In fact, after this first batch of these ones, I am going to look into making stamps of other images for other themes.

Montessori Elementary Economic Geography Stamps - corresponding with the Keys of the Universe Montessori Elementary Geography Album chapter on Economic Geography.

Each polymer (not rubber, but like rubber) stamp image measures 3/4 inch at its widest; mounted on a 1 inch square cube - with the image imprinted on the top of each cube for easy reference.

Select which set you would like: the core set contains 26 images of mineral, plant and animal resources; the supplementary set contains 14 additional images in more specific items.

Each corresponding tackle-box comes with a cardstock print-out of the included images for that set.

CONTENTS CORRESPOND WITH AMI MONTESSORI ELEMENTARY TRAINING ALBUMS. And are most specifically designed for Keys of the Universe albums.

Purchase your own ink pads according to the color designations of your choice (see the elementary Montessori geography album for further details).

Garden of Francis - Order Updates

Greetings everyone!

I am very sorry for the website issues we are having right now. This is a Hostgator issue - not a Garden of Francis issue (please note that my other websites: Keys of the Universe and Keys of the World) are also affected. The main issue is that other e-mail servers will not allow responses to go through - a very serious problem for authentic and honest Hostgator users - Hostgator has been white-listed by MANY other servers/hosts so that e-mails from Hostgator servers never even reach your spam, let alone your real e-mail. This IS being worked on, but there is no pat answer.

If you have not yet received a tracking number for your order but you placed your order prior to October 1, 2013, your order is ready or almost ready and will ship out within the next 2 weeks. I am waiting on supplies for a few items before I can finish up some orders.

If your order was placed October 1 through December 10, your orders will be worked on during the second half of January (sooner if all goes well between now and then).

I appreciate the intent of those who will respond to me in comments with information how I should go about e-mails and web-hosting accounts. I have a very knowledgeable resource looking into the options for me that is aware of each and every detail of the 2 online businesses I operate by myself from home and my other internet-related needs. Again, I appreciate the intent, but I am just not comfortable posting all those nitty-gritty details online ;) I am sure you understand.

I will share this back-story:

I started Garden of Francis not even on a shoe-string. We live extremely frugally anyway, and we were on state assistance at the time. I somehow scraped together enough to purchase the domain name and hosting space (getting started online they offer great deals, so it wasn't a whole lot that was needed); a friend and I bartered childcare for his web-designing skills and Garden of Francis was born.

My goal was to sew, make soaps - focus on home-based goods. One week, we had enough gas money to get to our original home-state and visit grandparents and cousins. I wanted to make some CGS materials for level 2 for my son at home (we were doing an atrium in our home at the time - cardboard materials which worked great at the time!) and my son's grandpa's basement is where I've always done my wood-working since starting CGS - I posted on ONE group that I would be willing to make CGS materials for other people for THAT week only. It was such a wave that when I took the options offline, I received messages begging me to continue. I came home, bought my own scroll saw and set up in a friend's basement. Leaving out the part where I ended up sick from being in a toxic basement (the wood wasn't down there long enough to absorb anything, besides I sanded everything before sending it out), CGS materials have continued to be a substantial part of my business.

I still intend to continuing offering the CGS items for the foreseeable future, but things will be streamlined with the new site I've not yet posted (few fine-tune details but the other issues have had to take precedence) so that you get just the pieces you want and in the style you like (with the new materials manuals online, things sure have changed/reverted!) - and my mission is to re-focus back on sewing, soap-making, re-usable bags and other home-making products.

Please pray for us - with a bit more school debt paid down, we can qualify to purchase our own home and I can have the scroll saw in my own basement and maybe even add a couple more tools. Much more efficiency, much more peace, less driving and gas and time - a yard for my son to play in and a small *outside* garden. Tiny apartment with indoor gardening and a 9 year old - do not mix ;) Although I am VERY grateful for a warm roof over my head.

Garden of Francis Orders and E-Mails

At Garden of Francis, we (my son and I) are in the middle of a very busy time getting summer orders finished up and sent out. It seems that we can never quite get caught up. And now, there are some serious website issues that require us to re-create the entire site. Changes are coming, but I also need to get your orders to you!!

I have been receiving and responding many e-mails lately - but it seems that not all the messages I have responded to are being received on the other end. This seems to be an issue with my web-host, NOT with spam folders - although spam folders are causing it, but that's a whole other can of worms :)

Orders placed before September 1: ALL orders are being worked on and are headed your direction very soon, if not already.

Orders placed since September 1: Have not yet been started on, except to order any needed supplies. Anticipate these orders around the end of October.

I appreciate everyone's patience! And I hope that this message gets out to everyone it needs to!

God bless!

Used Montessori Materials for sale

The following items are available for sale - NOT directly through Garden of Francis. And prices do not include shipping.

Almost all materials are Nienhuis if there is a maker indicated.

Paypal is preferred; checks are accepted.

I have set comments on this post to private; please respond here with what you would like, your e-mail address and your zip code. All payments received by 8 am May 23rd will go out before Thursday or Friday; all other items will go out when we return after June 1.

Fraction stands (could be used for metal insets as well)
Used, but very good condition
$15

Fraction Circles - two sets available
Partial set: has some pieces missing and a few knobs (some loose knobs included) - $20
Complete Set - $40
Both sets are used, scratched up, but are perfectly functional as-is or could be touched up

Can anyone identify this material?
it is not a "key" material; is not in my AMI albums or any others that I can tell.
However, I thought I'd found album pages for it and had decided to keep it.
Now I can't find those album pages.
It has several small boxes that go with it.
Something algebraic.....
(no price until I identify it ;) )

Binomial Cube - very used
can be touched up or still used as is.
I will repair the door on the right - it is missing its screws
$15

Box of 273 1cm cubes (mostly for elementary Montessori)
BRAND NEW - nothing missing. Pristine condition.
$10
(PENDING)

brown stair extension - volume work - 19 pieces (supposed to be 19)
$10

Volume work for elementary - PRISTINE condition.
5 Yellow Prisms with ruled lines
$40

Second image of the above box - I only have ONE available.
Just showing how the side slides up and out.

Altar Cloth and Linens

I offer miniature altar cloths and linens at Garden of Francis.

When I make these, I usually need to pack them up and ship them right away, so I have never, over the course of THREE years taken any photos of the ones made for any specific customer - I have only had photos of my originals for my first atrium.

At long last, I received some photos! Woohoo! A very happy customer sent these photos to me.

The altar cloth is a separate purchase
all else is part of the "linens set"
(you will need to insert a stiff cardstock
or other stiff material into the pall and burse)

The purificator and corporal are the same size. The veil is larger.

Want a customized set? Perhaps your parish doesn't use the burse (how sad!)? You'll want the items that reflects YOUR parish. Either contact me beforehand or mention your specifications in the comments box and I'll refund any portions you don't need.

the additional 3 colors of burses and veils can be
purchased separately or in addition to the sets above
(again, any customizations, let me know!)

Not Quite Christmas

It is not quite Christmas and I have a hard time believing it.

Advent slipped away. Amidst what? Not the shopping (I've bought groceries once this past month and all gifts this year are home-made or already purchased); not the parties (we really minimize those - just one thus far - all others will be during the Christmas season); not the decorating (we decorate on Christmas eve).

Amidst the vitriolic words directly towards others, including myself. Amidst reading and hearing about the evil attitudes of people in the stores. Amidst the job losses. Amidst hearing stories of consumerism. Amidst the stories of mental illness and the sufferings of families.

It doesn't feel like Christmas. Perhaps this was what the first Christmas felt like: a world in need of a Savior.

A world filled with bitterness. Filled with accusations against another's morality. A world filled with lack of understanding; lack of trying to understand. A world devoid of peace and goodwill towards one's neighbor.

And today these things coming from Christians.

If that is how non-Christians see Christians, no wonder they would rather stay away. Far away. I don't blame them.

No wonder they laugh at us for saying "Jesus is the reason for the season" as they put up signs saying, "Use reason for the season!" implying that Jesus could not be what we claim Him to be.

Because we can't even get His teachings right - His teaching on morality and accusing one's neighbor and planks and splinters. Therefore, how could we possibly get right an understanding of His birth? And death? and resurrection?

Something to ponder next time one is tempted to call into question a stranger's 'Christianity'. Are we judging splinters through our planks?

So yes. Perhaps it does feel like Christmas. That first Christmas. A world filled with disbelief. And vitriolic hatred - because that is what it is when Christians behave with such malice, with such worldly consumerism. The world was full of it that first Christmas. Then, just a few months after that first Christmas, innocent children were slaughtered in the name of murdering a newborn King - by a man with a mental illness.

Sound familiar yet?

The truly faithful were begging for Him to come then; the truly faithful are begging now. Search your heart - are you begging for Him to come now? Or are you hoping for another day, another year, another lifetime?

Perhaps it is time to prepare for the coming of Jesus into our own hearts. Our own stony, cold hearts. That is what Advent was supposed to be about. Is supposed to be about. Preparation for His coming - not the first time; but the second time - the Parousia. When God will be all in all.

Prepare our hearts to receive Him - all of Him, in all of us.

It begins NOW.

It is not quite Christmas - there is not peace in our hearts. But doesn't that mean it IS quite Christmas?

It is not quite Christmas. Christ is not quite present.

Can we make it happen? Can we be ready for Him?

Only then, can it truly be Christmas. As He intended it.

It begins NOW.

Montessori Albums - UPDATED

Keys of the Universe Albums

UPDATED products available at Garden of Francis:

Keys of the Universe Elementary Montessori Albums
CURRENTLY available: theory, biology, geography, history, language, music, geometry, mathematics

Keys of the World Primary Montessori Albums
CURRENTLY available: theory, language, mathematics, sensorial

Elementary to Come::
art (supplement, not a main album)

astronomy (supplement, not a main album)

Primary:
exercises of practical life
(Please note: within primary, geography, biology, music, and art are all included within the sensorial, language and EPL albums)

Keys of the Universe Albums

New products available at Garden of Francis:

Keys of the Universe Elementary Montessori Albums
CURRENTLY available: theory, biology, geography, history, language

Keys of the World Primary Montessori Albums
CURRENTLY available: theory, language, mathematics

These subjects are all fully ready to go - when you make your purchase you will have instant access to an immediate download. The download is available for 7 days, after which, if for some reason you need it again, you contact me for a replacement - but do try to keep it safe!

The remaining subjects COMING SOON!

Elementary:
mathematics, music, art (supplement, not a main album), astronomy (supplement, not a main album)

Primary:
sensorial, exercises of practical life
(Please note: within primary, geography, biology, music, and art are all included within the sensorial, language and EPL albums)