Summer

A nod to Intent

I enjoy my regular visits at Intent, the blog of a lovely lady that goes by the name Sparrow. She's honest, she thinks deeply, she loves beauty, and she can cook. This last quality is what will cause my normally reserved husband to give her a huge hug when we meet in August. She has The Recipe we have been looking for since we celebrated our first anniversary in a little restaurant in Capitola, California. The orange rolls they served with brunch were the sort of food you don't ever forget. We have tried to recreate it, but with no success. Until this last Saturday. The children were all gone in honor of our anniversary, and I made these rolls:

Orange Rolls

Happy Anniversary indeed. Good thing I am working on my Couch-to-5K Running Program. It could get ugly in the zipping up the jeans department if I wasn't.

Theology for Physicists

A First Things book review:

Science and the Trinity: The Christian Encounter with Reality
By John Polkinghorne, Yale University Press
Reviewed by Stephen M. Barr

"The story of science and religion since the Middle Ages has been one of estrangement rather than conflict. When the Aristotelian synthesis shattered, science and theology drifted apart, becoming at last disconnected universes of discourse.

Over the last few decades many theologians and some scientists have attempted a new “dialogue of science and religion” in order to end this estrangement. A leading figure in this dialogue has been John Polkinghorne, a respected theoretical particle physicist at Cambridge University who, in the early 1980s, left scientific research in mid-career to become an Anglican clergyman and devote himself to writing on science and theology.

The science-theology dialogue has chiefly dealt with natural theology and such basic issues as the existence of God, the order and intelligibility of the universe, the evidence for design and purpose in nature, and the limitations of a crassly reductionist materialism. It has brought greater understanding and even some agreement among people of diverse backgrounds and concerns, ranging from agnostic seekers to people of traditional faith."

You can find the complete book review at: First Things: The Journal of Religion, Culture, and Public Life, May 2005

Art 300

Prerequisite: None
Hours: 36 hours LEC; 54 hours LAB
Description: This course covers the fundamentals of drawing, emphasizing the use of line, shape, value, perspective, space, and composition. It introduces and uses various mediums and techniques for drawing. This is a foundation requirement for all art students.

Class starts Wednesday, August 17th, and I will be a student again. I AM SO EXCITED.

Astronomy alert

One of the greatest things about living on our little hill is that there is real darkness at night. If our motion sensor lights don't go off, the skies are brilliant with stars, and it is a great place to learn some astronomy.

Thanks to two of my favorite blog sites, I have these two links for you:

Sky & Telescope: Three Planets Bunch Up in Twilight

and

ABC News Online: Science and Technology: Planets Align in Cosmic Show

We'll add some rootbeer floats or espresso milkshakes, throw down some sleeping bags to make the deck a comfortable observation spot, and it sounds like we have my idea of heaven on earth.

With thanks to the lovely ladies at:
Mental Multivitamin
Quiet Life

Project Number Two

I finished it! I finished it! My second scarf is done. I am so excited. Next project...socks or a poncho. We shall see.

To the man of my dreams (and my reality)

The cafe on the deck

Meet me here for breakfast
At the café on the deck
For the roses are in bloom
And the children are with the Jack’s

You’ve always been my favorite
Of people to share my time
To sit in our jammies, dark roast in hand,
The hours will soar and fly

Oh, the remembrance of another deck
With the ocean as its view
The Chronicle on a Sunday morning
And our marriage just brand new

But this café with the roses,
With a view of trees and birds,
Has the quiet of a foothill morn
And our marriage of nineteen years

This is my favorite spot
With its scenery so rare
There’s nowhere for better coffee
No company more fair

I’d gladly do the work again,
And learn the lessons twice,
To share this morning with you here
As your best friend and your wife.

Happy Anniversary, baby. Got you on my mind.


The roses are in bloom

An interview with Eugene Peterson

If intimacy means being open and honest and authentic, so I don't have veils, or I don't have to be defensive or in denial of who I am, that's wonderful. But in our culture, intimacy usually has sexual connotations, with some kind of completion. So I want intimacy because I want more out of life. Very seldom does it have the sense of sacrifice or giving or being vulnerable. Those are two different ways of being intimate. And in our American vocabulary intimacy usually has to do with getting something from the other. That just screws the whole thing up.

It's very dangerous to use the language of the culture to interpret the gospel. Our vocabulary has to be chastened and tested by revelation, by the Scriptures. We've got a pretty good vocabulary and syntax, and we'd better start paying attention to it because the way we grab words here and there to appeal to unbelievers is not very good.

The complete interview, Spirituality for All the Wrong Reasons, is from Christianity Today, March, 2005 and can be found here.

I found this interview through a link at Brandywine Books, a "news blog about books and book-related things with occasional diversions about coffee and tea." It's as good as it sounds; a great place to read and learn.

Dog update

Today is the day I braced myself for...the Dreaded Vet Visit when we would have to say good-bye to Sophie. BUT, she is SO MUCH BETTER. She is acting like a dog with a sore back, not a dog with nerve damage. She is mainly an indoor dog; she could do well in life with just a little quiet play in the yard, so this is really good news. Last night, my daughter and I were having a heart-to-heart talk on my bed upstairs and suddenly we heard the sound of Sophie's fingernails on the stairs. She made her way upstairs because she heard her girl talking. That is something I thought I would never see again. We are thrilled, and we will just keep doing what we can to keep her quiet and comfortable. We have her back for a little while longer. Yippee!

Each season has its beauty

June, 2005


April, 2005


December, 2004

Project Number Two begins

There's no place like home....

for learning. We had an absolute blast last week, but we weren't home much at all. It is so good to be back with our stacks of unread books, art journals, windows for staring out of, and even our own weeds to pull. There is a lot of pleasure to be had right here.

An aside: for that stack of unread books, we now have a name: ballycumber. It is defined as: "One of the six half-read books lying somewhere in your bed." - Douglas Adams & John Lloyd

Isn't that a great word? Thanks, Ms. Hornblower.

I have been reading, drawing, and scrolling through some favorite blogs in my quiet home hours. Here are some bits of brain food to share:

From favorite blog spots:

Intent talks about children being disconnected from nature. In a quote from her local paper:

"The growing child-nature gap has profound implications for the future, including the mental, physical and spiritual health of generations to come--and for the earth itself... Ironically, at the very moment when more children than ever before are unplugged from nature, science is finally demonstrating just how important direct contact with the outdoors is to healthy human development."

Wittingshire talks about church, special children and Henri Nouwen. From an article by Philip Yancey:

"It had been difficult for him (Nouwen) at first, he said. Physical touch, affection, and the messiness of caring for an uncoordinated person did not come easily. But he had learned to love Adam, truly to love him. In the process he had learned what it must be like for God to love us-spiritually uncoordinated, retarded, able to respond with what must seem to God like inarticulate grunts and groans."

Mungo's Mathoms linked an article from the Washington Times on education:

"It has always been a peculiarity that human beings seem discontent with what works and feel compelled to change, or 'improve,' what for centuries produced desired results."

If my husband was home, and we were the "AMEN, Brother!" types, our house would sound like a good gospel church service during a gripping sermon. Compelled to change what works, indeed.

Miz Booshay at Quiet Life lists great movie quotes. My husband loves Casablanca; we saw it on one our first dates at the (no longer there) New Varsity Theater in Palo Alto. I slept while he wrote down all his favorite quotes. Upon further review, though, I agree with him. Great movie.


Way back on May 21st, HMS Indefatigable wrote about her time on a barquentine. I love Master & Commander, Horatio Hornblower, Midshipmann Quinn, and every other book we have found on the Napoleonic Wars, but I am uneducated on ships. She kindly linked this site to help me figure out what is what, and I have finally had a chance to take a look. For a visual learner, this is a great resource.


In books:

Keys to Drawing, by Bert Dodson:

"The art of drawing is an act of uncanny coordination between the hand, the eye, and the mind. Each of these is subject to training and habit. For many students, improvement in drawing simply lies in breaking bad habits and replacing them with new and useful ones. For example, what do you think of as you draw? Can you remember? Perhaps your mind wanders. Perhaps you think of nothing at all. If you are like most of us though, you do, from time to time, carry on an internal dialogue as you work. This dialogue will either help or hinder your ability to draw, depending on which of two basic types it is."

Of Pandas and People: The Central Question of Biological Origins, by Percival Davis and Dean H. Kenyon:

"Any view or theory of origins must be held in spite of unsolved problems; proponents of both design and unplanned descent acknowledge this. Such uncertainties are part of the healthy dynamic that drives science. However, without exaggeration, there is impressive and consistent evidence, from each area we have studied, for the view that living things are the product of intelligent design."

Being back home this week serves to remind me of why we live the way we do. Exceptions to the "at home" rule are welcome and important, but we are glad to live with them as exceptions. Those bumper stickers that say, "Mom's Taxi" and "Chauffeur For Hire" have always caused a gag reflex in me. Sure, we have to go places. Sure, as the children get older, their world expands and the demands expand with it. But, we continue to build on the strong foundation of a quiet home life where there is time to stare, time to read, time to be in touch with nature and with each other. A little give in the schedule, a little peace in the daily routine, makes me a saner person. And everyone else, too. It's good to be back to the work of peace and quiet and good tilled earth.

The blur that was last week

Last Tuesday I mentioned that we were in the midst of Latin-in-a-Week with Wes Callihan of Schola Classical Tutorials. It made for a busy week, but one that was a tremendous success. Our oldest daughter was the youngest participant in the class and not only survived the 35-plus hours of intensive Latin, but laughed, soared, devoured and enjoyed most every minute. Latin is her "thing", and she was a joy to behold from the kitchen counter where I worked.


The final hours were still fun.

To celebrate Mr. Callihan's presence in Northern California, we held a ball in his honor. About sixty people gathered together in their finest clothes to dance and laugh the night away on Friday evening. I love dancing, but had much to learn. It was a good opportunity to be humble.


Daddy and daughter

As I watched my children dancing, with friends or family members, it filled with me joy. Throughout my life, friends have been very significant; up until recently, though, peers have played a very, very small (or non-existent) role in my children's lives. They weren't feeling the lack, but in the last year, through no effort of our own, we have met young friends that have enriched our children's lives as well as our own. They enjoy their parents and siblings, they love many of the things we love (AND they teach us new things like The Cup Game and other silliness); basically, they are all-round terrific people. The ball on Friday night was like a slice of heaven as I watched our children and their friends. Good friends, ones that help us become better people, are a gift to be appreciated.

Saturday's hurrah was the homeschool graduation of a young woman that we all adore. She tutored our daughter through Wheelock's Latin,

and managed to make it fun. I often wondered what could possibly be in the textbook that would create such outbursts of laughter from the upstairs bedroom; so much for Latin being a dead language! They learned a lot together, and this young woman was used in a great way to help get our daughter ready to excel at languages. We appreciate her hard work.

Saturday's ceremony was the first homeschool graduation I have attended. I didn't realize that I would cry through the whole thing. Something about seeing this adventure end for someone really struck a chord for me. I fully believe in the need for vision in our lives; it gives us the strength to keep on. Sometimes, though, the vision evaporates for me, and this winter and spring have been seasons when I felt like the lights were dimmed in my mind. Actually, it has been coming on gradually for the last couple of years, and is probably the beginnings of a little burn-out, a little singeing on the edges of my soul. Saturday, however, did more to keep the beasts of burn-out at bay than any of the "stress reduction" techniques I've had recommended. It gave me some perspective, a glimpse at the destination for which we are headed. It was a beautiful view! I feel invigorated and encouraged for the years ahead.


This collection of books was on the table of pictures and memorabilia at the graduation. Herbs and gardening, Winnie-The-Pooh in Latin, church history...these volumes reveal the varied and unique interests of a delightful young woman. Look out, University of Idaho, there's a great person on her way to your campus this fall.

And, at last, the celebration of the Daddy Person. Sunday was a day of food and relaxation, two things my husband loves and appreciates. Church, Guinness and steak, the NBA finals, ice cream and some quiet time at home all made for a great day of celebrating the guy the younger set call Dad, Daddy or Papa. I shudder to think of life without him; he is such a blessing to my life EACH AND EVERY DAY. To the man who can still dunk over the boys, who climbs Half Dome, who can help with grammar and history and bible study and literature and who faithfully works so that we can have the best possible life here at home...we love you!


The Man

Knitting update

Finished at last

My first knitting project, a scarf begun many months ago, is finished. I did something that won't need to be re-done tomorrow, and that feels really good.

Thanks to Miz Booshay at Quiet Life for always being a knitting inspiration!

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of heaven, my victory won,
May I reach heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.


~ Ancient Irish; translated to English by Mary Elizabeth Byrne, 1905 ~

Thanks to many of you for checking up on Sophie. We have spent a little time each day at the vet, and she appears to be improving. Her mobility is increasing (including the wagging of her long, bushy tail -- something we had missed terribly) but we still are confused about her condition. We'll take this, along with the rest of life, one day at a time and wait to see what happens. And Sophie will enjoy the privilege that comes with her illness - sleeping next to my daughter, sitting on the furniture, and being crooned over by us all.

Our Sophie

Our dog had an emergency visit with the vet today. On Monday night, for no known reason, she began to lose the use of her back legs and hips. The visit today revealed that there is major nerve damage and she cannot feel her back end at all. Without thousands of dollars to spend on surgery, we are given the option of steroids to reduce inflammation. We are on major alert now to see if the reduced inflammation can bring back any feeling and movement. If not....it will be a dark day at A Circle of Quiet. My oldest daughter waited three years for a dog (I required that all members of the family be potty trained before we added another animal) and we have only had Sophie for three years. When we got her at the SPCA, she had had an unknown injury that resulted in her having one eye removed. Her one-eyed-ness makes her all the cuter, and we have been happy to help her recover from whatever traumatic things happened in her earlier days.

Tomorrow we will finish Latin-in-a-Week, return to the vet, and then dance the night away at the Northern California Schola Ball. Amidst it all, though, our hearts will be heavy for our dear Sophie.

Latin-in-a-Week

A picture will have to be worth a thousand words this week. It is Latin-in-a-Week in our corner of the world, the language acquisition equivalent of drinking from a fire hose. Our oldest daughter is taking the class, and I am the support staff working as the caterer and chauffeur for the week. Amidst it all, of course, the dog seems to have a medical problem, my mother needs to get to the doctor, and the camping laundry refuses to do itself while I am gone. The nerve! I will have coherent thoughts to share when the dust settles and the cookie crumbs are swept away. For now:



Wes Callihan, esteemed Latin tutor


Vocab drill...drill...drill

As the quiet descends upon the far corners of the house, I keep thinking I hear chanting and conjugation mutterings from the downstairs bedroom. Dreaming? Only perhaps.

Yosemite

Half Dome

Yosemite Falls and the Merced River

My afternoon walk

Don't forget to look up.

Semi-annual bliss

One of the greatest joys of living in California is being within decent driving distance of Yosemite National Park. Always filled with stop-where-you-are-and-stare beauty, we hear this year's rain has made the waterfalls even more spectacular. Tomorrow morning, according to Plan A, we leave for two days of Yosemite adventure. Some will attempt to make it to the top of Half Dome (try #2), others will visit the art center, ride bikes on the winding paths, take too many pictures, and visit with the extended family members that are joining us. Plenty of fresh air, coffee and quiet in the early morning, sunset in front of Half Dome, The Silver Chair read by flashlight....it all makes the late night packing worth it.

We'll be back in a few days with our stories and memories.