Thinking of you....

(This blog post is for my children, but you are welcome to read along, too.)

There have been several times we have missed you over the last two-and-a-half days. On my walk this morning, as I heard new bird calls and enjoyed unknown trees and misty fields, I knew that your company would make a beautiful start to the day even better. It was already really warm, and they weren't kidding about the humidity, either. Last night, after we returned from our day of touring, a thunder storm SHOOK the house. The sounds were thrilling, and the smell of rain was most welcome.

The children of our hosts have registered a formal complaint that we came sans children. They would like to meet you and show you their I-Tunes playlist and play Settlers of Catan with you (although the parents are a little bit competitive, let me warn you.)

Every cannon, ship, mob cap, herb garden, and funny moment has brought you to mind. You would love it here.

Are we having a good time? The best of times. Celebrating twenty-one years of marriage, laughing a lot, seeing places we have heard so much about, getting goosebumps as we imagined the events that occurred in the rooms in which we stood. This is the greatest of great vacations. The only thing missing is YOU.

We'll be home soon, but check in again for more pictures. Our Williamsburg pictures have yet to be downloaded, and you'll definitely want to see Daddy in the stocks, right?

Hugs and kisses to each and every one of you

(yes, even a smooshy kiss for you, my Big Young Men.)

Be good and have fun!

Love,

Mama

Brief note

Not too busy to write, but I'm certainly too preoccupied to have anything intelligent to say. We leave Thursday for our five-day anniversary extravaganza, and sickness is hovering in the wings. One child has already gone through the stomach cleansing, and one more is asking for crackers and ginger ale. I am hoping and praying that said child is grabbing the opportunity to have a rare soda pop, but I am probably being overly optimistic. I am alternating between feeling sad about children being ill while we are gone, and panicking about using a barf bag on a plane for the first time in my forty-seven years of life. My hands will be bleeding by the time we leave from all the handwashing, so if personal hygeine can keep this bug at bay, I'm set. Or maybe sheer will power? If you're the praying sort, I would ask for your prayers.

We'll be back next week, and I plan to have pictures and stories of fun times had by all. I only hope they aren't those "someday we will look back on this and laugh" kind of stories. Miraculous healings, romance, laughter, relaxation ... sounds about right, don't you think?

Some people understand

Thursday miscellany

I couldn't say it any better:

"I would that my children had a mother like Susannah Wesley or Elizabeth Spurgeon, but God has given them me, and my prayers, poor and inconsistent as they are, must be enough. Finally, of course, it is God’s mercy and grace that must suffice."

~Semicolon

Originally named Dolce (Italian for sweet.)
Recently nicknamed Pazzo (Italian for crazy.)
Don't let the "cute little cat sleeping in the tent" look fool you. Pazzo is perfect.

And what have I been doing instead of faithfully listing and linking all your terrific book recommendations? I'm not sure what you suave, "I travel with my husband on airplanes all the time" folks do when you are flying across the continent, but we suddenly realized, seventeen years into the parenting gig, that we should make a will, have our financial records in order, clean out the underwear drawer and do anything else that needs to be done before we meet our Maker. You know, just in case. Let me be clear: I am not afraid of flying. I LOVE FLYING. The cramped bathrooms, the rattling sounds of take off and landing, the excitement of locating one's lost luggage...I really, truly love it all.

I traveled quite a bit as a child/teen/twentyish person, but it hasn't been part of the married with children budget. I have been happily spending my money on (many) other things for the last seventeen years. This isn't a fear of flying thing; it's just a realistic look at life and death thing. Tragedies do happen, and we finally woke up to the fact that we had a few things to take care of before we fasten our seat belts and remember to put the oxygen mask on ourselves first.

It's easy to see why procrastination was the M.O. until now; this stuff takes a lot of time. As a result of our extensive research (aka: listening to Hugh Hewitt) we used LegalZoom.com. For our simple needs, it was a great option. They even give you ten days to review your papers so that you can correctly spell the name of your guardian of choice or change the paper so that you will be in charge of your deceased husband's trust rather than assigning that job to him. Hard to do that job when you are deceased, right? Now, these are just hypothetical possibilities, but let's just say I appreciate the "ten days to review and revise with no additional shipping charges" feature.

I've also been happily diverted from my reading plan by Anna Quindlen novels:

Rise and Shine and Black and Blue

and unhappily undiverted by wasting my valuable time watching Fantastic Four at the request of an anonymous child. I'm a Ioan Gruffudd fan, but ugh. No link provided to save even more time from being swallowed up.

One more thought from the quote book:

“It is not from ourselves that we learn to be better than we are.” Wendell Berry

Learning from others, and hoping you are, too. Happy Thursday, friends.

The box is here! The box is here!

Few sounds bring as much joy as the UPS truck tires rolling across the gravel, the burdened footsteps stumbling toward the door, the large boxes "thwacking" down on the counter. We quickly find the knife, cut open the tape, and the oldest calls out:

"It's our SCHOLA BOOKS!"

The piles were sorted into different years: Greeks for Sir GB1, Romans for Sir GB2, and the moderns for Lady GB4. A few Greek texts for the Lady, and she also gets the first three volumes of Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire in her stack. Excitement alternated with trepidation, for the piles do look ominously tall. We reminded the sobered: it's not the number of books read that matters; it's the thinking and the discussions and the discipline. This is their first serious exposure to the Great books; a dress rehearsal, if you will. The key is to whet the appetite, not burn out in the feasting.

Pictured above is the enthusiastic Great Books 4 student, introducing the new Great Books kid on the block to his future friends: Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle. Her love of this program is a beautiful thing; these authors truly are her friends. Their writings have stimulated her studies and strengthened her mind. As I watched these two, I could almost see the torch pass from older to younger; I could see a new light burning in my son's eyes. It was only a moment, but I will not forget it.

What the Readers are Reading: Part the Second

Well, here is the second list of what the readers are reading. There will be at least two more posts to look forward to, but plenty here to fill up your library basket. Enjoy.

NON-FICTION

Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation That's Changing Your World by Hugh Hewitt


Breaking Bread: The Spiritual Significance of Food by Sara Covin Juengst

Climbing Parnassus Tracey Lee Simmons

The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris

Coming Home to Eat: The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods by Gary Paul Nabhan

The Creative Habit: Learn it and use it for life by Twyla Tharp

A Diary of Private Prayer by John Bailie (Hmmm...this was on at least four of my readers' lists...maybe I'll need to look into this one.)


The Drama of the Scriptures by Michael Goheen and Craig Bartholomew

Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude: Lectures on the Heidelburg Catechism" by George W. Bethune

In, But Not Of: A Guide to Christian Ambition by Hugh Hewitt

Kabul Beauty Schoolby Deborah Rodriguez


Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon


On The Incarnation by Athanasius

The Ragamuffin Gospel: Good News for the Bedraggled, Beat-Up, and Burnt Out by Brennan Manning


Righteous Sinners: The Believer's Struggle with Faith, Grace, and Works by Ron Julian

Of special note: Righteous Sinners is written by one of the tutors at Gutenberg College. The reader received this volume from us in an ongoing, all-in-fun competition between fathers to attempt to get their daughters to attend the same college. This was part of our Gutenberg ad campaign which was not quite as impressive as the "we'll remodel the garage and the girls can live here" part of the Biola Torrey Honors Program ad campaign. May the best college win!

The Rule of St. Benedict


A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken

Work: The Story of Experience by Louisa May Alcott


FICTION


The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle


The Fairie Queen by Spenser


In The Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Mountains of Spices by Hannah Hurnard

Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott

The Secret Garden by F. H. Burnett


Watership Down by Richard Adams

White Fang by Jack London

The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon

King Lear

The Royal Shakespeare Company is doing King Lear, starring Sir Ian McKellan as the man himself. The show travels to the states in September - October. New York, Minneapolis, Los Angeles .... what an opportunity!

Old man redeemed
Economist June 16-22, 2007

Ian McKellan interview:

I used to think King Lear was an analysis of insanity but I don't really think it is. When Lear is supposed to be at his most insane he is actually understanding the world for the first time. "Let me not go mad," he pleads. But when he gets mad he sees the world very clearly indeed in a way he never has for his whole life. The play is a little bit of a cheat—he doesn't go permanently mad, he goes mad and then he recovers in the space of three of four scenes. Well people do, don't they? They have breakdowns. He has a breakdown; he does not go permanently mad and terminally ill with insanity. He has a breakdown and he knows he's the better for it because he sees clearly in the end.

Cool stamp

Even cooler destination.
Thirteen days and counting, and the two of us will be there.

I love this boy!

Summer Days

Sunsets that make you stop and watch and admire.

A very welcome visit from Nana.


Father and son kayak adventures on Alpine Lake.

The light and shadow on the walk to the mailbox.

Pond visits.

The Summer Reading Challenge

I'm several days late in getting my summer reading list together, but I'm pleased as punch with my choices so far. Summer is always a jumble of reading opportunities. I have a yard that demands much of my time, we continue our schooling through July, and there are plenty of home improvement projects awaiting me. But, I do have a week of family vacation that results in some good reading time, and my husband and I are also getting ourselves ready for the shocking reality of a five-day vacation for our anniversary. Five days off without children...I cannot even imagine it...but I am beginning to compile a stack of possible books to tuck in the suitcase. I'll update the list as it grows or shrinks.

If you'd like to join the Summer Reading Challenge, let the fine lady at Seasonal Soundings know you're joining in the fun. FYI: That fine lady is on our vacation itinerary in a few weeks. I can hardly wait to meet my pen-pal cyber-friend in person.



Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ: The Autobiography of Madame Guyon

Recommended by a friend from church.

The Gathering Storm by Winston Churchill

My daughter is reading Churchill this summer, and I thought I would join in on the first volume of his World War II series.


History of the Ancient World by Susan Wise Bauer

I'm going to be teaching a handful of youngsters some ancient history next year, and I've been wanting to read Susan's latest work, so I'm off and running.

The Aeneid by Virgil

I'm preparing to discuss this with my Great Books 2 student in the fall.

The Bridal Wreath by Sigrid Undset

The Kirstin Lavransdatter trilogy has been on my "gotta read" list for long enough. I'm enjoying this first book very much.

The Complete Father Brown, Volume One by G.K. Chesterton

My Chesterton choice for this season, plus part of my mystery fix.


Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith

Found at the library last week, the word Espresso jumped out, and I had checked it out before I even realized it was a Alexander McCall Smith book. Then I checked my adopted niece's blog (The Autumn Rain) and found a quote from the very same book. I'll be in good company as I enjoy some fun, light reading on a summer afternoon.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

I will finish it...I will, I will.

The Shifting Tide by Anne Perry

Part B of the mystery fix.

Magazines I am happy to have time to read this summer:

The Economist

I've decided I want to participate in the extemporaneous category with our speech students this coming year. How does extemp. work? You have half an hour to prepare a seven minute speech, and you are given three possible topics, all of which will be about some current event issue. Your evidence for the background or opinions must be current (within the last ninety days) and the more current the better. Sound challenging? I was truly inspired when I listened to a round of extempers at a tournament this last spring.

Success in this event requires a regular focus on current events, something that I have been very crummy at in the last few years. We've already been discussing more of the issues around the dinner table, but I will have to work hard to understand the background for the possible question topics. Immigration, the '08 presidential candidates and the war in Iraq are only a sample of topics that I have to learn much more about to be able to help our students. Thus, my regular reading of The Economist...and more.

And finally, two additional magazines from which to glean wisdom:

First Things

Touchstone

I'd ask you what you are reading, but I know, don't I? I keep working on those links, and I'll have Part the Second by the end of the week.

Happy Reading!

Handy Hints for Sensitive Skin

The week is starting with a bang, and I will not have much time to be linking and listing all your books for a day or two, so I am offering my handy hints for skin care. Yep, you read that right. If you have sensitive skin, you know that this is not a small thing. We have had HUGE skin issues in our family. My now-sixteen-year-old had two years of undiagnosed crazy itchiness, my youngest son has eczema, and I have had everything from sunburn to poison oak on every inch of my body, to my current battle with the lovely mid-forties skin breakouts. Finding solutions to these problems has taken time and energy, so perhaps a handy hint post can save you some of those valuable resources. FYI: I am able to find all of these things at the grocery store or local drug store.

The first issue is irritated skin. To soothe generalized itchiness, or the more specific misery of poison oak or eczema, an oatmeal bath can be just the thing. Courtesty of Aveeno, we've seen many an oatmeal bath in our house. Plan on some tub cleaning afterwards; the stuff makes quite a layer of residue.

Next up: facial blemishes. We've found the Safeway store brand of Clean and Clear's cream cleanser to be the best option. We've tried many dermatology prescribed medications, but they all ended up causing burning and irritation. Irritation can end up causing a lot more blemishes, and the misery cycle just continues. This cream cleanser is oil-free, but it does not dry out too much. It's been a perfect solution for all of our blemish problems, and it costs less than any of the prescribed options we'd been offered.

Let's not forget sunburn! Anyone as fair-skinned as I am can claim some expertise on the world of sunscreen. I am in favor of staying out of the mid-day sun as my favorite option, but I still need to wear sunscreen on my face 365 days a year (I do live in California, after all.) My real problem with sunscreen is that it makes me feel like I am wrapped in plastic wrap. Ugh. For someone that can't stand the heat, that is a real problem. But I have found two great options. For my 365 days of face sunscreen, I highly recommend Eucerin's Extra-Protective Lotion (30 SPF.) It does NOT feel like plastic wrap. For a quick spray of hands and feet, maybe an arm or two, my sister-in-law sprayed me with Neutrogena's Fresh Cooling Body Mist sunblock (45 SPF) when we were away on our family reunion. Not only is there no "plastic wrap" feeling, the cooling mist is really nice on a hot day. Not cheap, so I'll probably save my supply for the quick spray of hands and feet as needed.

So, there are your handy skin care hints for today. I know it's not very intellectually or spiritually stimulating material, but it really could be worse. I've had my head stuck inside our thrilling family finances for days now, so I could have put you to sleep with that fascinating subject. Aren't you glad I chose skin care for the day's topic?

What the Readers Are Reading: Part the First

Many thanks to all of you for sending in your reading lists. I have been busy salivating over the titles and spending my extra minutes linking away. What a diverse and interesting group you are. I am so glad that you wrote and let me know what you're reading.

Fiction

Bleak House by Charles Dickens


Chatain's Guardian by Robin Hardy

The Inferno of Dante by Dante, Mazur and Pinsky

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte



Joan of Arc Mark Twain

The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

Queen's Fool


Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis

Space Trilogy (box set) by C.S. Lewis


Non-fiction


Animal, Vegetable, Mineral by Barbara Kingsolver

Blended Structure and Style in Composition by James Webster

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Gibbon

I am not sure this is the copy of Gibbon that reader Jennifer is reading, but it looks good. My daughter will be studying the six-volume set (found here and here) for a class with Mr. Callihan next year. In our view that means good times are ahead. Lucky girl.

Einstein: His Life and Universe by Isaacson

The Everlasting Man Chesterton

From a House to a Home by Jemima Mills

Grace-Based Parenting by Kimmel

Hold On To Your Kids: Why Parents Matter by Neufeld and Mate

North of Ithaka by Eleni Gage (and you can read the reader's review here.)

Orthodox Alaska: A Theology of Mission

The Philosophy of Tolkein: The Worldview behind The Lord of the Rings by Peter Kreeft

The Roots of American Order by Russell Kirk

A Teaching Company recommendation: The Life and Writings of C S Lewis.

In addition, Sherry from Semicolon, a blog any book lover should know and love, sent in two of the books from her list:

Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

The Loud Silence of Francine Green by Karen Cushman

She also included links to lists of books some of her children are reading here and here.

Thus endeth Part the First. Have no fear if your books are not here; there are MANY more books to list and link. Patience, patience, patience. It will take me a while.

Thomas a Kempis for a Thursday afternoon

I
t is good for us to have trials and troubles at times, for they often remind us that we are on probation and ought not to hope in any worldly thing. It is good for us sometimes to suffer contradiction, to be misjudged by men even though we do well and mean well. These things help us to be humble and shield us from vainglory. When to all outward appearances men give us no credit, when they do not think well of us, then we are more inclined to seek God Who sees our hearts. Therefore, a man ought to root himself so firmly in God that he will not need the consolations of men.

When a man of good will is afflicted, tempted, and tormented by evil thoughts, he realizes clearly that his greatest need is God, without Whom he can do no good. Saddened by his miseries and sufferings, he laments and prays. He wearies of living longer and wishes for death that he might be dissolved and be with Christ. Then he understands fully that perfect security and complete peace cannot be found on earth.

--Thomas a Kempis, "The Imitation of Christ"

HT: Wes Callihan of Schola Classical Tutorials

Thanks

Thanks for the reading lists, my fine blog readers. I look forward to listing and linking away for the next few days, and I plan on posting at least Part the First by the weekend. If for some reason you haven't sent me your list, you can still send it in. This isn't like those junior high classes where you only get half credit for your late work. There's some grace for a day or two.

Summer begins

A tent + four boys + late night giggles = JOY