WHY Off-Grid


The promised WHY OFF-GRID newsletter. Plus, I’ve published a new book, and we have a new FREEBIE. Yes, these last two items are connected…

English Lessons Through Literature Level G: Growing Now Available!

This is how I spent my summer vacation–getting Level G ready! It is currently available on Lulu.com as either a PDF or a paperback, and it should appear on Amazon within a week. ELTL is a secular program, but there is a Bible Supplement available as either a print book or a FREE PDF which includes Bible verses ready to use as copywork or dictation.

See more details about ELTL Level G here.


WHY Off-Grid

Aloha, y’all!

As you may know, we moved to Hawaii, the Big Island, last January. And since we arrived, the Big Island has seen earthquakes, landslides, flooding, wildfires, three hurricanes, and a volcanic eruption lasting months. I’ve seen people here jokingly ask, “Who’s playing Jumanji?”

Don’t get me wrong–for most of us, that list is not as bad as it sounds. The hurricanes have all veered off, so we just got a lot of rain, and the rest of the disasters are localized, so they only affect a small minority.

But the reality is this: At some point in our lives, we all find ourselves in that “small minority” who is experiencing a disaster of one sort or another. Maybe it’s a natural disaster. Maybe it’s a death of a loved one. Maybe it’s the loss of a job. But whatever the disaster, they often hit hard, fast, and unexpectedly.

For us, being prepared to face any disaster means to live simply. Any disaster is less of a concern when we don’t have a house payment, two car payments (with insurance), and a household full of valuables purchased on credit. Being off-grid takes this attitude a step further–we also don’t have a small fortune in utility bills to pay each month. We still have expenses–I haven’t figured out a way around that, and if you have, let us know!

It’s not that living off-grid makes us immune from disasters, but it does make us better able to cope with them when they happen. It helps keep life simpler, and a simple life is harder to disrupt than a complicated life. And simpler makes it easier to focus on the important things in life.

Mālama pono! (That’s Hawaiian for “Take care!”)

Kathy Jo


New Freebie: Grammar Reference

The new FREEBIE is a Grammar Reference. If you use ELTL, you know that each book has a number of appendices at the end of the book which includes grammar memory work (definitions and lists), correct use of words, a sentence diagramming reference guide, a chart of common irregular verbs, several charts of verb tenses, an editing protocol for after writing, and a guide to Theon’s six components. The grammar reference includes ALL of these reference pages. Take a look! We hope they will help in your homeschool, regardless of whether or not you use ELTL–but we hope you’ll use ELTL!

New freebies are available for one month! We also have two permanent freebies. A Walk in the Park discusses our homeschool philosophy, and Daily Devotions for Kids includes four prayers for each day of the week to help children develop a habit of prayer.