tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86122559492900136082024-03-17T02:52:32.911-04:00Moments With Mother Culture®Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.comBlogger190125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-59190128805656755382019-05-08T09:10:00.004-04:002023-04-26T15:19:57.226-04:00Ideals<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Ideals</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our maples are making many seed "helicopters." </td></tr>
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Are you new here? Welcome.<br />
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The assortment of articles you will find here are a compliment to my books: <i>Mother Culture® - for a Happy Homeschool</i>, and <i>A Charlotte Mason Companion.</i> <br />
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I am keeping this blog online (with updates here and there) but I am saying farewell to blogging.<br /> Here's the good news. You can visit with me anytime on my active and ongoing <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KarenAndreolaAuthor">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/karenandreola/">Instagram</a> posts.
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For various reasons I am closing a chapter of my life as I did years ago with <i>Parents' Review</i> 1991-96.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karen and Dean Andreola, Maine 2005</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One wall of the kitchen.</td></tr>
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You are welcome to post a comment anytime - and - to reach me anytime through my personal email (typing it) karenjandreola(at)gmail(dot)com.<br />
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I’ve enjoyed preparing these blog posts for you these 9 years. Thank you for doing me the honor of reading them.<br />
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What a pleasure it has been getting to know those of you that have been in touch with me in the blog neighborhood. I hope to pop by your place now and again.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Parting Message </span></div>
Hold onto your ideals - - - even if by a string. An ideal is like a helium balloon. It hovers above your head quietly. As it hovers, it inspires you to effort. By contemplating and reaching for an ideal we are guided and grow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7Js27PbuntQIco_bn_PMwk8cQSQChSRQbFLaB0s14Cunym-u3QZYF2HOdE8IYmIf-d8vJ3dwSROQU0-BgfNsPkDD0m6UumKYmAGQN42NfQgOsDnPKDW74lXuLlg1WjuUYTPcYwl5L68/s1600/little-girl-and-balloon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="456" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE7Js27PbuntQIco_bn_PMwk8cQSQChSRQbFLaB0s14Cunym-u3QZYF2HOdE8IYmIf-d8vJ3dwSROQU0-BgfNsPkDD0m6UumKYmAGQN42NfQgOsDnPKDW74lXuLlg1WjuUYTPcYwl5L68/s400/little-girl-and-balloon.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
Like a balloon attached by a string to a child’s wrist, we can be attached to an ideal and look up to it. It is high. But it doesn’t matter that it is hanging by a thread, it is nearby. Because it is high what we actually accomplish is somewhere below it, usually. Faced with our limitations and inadequacies we live with the realistic, and yet, meanwhile, we seek to be content with what we can accomplish at present, so that our eyes are open to the blessings those hovering ideals bestow.<br />
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Let us value small daily accomplishments. Many small steps bring large return.<br />
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Keep faithfully plodding, my friends.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing the stairs to the second floor.</td></tr>
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Yes, we live with the realistic. But on our good days we recognize moments of the idealistic. We say, “Ah! Isn’t that nice? I like to see my children playing together in harmony.”<br />
Or.<br />
“Wow. It's wonderful to hear that beautiful spiritual insight brought forth in my student’s Bible narration.”<br />
Or.<br />
“The reading-seeds I’ve sown are sprouting. Hey Honey, your son is in the middle of his first chapter book. He's immersed. Yeah.”<br />
Or.<br />
“What a delight to finally open that novel I picked out for myself six years ago for my Mother Culture. I love the characters and am glad I blew the dust off my shelf of Mother-Culture-Books.”<br />
Or.<br />
“Weren’t we hearing our daughter practice Charlie-Brown-and-Snoopy on violin not long ago (four years)? How is it that today she’s playing hymns for Sunday worship?”<br />
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Although faced with our limitations and life's interruptions, we can be humbly grateful amid the realistic. When we are greeted with the idealistic, these sparkling moments surprise and warm a parent’s heart, like little else can.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBt22CpDX_6u5f9SuZwQjidpduGs4Rhe8dzp1WhLGQwwPjjbQK-GX85bRq7j8jXqSMzlGLIqQMYilF8oyuyw0CxdH7YprzG-LqG9_IYv-c3dY9ir81LQ0gBhI2K9JrIkwGWbs9GUH7vDw/s1600/198036_9852300091_9968_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="604" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBt22CpDX_6u5f9SuZwQjidpduGs4Rhe8dzp1WhLGQwwPjjbQK-GX85bRq7j8jXqSMzlGLIqQMYilF8oyuyw0CxdH7YprzG-LqG9_IYv-c3dY9ir81LQ0gBhI2K9JrIkwGWbs9GUH7vDw/s400/198036_9852300091_9968_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophia &Yolanda at a wedding, 2006. Both are married and mothers today.</td></tr>
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Isn't this a wonderful truth spoken by the apostle Paul? “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil 1:6) Oh, that one day we may hear our Lord Christ say, “Well done, thy good and faithful servant.”(Matt 25:21) when we meet Him face-to-face.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnZFJ-WCs5T0O1F3xOQl_YlyTJlYFvCRgbXg_rc2xrMIiv5TEPPS65_MTyWjUO6fhuAMY3WbwNSJGipsO6TPcOpLZLXhYU2EjBz82-_N6ILMn1mmmdGClVA2CeoN4Lhey75af0If24PI/s1600/lilcas+out+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnZFJ-WCs5T0O1F3xOQl_YlyTJlYFvCRgbXg_rc2xrMIiv5TEPPS65_MTyWjUO6fhuAMY3WbwNSJGipsO6TPcOpLZLXhYU2EjBz82-_N6ILMn1mmmdGClVA2CeoN4Lhey75af0If24PI/s400/lilcas+out+back.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our lilacs once bloomed but are now nibbled by a growing populations of deer.</td></tr>
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I found this poem about ideals by Adelaide A. Procter (1825-1864)<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Have we not all, amid life’s petty strife,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Some pure ideal of a noble life</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">That once seemed possible? Did we not ear</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">The flutter of its wings and feel it near,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d;">And just within our reach? It was. And yet</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d;">We lost it in this daily jar and fret.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">But still our place is kept and it will wait,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Ready for us to fill it, soon or late.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d;">No star is ever lost we once have seen:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;">We always may be what we might have been.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVwVm-SLURSB1Gc07Xi3TKy5WhFNwBvmeR_xZixQ5tX_MT0PL8YbKatmKfMjt3iBbjFH7Q3e40mC50EyhsFMUqcVHXHWoBGzVkR76JgmVbH-yio3p3zUkZEPdtxcuA3Ed9T9xBY5wM34/s1600/NN+Lilacs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1004" data-original-width="1500" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVwVm-SLURSB1Gc07Xi3TKy5WhFNwBvmeR_xZixQ5tX_MT0PL8YbKatmKfMjt3iBbjFH7Q3e40mC50EyhsFMUqcVHXHWoBGzVkR76JgmVbH-yio3p3zUkZEPdtxcuA3Ed9T9xBY5wM34/s400/NN+Lilacs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophia's Nature Notebook from days gone by. </td></tr>
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Charlotte Mason says, “The parent who would educate his children, in any large sense of the word, must lay himself out for high thinking and lowly living; the highest thinking indeed possible to the human mind, and the simplest, directest living.” (<i>Parents & Children</i> p.170)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyz1LL0kPpl4rWSkl72QbNHtCjQEBVke455yS-WA9GPioarCjduHlHKMe0fusCmYk3EVlb1br5P9Y2Iz83qqCkIBNr20eKOZAx3m2B-Ef80JU4JlmHLchvtLnaXf-TofY6NXfgUI8hLc/s1600/church-nigel-andreola-lessons-at-blackberry-inn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieyz1LL0kPpl4rWSkl72QbNHtCjQEBVke455yS-WA9GPioarCjduHlHKMe0fusCmYk3EVlb1br5P9Y2Iz83qqCkIBNr20eKOZAx3m2B-Ef80JU4JlmHLchvtLnaXf-TofY6NXfgUI8hLc/s400/church-nigel-andreola-lessons-at-blackberry-inn.jpg" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration by Nigel Andreola for Blackberry Inn</td></tr>
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There are no higher ideals than are found in the Word of God. There is no greater help than by His Holy Spirit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iMaBiXIqLFVYvgHtHteTQ3uNVCMmmAdd8YG8BjCduH0sAoJEQd6LW3mJH-nhnSmmJttWFfMvaUNoBT9qmW7zVGTCghOyv-EGRXwUYN4dvxU-9S6GL3MjGtb23sBVt0I1gh7fnsXA3T4/s1600/strawberry+cross+stitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="697" data-original-width="900" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8iMaBiXIqLFVYvgHtHteTQ3uNVCMmmAdd8YG8BjCduH0sAoJEQd6LW3mJH-nhnSmmJttWFfMvaUNoBT9qmW7zVGTCghOyv-EGRXwUYN4dvxU-9S6GL3MjGtb23sBVt0I1gh7fnsXA3T4/s320/strawberry+cross+stitch.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afternoon cross stitching is a relaxing hobby.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Post Script</span><br />
Jenny, on <a href="https://www.inconvenientfamily.com/single-post/2019/04/18/Mother-Culture-step-into-peace-and-serenity-in-your-homeschool" target="_blank">Inconvenient Family</a>, wrote a review of my book <i>Mother Culture</i> ®. I was honored by it and found it touching. Thank you, Jenny. I worked hard on my book so that it might be the ministering-kind that would be shared friend-to-friend.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXoLWnDf4luSmJ6F2mGjDkO2SluMdDis0kvRCBN-seWeWihkAwWDk3n73gxE3altyh9lkamxzXrI5rNX2yKaaKuhlc0fs09nK33fVOvK2yRMMHkJ74fWdm_Hp0SLRqvc3WeBgnYdkUy_Y/s1600/karen+in+the+greenhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="837" data-original-width="1200" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXoLWnDf4luSmJ6F2mGjDkO2SluMdDis0kvRCBN-seWeWihkAwWDk3n73gxE3altyh9lkamxzXrI5rNX2yKaaKuhlc0fs09nK33fVOvK2yRMMHkJ74fWdm_Hp0SLRqvc3WeBgnYdkUy_Y/s400/karen+in+the+greenhouse.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turning 60 this year. </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Amazon Reviews</span><br />
Dean noticed a brand new book on Amazon - with hundreds of reviews posted the same day. Astonished he said, "How can this be?" Evidently, big publishers have big-funded launch programs. Many bloggers receive free copies of manuscripts pre-publication. The agreement is that they post a review on Amazon. <br />
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We are teeny-tiny. And Madison-Avenue programs are beyond our scope. That’s okay. It isn’t our style, anyway. I told Dean, "I greatly appreciate every sincere review that trickles in the natural way." Thank you, friends, for your kind support.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZokda9dENsqZ9uB_lHgfjiFUalbFeoo_4X2PWTQ1pP3BQXsVgO6x-yoXR5HGwGycuDamoEMx7oPI9GMWPwCCPDMeCXQwuGPcuc8KexUy4fQNxwfWKSeOSiBT35d_z3nhes3z0gO8yAT4/s1600/Lessons+at+Blackberry+Inn+Front+Cover+Nigel+Andreola+Illustration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1052" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZokda9dENsqZ9uB_lHgfjiFUalbFeoo_4X2PWTQ1pP3BQXsVgO6x-yoXR5HGwGycuDamoEMx7oPI9GMWPwCCPDMeCXQwuGPcuc8KexUy4fQNxwfWKSeOSiBT35d_z3nhes3z0gO8yAT4/s640/Lessons+at+Blackberry+Inn+Front+Cover+Nigel+Andreola+Illustration.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #e69138;">NEW COVER</span><br />
Nigel finished a new cover for<i> Lessons for Blackberry Inn</i> (sequel to<i> Pocketful of Pinecones</i>) at my request. Do you see the Queen Ann's lace? His blackberries look edible.<br />
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One of Nigel Andreola's favorite graphic arts services is doing book covers. He would be happy to create an attractive book cover for you. He does all his work with a Wacom tablet turning his Wacom pen into a variety of electronic paint brushes.You can reach him <b>here: <a href="https://starrynightmedia.com/graphics/" target="_blank">https://starrynightmedia.com/graphics/</a></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nigel's 7th birthday 1996. (He recently turned 30.) </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Facebook</span><br />
I post on my Author’s Page, on a Monday or Saturday, stirring up ideas that I think will encourage. I hope one day we will meet in person.<br />
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Here is my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=karen+andreola&ref=nb_sb_noss_1" target="_blank">book page</a> on Amazon. Thank you for your purchases over the years, my friends.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6SGxQ-pBLOsHYP11huM85Z4c-CD-TUzBUaxSAucz5XHK978FqLvwp-WQOoNRMtljP2_pAgPCAF_NONDalGPxxe1NqOQWsBn3P9pYxZtOqS8EgyIUwk7wfovkGFTMcSvfAT_8BeyDgQs/s1600/Mother+Culture+book+in+a+denim+bag+Karen+Andreola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1441" data-original-width="1441" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6SGxQ-pBLOsHYP11huM85Z4c-CD-TUzBUaxSAucz5XHK978FqLvwp-WQOoNRMtljP2_pAgPCAF_NONDalGPxxe1NqOQWsBn3P9pYxZtOqS8EgyIUwk7wfovkGFTMcSvfAT_8BeyDgQs/s400/Mother+Culture+book+in+a+denim+bag+Karen+Andreola.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hope you will always set aside moments for your Mother Culture.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #f1c232;">Yours,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Karen Andreola </span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">PO Box 296</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Quarryville, PA 17566 </span></div>
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Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-62376964805850336822019-04-08T16:35:00.000-04:002019-05-08T08:45:00.735-04:00Color my Life - a Writing Tip and Book Review<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;">C</span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">o</span><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">l</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">o</span><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;">r</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: x-large;">M</span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">y</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;">L</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: x-large;">i</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: x-large;">f</span><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: x-large;">e</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: x-large;"> - </span><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">A Writing Tip </span><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">and Book Review</span><br />
I thought I’d share a trade secret. It is a tiny tip from (and for) a student of writing. (I’ll always be a student of writing.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5j0PsoKztmJV_tZdfgP7_40oyS_VnQDqWdZiPh9a9F2wt-YQHIHHNj5cEsyDiD8DUfQ4nUoe3phuGo4dcT-WsgihWQJ45xmE0qNuLPQMpmnomXLBRkpiZhng4pTAsBxOrFteI4TLi3x0/s1600/sun+through+new+kitchen+curtain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5j0PsoKztmJV_tZdfgP7_40oyS_VnQDqWdZiPh9a9F2wt-YQHIHHNj5cEsyDiD8DUfQ4nUoe3phuGo4dcT-WsgihWQJ45xmE0qNuLPQMpmnomXLBRkpiZhng4pTAsBxOrFteI4TLi3x0/s640/sun+through+new+kitchen+curtain.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made a curtain valance for over the kitchen sink. The morning sun shines brightly through the leafless trees.</td></tr>
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Since this tip is briefly mentioned in general writing-helps – if mentioned at all – I’m highlighting it here. It’s one of those little things in life, easily overlooked, so it's given less credit than it deserves.<br />
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If writing is an exercise in black and white, how do we convey what we want to say in black and white and appeal to the imagination? The most direct way of doing this is to add color-words. Color-words are the simplest of all the sensory languages. I find color-words to be a natural, easy-going way to engage imagination. Color is part of our beauty-sense. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirS3Gc61WY47oxq1MbVfTKfdJvIRfJW-9I7QhP3r1AJRXakK93HzGnWbe6J6o9sq_4SzONRZNWT8ctPHHjFhgvf4xExuKQ0lGDGGfpYtwqMYfBtCVcwgjBA5GTbo_lBRy2ZaiXIqtJPU8/s1600/quilt+scraps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1200" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirS3Gc61WY47oxq1MbVfTKfdJvIRfJW-9I7QhP3r1AJRXakK93HzGnWbe6J6o9sq_4SzONRZNWT8ctPHHjFhgvf4xExuKQ0lGDGGfpYtwqMYfBtCVcwgjBA5GTbo_lBRy2ZaiXIqtJPU8/s640/quilt+scraps.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Make a quilt using colorful scraps from former quilt projects - was the challenge I took up over winter.</td></tr>
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A writer has a pool of experience. Drawing upon her sense-experience she describes what she has seen, felt, smelled and tasted. Color-words find a happy home in fiction and non-fiction alike.<br />
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In <i>Mother Culture</i> (a collection of essays) I seek to bring intangible ideas to life by drawing upon my sense-experience. It occurred to me, only recently, that <i>Mother Culture</i> uses color-words freely. In fact, when I went back and flipped through the pages – with a mind to share this tip with you today – I found every color in the rainbow. These colors are straightforward; not fancy oil painting colors (although I do like the names of these).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccjy5hWNaBBhG2i4RiaSdABtHpuZBuvfYNSOkaKQZyj8lblG0A___tkVzYlQww98Iz2t_XLymOA5iy9joMFZ4fTxsWLbZ_22fPaj_gUCbTiLgehyphenhyphenlkXemLy49vAeBU3LX_mUaqkAR7tc/s1600/quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="1200" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiccjy5hWNaBBhG2i4RiaSdABtHpuZBuvfYNSOkaKQZyj8lblG0A___tkVzYlQww98Iz2t_XLymOA5iy9joMFZ4fTxsWLbZ_22fPaj_gUCbTiLgehyphenhyphenlkXemLy49vAeBU3LX_mUaqkAR7tc/s640/quilt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
This is what I like about color-words. They engage the imagination of the reader without detracting from the main ideas of the essay. This isn’t any hard-n-fast rule. It’s just my idiosyncratic opinion. I know some of you enjoy writing a blog and might welcome the occasional tip, while your own special writing-style is developing to your liking.<br />
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Here is a sampling of some of the simple colors in <i>Mother Culture.</i> (Scroll below for the book review.)<br />
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. . . <b>pink</b> and <b>tan</b> dress . . . p 37<br />
. . . he knows something more about it than just its <b>yellow</b> color. p 57 (referring to a dandelion).<br />
. . . the bright<b> purple </b>lupine by the roadside, . . . p 57<br />
. . . leafy <b>green </b>forest . . . p 60<br />
. . . juicy <b>red</b> watermelon . . . p 74<br />
. . . expressive <b>brown</b> eyes . . . p 170<br />
. . . flimsy <b>black </b>cape . . . p 181<br />
. . . making patterns on the <b>white </b>tablecloth; . . . (from a passage on picnics by Charlotte Mason)<br />
. . . the sky turned <b>peachy</b> . . . p 212<br />
. . . a size two<b> blue</b> mitten . . . p 222<br />
. . . <b>orange</b> flowers that seemed to match her personality. P 278<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: large;">Book Review</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">– For Mother Culture </span><br />
This winter I read <i>The Lighted Heart</i> (1960) by Elizabeth Yates (1905-2001). I happily found it to be a story of rare sweetness.<br />
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I savored its peacefulness in the face of its frightening disappointment. After ten years of doing business in the city of London, an American couple, Bill and Elizabeth (in chapter one) move to rural New England. They find the antique house and farm of their dreams, near a country village. They have no children, but they do have some companionable dogs and friends. Elizabeth tells the story. It takes place over a handful of years and follows nature’s four seasons. Then the frightening disappointment befalls them. Bill loses his eyesight. They meet this tragedy with courage. Because of a diagnosis he was given in earlier years Bill and Elizabeth knew it was an eventuality.<br />
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While this couple adjusts to their new life together, Elizabeth tends a large vegetable garden. Humorously, she explores different ways to cook squash. She also takes up writing so they can butter their bread. As Bill learns necessary skills, his wife reads everything she can find in the local library about living with a blind person.<br />
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Some philosophizing pops up in between scenes. The wife (who wishes to keep gladness a quality of their lives) recalls a Chinese proverb: “If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come.” She describes scenes for us and as she describes them for Bill. She describes the rosy sunset, the green forest trees, chirping birds at the feeder, the orange glow of firelight, how the table is set, Christmas decorations, the face of friends. One day Bill says something like: “I’m glad you tell me the color of things, because it’s color that soonest fades from memory, and what needs the most reminding.” This communiqué tugged at my sympathy – as Bill says it incidentally, not out of self-pity. He never moans, “Why me?” Rather, he is a remarkably patient gentleman with a "lighted heart.”<br />
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An incident proves Bill is a follower of: “I am, I can, I ought, I will.” After the incident (which comes as a big surprise to his wife) he says: “Listen, Elizabeth . . . you can’t say ‘I’m only one, there’s nothing I can do,’ . . . What you should say is, ‘Because I am one there is something I can do.’”<br />
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The value of this easy-to-read tale is the warm relationship shared between husband and wife. Theirs is an enduring love. “How do they do it?” I asked as I closed the book. In answer to this, an ideal I’ve found to be a very high ideal indeed, from the Word of God, entered my mind. Here we have two people who give the other precedence. Each, in humility, counts the other more significant than himself/herself. (Philippians 2:3) Isn’t this what true love is?<br />
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God is named as being the Source of life, love, and Christmas - although in a later novel the author clearly holds the opinion of a Unitarian where all religions are one. (This is not my view of Christianity and misses the truth of the the gospel of Christ.) Pen drawings accompany each chapter. The story is somewhat auto-biographical. Those fond of Gladys Taber’s non-fiction would surely warm up to <i>The Lighted Heart</i>, too. <span style="color: #e06666;">Dear Amy</span>, I’m thinking especially of you.)<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">P</span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">o</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">s</span><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">t</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">S</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">c</span><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;">r</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">i</span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">p</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">t</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666;">Dear Cheryl</span>, you can see how I’ve been using your gift to me of a green basket. Could you ever have guessed such a use?<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Dear Mrs. Sharon White</span>, uplifting and gentle Christian homemaking advice embodies your writings. I feel honored that you featured <i>Mother Culture</i> on your blog: <a href="https://thelegacyofhome.blogspot.com/2019/03/mother-culture-by-karen-andreola.html" target="_blank">The Legacy of Home. </a>Your testimony of the positive influence of a wife, mother, homemaker, is encouraging. I feel myself rising out of a domestic slump when there. Therefore, I can invite my blog friends with confidence to visit you in the blog neighborhood. Your offerings are generous and inspiring.<br />
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Many thanks, <span style="color: #e06666;">dear Brenda</span>, for including<i> Mother Culture</i> among your on-going book reviews. I am impressed with your fondness for books and am amazed at how quickly you devour them. Your bog friends can never be in want of suggestions at <a href="http://coffeeteabooksandme.blogspot.com/2019/02/karen-andreolas-new-book-mother-culture.html" target="_blank">Coffee Tea Books and Me. </a> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBRkhlvGU9wDo4YjlaTqODmrMeS2DjINDIEP6eXWcSZX7-wdwBzKvx3iv7XPIMZ09-QWgoQFCOsrEDRXsT288mncNenaTp6LtAj1G4q9QvxvtKg6C_QneSGbYHAqIWHyDUYjvZBYeSXY/s1600/2+piles+of+quilt+blocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1200" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBRkhlvGU9wDo4YjlaTqODmrMeS2DjINDIEP6eXWcSZX7-wdwBzKvx3iv7XPIMZ09-QWgoQFCOsrEDRXsT288mncNenaTp6LtAj1G4q9QvxvtKg6C_QneSGbYHAqIWHyDUYjvZBYeSXY/s640/2+piles+of+quilt+blocks.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A stack of blue quilt squares and a stack of red (Courthouse Steps) yet to be sewn together to top a dresser. </td></tr>
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<b><a href="https://amzn.to/2FZVVad" target="_blank">The Lighted Heart</a></b>, on Amazon.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2D7lVjb" target="_blank">Mother Culture</a></span></b>, on Amazon.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Thank you for visiting here today.</span><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span><span style="color: #38761d;">Comments are Welcome.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Karen Andreola </div>
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<br />Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-22783103013918625752019-03-09T11:38:00.002-05:002019-04-03T09:54:14.159-04:00A Walk Down "Mother Culture" Lane by Karen Andreola <span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">A Walk Down </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mother Culture®</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Lane</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXgCdbL0mo85Zc7Y6UJSddVT2lyrziHuSTXq0Wbi4UtYBrv_NqjG8q4rIsJNoXuV4szV4cWe5SpUuvqqJ_yOB5jCFfzWqKa40crv_Slen11Hg87drQ24qa8kw6yAvdQGCmSZRcuo_iDM/s1600/cassettes-and-tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="748" data-original-width="1000" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXgCdbL0mo85Zc7Y6UJSddVT2lyrziHuSTXq0Wbi4UtYBrv_NqjG8q4rIsJNoXuV4szV4cWe5SpUuvqqJ_yOB5jCFfzWqKa40crv_Slen11Hg87drQ24qa8kw6yAvdQGCmSZRcuo_iDM/s400/cassettes-and-tea.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Days of Speaking</td></tr>
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Whenever I come across a mom who is ministering the ideas of Mother Culture online, my heart is warmed. I’m happy to see the ideas welcomed.<br />
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We home teachers have weighty cares. Endurance is needed for our long hours of service. But moments of Mother Culture are refreshment along the way. A glass of ice tea, ten minutes with an embroidery needle or paint brush, a few lines written in a journal, a stroll in the garden, a prayer while folding the towels or making a bed, are calming interludes.<br />
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Every once in a while, I’m sent a link to the rumor: “Mother Culture" was a term coined and popularized by Charlotte Mason . . . ” I say “rumor” because the term Mother Culture hasn’t been spotted in any of Miss Mason’s writings, to date. Yet, this misunderstanding has been circulating for years. Therefore, the Man-of-the-House said, “You should tell your origin-story.”<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXSPiuX0u7C-8gr7QNddLbHrEfRrr8onmXj1zoj1F7CCrQKIGckfbUZ0j_-_FSkoZ_SHh2l9zZGxQUfp6djeosV-oPnE6vtBGcHC_k0P7Q9stLEk8TPscpJ99bNXBTV3rxUjaiE-uDXU/s1600/Parents%2527+Reviews+1993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="1200" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXSPiuX0u7C-8gr7QNddLbHrEfRrr8onmXj1zoj1F7CCrQKIGckfbUZ0j_-_FSkoZ_SHh2l9zZGxQUfp6djeosV-oPnE6vtBGcHC_k0P7Q9stLEk8TPscpJ99bNXBTV3rxUjaiE-uDXU/s640/Parents%2527+Reviews+1993.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Days of Writing</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">The Mother Culture Origin-Story</span><span style="color: #351c75;"> </span> </span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbfCG51J8Fd36DAMgHaq2bOQvWIDdOlhvt3hOKsWldjGFatJ45aTXEkvt6KOcvYZNSngTpUaY75IEGLHouFapi9ctNojLONMRl5hvPaE6htVV58IxQrWyrl-qDDCf2HM9OYMmb7abw0U/s1600/Parents%2527+Review+1993+back+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="869" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbfCG51J8Fd36DAMgHaq2bOQvWIDdOlhvt3hOKsWldjGFatJ45aTXEkvt6KOcvYZNSngTpUaY75IEGLHouFapi9ctNojLONMRl5hvPaE6htVV58IxQrWyrl-qDDCf2HM9OYMmb7abw0U/s400/Parents%2527+Review+1993+back+cover.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother Culture bubbled over in my magazine 1993.</td></tr>
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An obscure article lay dormant in a hardbound Parents’ Review. One day, while my children were having a quiet time, I was slowly turning the pages of this hardbound volume (one of 77 on special loan from England.)<br />
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“Hmmm, this looks interesting,” I thought. It was the article “Mother Culture,” an article that had been buried in the archives for a century, used for the first and last time in 1892 in reference to parenting . . . until the day it caught my eye. It gives me goosebumps to think of it.<br />
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I remember how little my children were.<br />
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I remember which house we were renting.<br />
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I remember how impressed I was by this anonymously written article. Even the title struck a chord in my heart.<br />
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While standing at the sink washing dishes, I began considering how its message might be relevant to my own life and to my fellow home teachers. Consequently, my thoughts on Mother Culture bubbled-over onto the back cover of my homespun magazine in 1993 (pictured in purple, above.)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zai_dhpOqh0UyvwrHHMiOkk8VkZp6lV7ttPAzeT1nONYt7sxXp2OPodlj_JrDsqLKIeDJhLmjG-niCtbdL0LJVWL7B7x0C8btsUjFiE3g9kcYOE7jJuT_0XsCBYMYFQccv0KSRuvddM/s1600/Nigel+the+Little.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="668" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zai_dhpOqh0UyvwrHHMiOkk8VkZp6lV7ttPAzeT1nONYt7sxXp2OPodlj_JrDsqLKIeDJhLmjG-niCtbdL0LJVWL7B7x0C8btsUjFiE3g9kcYOE7jJuT_0XsCBYMYFQccv0KSRuvddM/s640/Nigel+the+Little.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nigel, the baby of the family, turns age 30 this April. Oh, my.</td></tr>
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Over the next 26 years I would continue to revive, expand, and introduce Mother Culture to a new generation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UHUxkCMYhnxbRqgQeXfxEOEjhZZ-tcH7PWWMoXtcz04H_0NiQiz7W2WcXwrCizDM5xe6m9U7ipNJ99JVQzh3g0UkIWHKW51pfdBPqITM7pXxVVj3Mf19ihARpMlzyYcJEdZZz4d716k/s1600/Dean+Speaking+in+1993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="882" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UHUxkCMYhnxbRqgQeXfxEOEjhZZ-tcH7PWWMoXtcz04H_0NiQiz7W2WcXwrCizDM5xe6m9U7ipNJ99JVQzh3g0UkIWHKW51pfdBPqITM7pXxVVj3Mf19ihARpMlzyYcJEdZZz4d716k/s400/Dean+Speaking+in+1993.jpg" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dean spoke on Charlotte Mason as early as 1993,.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHs6-NHl2bwKjDAWrdbzmQzH6XGw_qfmJj7cDkCpeU3kzIEPV042kBGmrlgsyhANiuFlVTnEVbiXY0bv7kH3gF9tS2wyQ6iJwwDRxWlDGIo57qGMBa85qmBF2B3XP8NRc3ebstbqUgq8/s1600/Mom%2527s+Retreat++-+Maine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="879" data-original-width="1200" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHs6-NHl2bwKjDAWrdbzmQzH6XGw_qfmJj7cDkCpeU3kzIEPV042kBGmrlgsyhANiuFlVTnEVbiXY0bv7kH3gF9tS2wyQ6iJwwDRxWlDGIo57qGMBa85qmBF2B3XP8NRc3ebstbqUgq8/s400/Mom%2527s+Retreat++-+Maine.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
Greatly sympathizing with my fellow home teachers, I put effort into promoting Mother Culture wherever I was asked to speak. I was a nervous and shy speaker. (I still am.) My soft voice doesn’t project well or record well. But because I sensed Providence had given me something important to say, I rose to the challenge.<br />
I spoke at retreats, to small groups at public libraries, in churches, private homes, my own living room, even on the radio, gladly, without honorarium.<br />
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Eventually, Dean and I were invited to introduce the ideas of Charlotte Mason across America as professional keynote speakers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxzxyVK0xNVRkrzZO7f6rouKn0huvpp6zcDc2xjJotFmrM9ml28VWojHW2XbKrO-Ap8tiii7iIlZI_Z_XcuEWIP_EQbVYFZn6t6CLUimCNrSrvrFUyyH4a4KOq67u2sH9H2s16ShiufU/s1600/Keynote+with+a+homeschool+hero+2004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="908" data-original-width="1200" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxzxyVK0xNVRkrzZO7f6rouKn0huvpp6zcDc2xjJotFmrM9ml28VWojHW2XbKrO-Ap8tiii7iIlZI_Z_XcuEWIP_EQbVYFZn6t6CLUimCNrSrvrFUyyH4a4KOq67u2sH9H2s16ShiufU/s400/Keynote+with+a+homeschool+hero+2004.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We have fond memories of sharing supper with Chris Klicka several times.</td></tr>
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When we did, I also gave a talk on Mother Culture. Audiences at these state conferences grew bigger and bigger.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgmvNIt2DcL4OHZwEu_ibK5U4IIPXv2QgzfDfwZ64qewvk_uCprZSPBZq6rsAP9uimMFzUlaIqC861a8dWS1FdzWIqmgMoMc_H7e6E0hw7CV0CGKpfS7GPdaAUiasoCx6KfpcfpE-B7g/s1600/4+More+Brochures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1200" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAgmvNIt2DcL4OHZwEu_ibK5U4IIPXv2QgzfDfwZ64qewvk_uCprZSPBZq6rsAP9uimMFzUlaIqC861a8dWS1FdzWIqmgMoMc_H7e6E0hw7CV0CGKpfS7GPdaAUiasoCx6KfpcfpE-B7g/s640/4+More+Brochures.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Really a homebody, I remember telling Dean, in Florida, when I peeked into an auditorium filled with thousands of people, “Where am I? What am I doing here?” With trembling fingers, I held tightly onto my notes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgqlnScy9xOaYedkP1VBF85ZrAsaI9QYfA97o1edL2kwB7lk9DyJFFvK6wWJ7JdRybMyxNjl_qC6cZ2_DieRF6eHaM8Wr2r2aSLSyOS8KxDjfWag624buSlNe-jEsr072y1bLdPJB4Jw/s1600/4+Brochures+1998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="1200" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTgqlnScy9xOaYedkP1VBF85ZrAsaI9QYfA97o1edL2kwB7lk9DyJFFvK6wWJ7JdRybMyxNjl_qC6cZ2_DieRF6eHaM8Wr2r2aSLSyOS8KxDjfWag624buSlNe-jEsr072y1bLdPJB4Jw/s640/4+Brochures+1998.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1998 was a busy year. Our children enjoyed the Sandy Cove family conference at they did other family HS retreats.</td></tr>
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Mary Pride, editor of Practical Homeschooling Magazine, invited me to be a columnist. My column was dedicated to the Charlotte Mason Method. (We advertised and sold Miss Mason’s “pink” books through the magazine). Here you see the first page of one of two articles I wrote on the advantages of Mother Culture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vhflhnAZoboc1wVzjoxPeXrZrvwecj0vGHdD_mZNx2Rev-iwhKuqg-p8kLZ5pgmk8kHkdV1t19FQb3cYeeNnrQKQabo8q_DcoSBmvjgLY27rmpMTMPo3Lx_iXXma3k-pMWau9QLlI2w/s1600/Mother+Culture+and+You+-+1999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="726" data-original-width="1000" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vhflhnAZoboc1wVzjoxPeXrZrvwecj0vGHdD_mZNx2Rev-iwhKuqg-p8kLZ5pgmk8kHkdV1t19FQb3cYeeNnrQKQabo8q_DcoSBmvjgLY27rmpMTMPo3Lx_iXXma3k-pMWau9QLlI2w/s640/Mother+Culture+and+You+-+1999.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The time was ripe for a book. Endeavoring to paint a picture of what home education can look like, A <i>Charlotte Mason Companion</i> was born (1998). I found Mother Culture a good remedy for preventing burn-out so I decided to turn it into a chapter, too. Blogs, websites, podcasts and tutorials were not widely in use, so a book was still the best way to share a collection of ideas.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUDoKUSrvPX23UKxT1BC_cA7u7UpIrnljyCE6Fz4i_WNqNbdM0yGO_VGV0woLCwAimo9CAFBAhAEBagfnHitI9BfTX6kOUA3wgHMoNg9f0ge2FbrTPjUNF0Dmc52Kua5-gzHkWF4mFeA/s1600/Mother+Culture+in+Companion+1998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1200" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUDoKUSrvPX23UKxT1BC_cA7u7UpIrnljyCE6Fz4i_WNqNbdM0yGO_VGV0woLCwAimo9CAFBAhAEBagfnHitI9BfTX6kOUA3wgHMoNg9f0ge2FbrTPjUNF0Dmc52Kua5-gzHkWF4mFeA/s640/Mother+Culture+in+Companion+1998.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chapter 46 of A Charlotte Mason Companion, 1998.</td></tr>
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In 1999 Dean and I were contacted by CBD to write freelance reviews for their printed catalog.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEMa-yAajW3lLGmn5l53OIslfxa9opcwvzA4IuJXtlISzRD0Nvdin3xPsUuBQ3DruTHHpRpB6sfXfIlwF46Ek29GihOP2P_HRCWJBHpicf05ieAie0lMIlfNnteRpljsIIIC0q9UPQQg/s1600/CBD+cover+1999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1200" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEMa-yAajW3lLGmn5l53OIslfxa9opcwvzA4IuJXtlISzRD0Nvdin3xPsUuBQ3DruTHHpRpB6sfXfIlwF46Ek29GihOP2P_HRCWJBHpicf05ieAie0lMIlfNnteRpljsIIIC0q9UPQQg/s400/CBD+cover+1999.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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That year I suggested a special feature devoted to Mother Culture. CBD liked the idea. I set to work arranging it, picking out books and writing up the reviews for what I had found helpful in keeping up my own Mother Culture. The catalog was read far and wide. It would reach more readers than <i>A Charlotte Mason Companion.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihf2e5ld0QRpzmbzrDd16Y9MES69xjaWfXNS926W6GFZp6frmrsEAe4ImMLZ6K6I4_gaa-Aj2PmFX3jfRuue1Fu1FQQoZ0YDpgtGfU5JPJXo5TAagGRuvVNfqTv-m7etFnFoardHm3eJ4/s1600/CBD+2+page+Mother+Culture+Rreviews.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1500" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihf2e5ld0QRpzmbzrDd16Y9MES69xjaWfXNS926W6GFZp6frmrsEAe4ImMLZ6K6I4_gaa-Aj2PmFX3jfRuue1Fu1FQQoZ0YDpgtGfU5JPJXo5TAagGRuvVNfqTv-m7etFnFoardHm3eJ4/s640/CBD+2+page+Mother+Culture+Rreviews.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Years later, my son would do the graphics for my CD. This live conference talk on Mother Culture® (2004) is now accessible <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rJSM4Ls2iA&t=39s" target="_blank">FREE on YouTube.</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1KiB_x3IZ9Hws5fl9SaXHolzjQFnrgtajoIm41-XbERqCz3YwSANn6U79yNJ3j2eECDWkntdN9t7ERe5Qv6UXpz094fJQ-4yRo6_j3uTsiySUA01L4mMvI1JXTEOzxfUuvZFQ9BPvJc/s1600/teaCup-CD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="800" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1KiB_x3IZ9Hws5fl9SaXHolzjQFnrgtajoIm41-XbERqCz3YwSANn6U79yNJ3j2eECDWkntdN9t7ERe5Qv6UXpz094fJQ-4yRo6_j3uTsiySUA01L4mMvI1JXTEOzxfUuvZFQ9BPvJc/s400/teaCup-CD.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
So you can see, for quite some time, I’ve been busy popularizing Mother Culture publicly through: articles, books, speaking engagements, catalog product reviews, 10 years of blogging - and lately - mini-articles on Facebook. Phew.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Letters</span><br />
Privately, I’ve answered hundreds of letters over the years from moms who have questions or wish to connect with a kindred spirit.<br />
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Here’s a flash back. I remember sitting in a lounge chair, on green grass, under a shade tree, while my little ones were splashing in the puddle pool and digging in the sandbox. On such a summer afternoon, I might have a large plastic zip-lock bag of letters to answer. (I had learned from experience the necessity of a zip-lock bag during outdoor playtime, he, he.) With pen in my hand, a prayer on my heart, I attempted to confide and encourage.<br />
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In time, paper letters dwindled. Emails took their place. Today questions mostly come through Facebook messenger. I wish I could have a chat in person with these conscientious mothers. Understanding their apprehension and stress, I pray the Lord uses what little I am able to convey by FB messenger. It can only be a small help in light of the weighty cares that are carried on feminine shoulders. If I link to an applicable article, I make sure to link <i>just one.</i> I discern internet-information-overload and the “not-enough syndrome.” These steal away peace. With carefully chosen words, I address apprehensions in my new book, <i>Mother Culture. </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgniXllbmIQRe6K2mAw4ZQeNIM6tFbC1yoUimTDg_iVVE_Twfjn3AcI52WSuFKfoQcHxRvMtzAjV-3bJUpiIuN2OXAr5bXx-hWO5RWckDRZa2aJQsqKNn69lyMV8Mq2_M7IJs_grz6Wf3Y/s1600/Mother-Culture-book-cover-painted-by-Nigel-Andreola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgniXllbmIQRe6K2mAw4ZQeNIM6tFbC1yoUimTDg_iVVE_Twfjn3AcI52WSuFKfoQcHxRvMtzAjV-3bJUpiIuN2OXAr5bXx-hWO5RWckDRZa2aJQsqKNn69lyMV8Mq2_M7IJs_grz6Wf3Y/s400/Mother-Culture-book-cover-painted-by-Nigel-Andreola.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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At Dean's suggestion to write, “A Walk Down Mother Culture® Lane,” he rummaged through his big metal filing cabinet in the office. Then, he brought up a dusty box from the basement. (The office is across the hall from the sunny parlor where I receive guests, photograph books, and do my needlework.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX49Vvxbk78gdia_KPJ2ACsgcDI2_xsL2qNaZwzU76rYwQXA9D7KfihB7FNFtU7l_NXg-Qe5iQn_cGzOIZV4-iF6HvxtXfkGhzE5ElKyz57Ye0Gea0eVwfOs7h0Xy68HjXtzoEw2c1Hws/s1600/Catalogs+-+letters-+and+more.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="803" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX49Vvxbk78gdia_KPJ2ACsgcDI2_xsL2qNaZwzU76rYwQXA9D7KfihB7FNFtU7l_NXg-Qe5iQn_cGzOIZV4-iF6HvxtXfkGhzE5ElKyz57Ye0Gea0eVwfOs7h0Xy68HjXtzoEw2c1Hws/s400/Catalogs+-+letters-+and+more.jpg" width="267" /></a></div>
Stuff was piled on the parlor sofa, floor, and chairs. To my chagrin the little room took on the clutter of catalogs (Dean saved at least one of each issue that featured our reviews), old brochures, and paper correspondence.<br />
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He has kept all this paper not because he is a pack-rat (although he does tend to collect) but moreover because in business you are required to show evidence of your brand.<br />
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Mother Culture® became so entwined with my work and ministry that I filed for the trademark in the year 2000. That’s why you see the “R” next to it – like so many items at the grocery store. This does not prohibit people from using the term Mother Culture in conversation. We hope it sparks enthusiastic discussion within lively forums, study groups, and blogs. The business trademark simply reserves Mother Culture® as a title and exclusive brand-name for goods, books, services, websites, ebooks, lectures, etc.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0thnBQ2vATRBfd2ip7JYWsJTylSlmy6o3ehCM21PedUW3jsZ_WR345dpIe9gWayOhr6xRu_iKaN-o_aG8eW7abx8grlF-NEDNDiuA5E5rb-Wp2sU2Wpkj4Kg1aI1RWKbaOn6VFJ_-Kg/s1600/Keynote+with+Sally+Clarkson+1998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1079" data-original-width="1299" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0thnBQ2vATRBfd2ip7JYWsJTylSlmy6o3ehCM21PedUW3jsZ_WR345dpIe9gWayOhr6xRu_iKaN-o_aG8eW7abx8grlF-NEDNDiuA5E5rb-Wp2sU2Wpkj4Kg1aI1RWKbaOn6VFJ_-Kg/s400/Keynote+with+Sally+Clarkson+1998.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My writing represents my life. It is part of our livelihood and pays my high medical insurance/expenses, tax, food, etc. Thank you for your patronage. It’s been an honor to serve you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtqpkTtPxhotnVhBYv4wA8PW_2dMgDdQUKcXhde5DSFVgW28wA5rzWkW6ER-4et_-33FBwwsYrh3qQM2-AyYprDlTEBU9HZ-GEp-X-XuWGW8ylwxxgdQRCSzTZ2bfEwR2RT1q4m3iRdw/s1600/3+Brochures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="1000" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFtqpkTtPxhotnVhBYv4wA8PW_2dMgDdQUKcXhde5DSFVgW28wA5rzWkW6ER-4et_-33FBwwsYrh3qQM2-AyYprDlTEBU9HZ-GEp-X-XuWGW8ylwxxgdQRCSzTZ2bfEwR2RT1q4m3iRdw/s400/3+Brochures.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Dean says:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq bluebox">
The original Mother Culture article (1892 Parents’ Review) is commonly linked by bloggers as an online reference without mention or knowledge of Karen’s origin-story. Yet, had it not been for Karen Andreola - Mother Culture as we know it today - might have gone undiscovered for perhaps another 100 years.</blockquote>
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Thank you, Dean.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidT6lD5v02ASXdSTrYKmbzRWODHA4z-xKBYJfrh7LtZ2mz0bZ8tlrS2UT2RtvajEmpFriMl21fqObUjlriXfUwOp30HJ6qceH5buop3O6VBtqsbDNv_ntbNVsI-HqyLakGa896A5bGamY/s1600/pears+in+the+parlor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidT6lD5v02ASXdSTrYKmbzRWODHA4z-xKBYJfrh7LtZ2mz0bZ8tlrS2UT2RtvajEmpFriMl21fqObUjlriXfUwOp30HJ6qceH5buop3O6VBtqsbDNv_ntbNVsI-HqyLakGa896A5bGamY/s640/pears+in+the+parlor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pears ripening in the sun. Getting the parlor tidy again.</td></tr>
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Amazon placed an order for <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/2CdnR9l" target="_blank">Mother Culture.</a></b></i><span style="color: #0000ee;"><b><i><u>® </u></i></b></span>Therefore, it is in stock. It is also sold at ChristianBook (CBD), Simply Charlotte Mason, Grace & Truth Books. In Canada: Maple Tree Publications, The Learning House, and Heritage Resources. In South Africa: Cubits Kids Edu.<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">I wish you well-being and well-doing,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Karen Andreola</div>
<br />Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-19042697260831604102019-02-09T16:18:00.001-05:002019-02-13T11:27:51.996-05:00E. P. Roe, A Forgotten Author<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #073763;">E. P. Roe,</span> <span style="color: #0b5394;">A Forgotten Author</span> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0qe181BDIpSnkb38ZW4M2KiE_BHKC22QsSx8bau5Lzt1aUvc8TdZPpepHEK2ytF-8IOYC0Hb1MU9VD7q7cp-JmBC-BHY1kWPAL5mSglA1dxAm4t5l_usvYsnF2Avflnv6iVLBY4NxJ0/s1600/hearts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0qe181BDIpSnkb38ZW4M2KiE_BHKC22QsSx8bau5Lzt1aUvc8TdZPpepHEK2ytF-8IOYC0Hb1MU9VD7q7cp-JmBC-BHY1kWPAL5mSglA1dxAm4t5l_usvYsnF2Avflnv6iVLBY4NxJ0/s640/hearts.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sachets have batting but are flat enough to mail in a padded envelope to friends.</td></tr>
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I like this quote by Virginia Woolf. Can you relate to her hyperbole?<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq pinkbox">
Secondhand books are wild books, homeless books; they come together in vast flock of variegated feather and have a charm which the domesticated volumes of the library lack. Besides, in this random miscellaneous company we may rub against some complete stranger who will, with luck, turn into the best friend we have in the world.”</blockquote>
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Have you ever found an author “in the wild?”<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwdOfmdRcMef0FVdXmD0bboaZeUPFkxIzpVF_Qp4wlr2Ib4IDgXaqT1hxomZzosFATy1zL9pqu24VhStDjSbDpuFfMkiRlp2QCzX8EKHFIvLkYomDge6Y9FfEYpbK0d3Ke4f06iR0M4M/s1600/near+to+natures+heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="712" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjwdOfmdRcMef0FVdXmD0bboaZeUPFkxIzpVF_Qp4wlr2Ib4IDgXaqT1hxomZzosFATy1zL9pqu24VhStDjSbDpuFfMkiRlp2QCzX8EKHFIvLkYomDge6Y9FfEYpbK0d3Ke4f06iR0M4M/s640/near+to+natures+heart.jpg" width="452" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My 1876 copy of Near to Nature's Heart</td></tr>
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I was visiting my married daughter, Sophia, for a week. One day we set out by ourselves to a secondhand book store. Dad was home with the children. The book store is a grand place. So grand, we didn’t have time to scour all its shelves. Instead, we sauntered a few narrow aisles, and zoned-out peacefully.<br />
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The shelves were packed to overflowing. They were dusty and a bit messy, which gave them a sad appearance. While browsing the homeless books in the sad aisles, I couldn’t resist tidying the shelves as I went. Then, my hand gingerly gasped an antique. It was handsomely bound and more than a hundred years old (here pictured.) I was surprised it was not behind glass, lock and key. I stood turning the yellowed pages in low light. The print was faded but legible, the sentences a treat.<br />
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A minute later <i>Near to Nature’s Heart </i>by Rev. E. P. Roe was being cradled it my arm like a newborn baby.<br />
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This was the beginning of a friendship. What was responsible for this meeting of a “complete stranger” - to use the words of Virginia Woolf? The title; it respects nature. The author; he respects God. The Christian viewpoint of <i>Near to Nature’s Heart</i> drew forth my deep sympathy. Rev. Edward Payson Roe (1838-1888) was an (old school) Presbyterian minister.<br />
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<i><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Near to Nature’s Heart</span></b></i><br />
A main character, Saville, is an army officer in the Revolutionary War, 1776, fighting the red-coats. Published 1876, this story was a fitting resource to celebrate America’s Centennial. (George Washington and his Bible have parts to play in it.) Because the author was a chaplain in the Civil War, his skirmishes were probably written with first-hand knowledge. This gives the story a masculine-feel. But hang on.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1uHznhBK8u_d4WK-yyGc0zPR7hfcz5W1W0Hg360ugttFUaHJw6yWh-xRMNGmO7U0HOuB1BI63oqVGrWImhwKEw2Heu-c6ribhLO8siXnL5GJfIFvNZxu7tUZWk7YapmhxHzEI5ZSkOY/s1600/jumper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="669" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1uHznhBK8u_d4WK-yyGc0zPR7hfcz5W1W0Hg360ugttFUaHJw6yWh-xRMNGmO7U0HOuB1BI63oqVGrWImhwKEw2Heu-c6ribhLO8siXnL5GJfIFvNZxu7tUZWk7YapmhxHzEI5ZSkOY/s640/jumper.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I knit this jumper for Eloise in cotton silk.</td></tr>
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The story has a feminine-feel, too. Vera is a young lady living with her mother, father and one servant, in a rustic log cabin in the woods of New York. Seclusion is a priority. Vera’s father is mysteriously and nervously in hiding. Vera was home taught on two books: the Bible and Shakespeare. But I will add a third book: Nature. She is a hunter/gatherer enjoying the beauty and peace of the outdoors. While sailing down the Hudson, Saville overhears Vera singing in a clear British accent. (You can read the first chapter free on Amazon.)<br />
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Saville crosses paths with the family as the cabin is not far from the military fort on the Hudson. He is concerned for their safety but keeps their whereabouts a secret. Saville is well-to-do and New-England-educated. Finishing his education in France, he was impressed with the ideas of secular humanism enough to become an atheist. If man is the center of all things than Christianity is superstition. Vera’s faith is strong. Her principles stand in contrast to Saville’s. I grew impatient as hardships intensified. But I am often impatient when a novel is compelling and conflict resolution seems uncomfortably far off. The happy ending, however, is worth the wait.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircDr0iBHtge02i1WpvB82elGVIHZ6m1upq57KhpD936Sf-pHRlqe9CczPy51ELM5zWy0VvqHPz1hyphenhyphenjIU9_XqswfnyIrF69u4DoZCGNo4Zhf6GLFu6EKIcakC_BPnsH8clk97VmpQNR-c/s1600/pom-poms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircDr0iBHtge02i1WpvB82elGVIHZ6m1upq57KhpD936Sf-pHRlqe9CczPy51ELM5zWy0VvqHPz1hyphenhyphenjIU9_XqswfnyIrF69u4DoZCGNo4Zhf6GLFu6EKIcakC_BPnsH8clk97VmpQNR-c/s640/pom-poms.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pom-poms are an afterthought - needed to stop the scalloped hem from rolling. Eloise likes them. </td></tr>
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Admittedly, E. P. Roe created this novel to be lamppost for doing right. Those who strive to walk the narrow road of a Christian (serving the God of the Bible above self-gratification) will find encouragement here. <i>Near to Nature’s Heart </i>is quality for high school. I wish I knew about it when collecting books for my children back in the day.<br />
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(Cornwall-on-the-Hudson was his hometown.)<br />
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Over the winter I looked up other stories by E. P. Roe, putting 3 FREE on my Kindle. <i>Near to Nature’s Heart</i> was unavailable then. This week I see it is newly available (for a small price.) How wonderful that someone decided to preserve this “complete stranger” from obscurity.<br />
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<i><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Driven Back to Eden</span></b></i><br />
This next story by E. P. Roe is easy reading. It’s darling. I gobbled it up. Originally, <i>Driven Back to Eden </i>was a fireside read for the whole family, I suspect, because it first appeared in the St. Nicholas Magazine, probably in serial form. (Its editor, Mary Maples Dodge, is best known for “Over the River and Through the Woods”). I live in Eden Township so this might have been why I took notice of the title.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlsaG7-H_GFg25WeaeyunoFKz4TQrGQNcNbpgLOAjnpStHk1dpPgyynN67A7KT1acsa4tVFC0RpfyiSE-YcrpRj88mib5CvEEeoplpHoK81hKyC7enAwQMz7ZWBm6j6G99Y_ewpyDeNI/s1600/eloise+and+knit+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="532" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlsaG7-H_GFg25WeaeyunoFKz4TQrGQNcNbpgLOAjnpStHk1dpPgyynN67A7KT1acsa4tVFC0RpfyiSE-YcrpRj88mib5CvEEeoplpHoK81hKyC7enAwQMz7ZWBm6j6G99Y_ewpyDeNI/s640/eloise+and+knit+dress.jpg" width="339" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She is rarely without a baby doll.</td></tr>
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Why is this story darling? Why did I read it twice? <i>Driven Back to Eden </i>is told by the father of the story, in first person. He, his wife, and 4 children live in a crowded tenement in New York City in the 1880s (when written.) Basic bills are paid but Father finds his job dead-end. His children are no longer little ones, and the “flat” and the city street are suffocating them slowly-but-surely. The first chapter is amusing but telling. Father, just home from work, does a favor for Mother (whose complexion has become gray of late.) He looks for his children to call them in for supper. He finds 3 of the 4 in the middle of precarious situations involving peers.<br />
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Father’s eyes open. That evening he secretly and soberly appraises things. He is determined to make some sort of change for the better. But what? That very night Father’s mind is made up as Mother is willing to give her husband’s big “change” a try. Great. It’s settled then. He gets his children excited about moving to the country. Agricultural books are their Christmas presents.<br />
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Come spring the flat is sold and they inhabit an old farm house up the Hudson River. Almost immediately Mother, and the whole family, flourish in the fresh air of their new surroundings, although they certainly have their work cut out for them. The hours of farm chores the children must do would be controversial today, yet the work is light enough. (Growing raspberries is described in detail.) And the children enjoy playful afternoons and exploration in nature. When Mother’s plain country food is served, they lick the platters clean (figuratively). Color comes to cheeks. Eyes sparkle. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMcru9M6CxJRRm_N59xRjIr1Lc1Ua0dkz50tyfaF2expksY3OVJ4vt-pvn1CT8VpgWsSKUxaTPPmf2I-zxJ7E-lO9RqGaiuEXHSCAHXNMy31HXiaugcu1q9YCEhznovtKgo52UkuY1jw/s1600/icicle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="859" data-original-width="1000" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMcru9M6CxJRRm_N59xRjIr1Lc1Ua0dkz50tyfaF2expksY3OVJ4vt-pvn1CT8VpgWsSKUxaTPPmf2I-zxJ7E-lO9RqGaiuEXHSCAHXNMy31HXiaugcu1q9YCEhznovtKgo52UkuY1jw/s400/icicle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Icicles over the kitchen door.</td></tr>
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This story is joyous. (I hope you can tell.) The author had to have been magnanimous himself to write it. I like Father’s attitude, humility, courage, sense of humor, and, meticulous care for his family. Nothing is more important to him than their well-being. After most of the harvest is in, Mother bottles the surplus fruit and homeschools the children. Near the end of the story, in chapter 43, now with the hardest work behind him, Father writes:<span style="color: #990000;"> <span style="color: #b45f06;">“November weather was occasionally so blustering and stormy that I turned schoolmaster, in part, to relieve my wife.”</span></span><span style="color: #b45f06;"> </span>How cute is this? I find him uncommonly “with-it” and relational. (Warning: the 15 yr-old son hunts rabbits with a gun and a neighbor’s dog is put down, for those repelled by such things.)<br />
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Even if horticulture, with its fast-growing weeds, applications of manure, hoeing, haying, hewing, and plain food, isn’t normally your choice of subjects, something vibrant will touch you in <i>Driven Back to Eden;</i> that something will be love. <br />
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<i><b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">He Fell in Love With His Wife</span></b></i><br />
Also, free on Kindle is E. P. Roe’s <i>He Fell in Love with His Wife.</i> Although, right off the bat, the title is a give-away, the first chapters are gloomy. I thought, “This isn’t my cup of tea.” The main character is a 1880s farmer, depressed and numb. He isn’t a likable man, I thought. To add to this, conflict increases by characters who are lazy, dishonest, or given to drink. I almost closed the book in disgust. But a dawn of pity lighted the horizon, like the misty pink of a winter’s morning, so I kept reading.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyUtIzbAaBW-JpE67Nljq2hyphenhyphens2mRk0RFot8KYvPjGm8zCwJB1KDuRKk2VSsDqeJRYmHzbf8KFVacAq02xtXLtHEplCmfuRYQTH3wKHgk9LFqQ7IHWJIsO-eir9Ny7TosjWxOGf8G9FkU/s1600/front+door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1000" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyUtIzbAaBW-JpE67Nljq2hyphenhyphens2mRk0RFot8KYvPjGm8zCwJB1KDuRKk2VSsDqeJRYmHzbf8KFVacAq02xtXLtHEplCmfuRYQTH3wKHgk9LFqQ7IHWJIsO-eir9Ny7TosjWxOGf8G9FkU/s640/front+door.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow out our front door. </td></tr>
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Pity for a character (down in her luck) ushers in gentleness and gratitude. These qualities aren't static. They're alive. Pity is love in the bud. It blossoms into something bigger in the spiritual life of the soul when fed. We can sink in the mire or go numb when faced with relentless loneliness, darkness and difficulty. But we hang onto hope, carry hope on the wings of right living. Then, we trust God for the journey of flight.<br />
<span style="color: #e06666;"><i>So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.</i> </span>(1 Cor 13 :13)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HlNeIjtvKJcRJELUrZ0O3hp6U-PydoKE7m5V7-sBX-BRLX96GJV45-4XWRZo8lj8JL6jC-5Jq8Hg6V8Fs8m0qY-3H0ru1cpXntICJ_5VMywrpOjczGD8NLGa-Kd9mgJmV46b7k2Zajs/s1600/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="669" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-HlNeIjtvKJcRJELUrZ0O3hp6U-PydoKE7m5V7-sBX-BRLX96GJV45-4XWRZo8lj8JL6jC-5Jq8Hg6V8Fs8m0qY-3H0ru1cpXntICJ_5VMywrpOjczGD8NLGa-Kd9mgJmV46b7k2Zajs/s640/0.jpg" width="428" /></a>And with these examples of realistic fiction from the 19th century Christian viewpoint, I wish you a <span style="color: #e06666;"><b>Happy Valentine's Day.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">NEWS:</span><br />
Simply Charlotte Mason will absorb the cost of postage when 4 copies of <i><b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="https://charlottemason.com/our-books/mother-culture/" target="_blank">Mother Culture </a></span></b></i>are mailed to one (U.S.A.) address. A small group could take advantage of this FREE postage.<br />
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Will <i>Mother Culture</i> be on Amazon? Eventually, I hope. Will any of my books be on Kindle? Eventually, I hope. Business riga-ma-role is going on behind the scenes.<br />
<span style="color: #e06666;">Links:</span><br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2WSKyIJ" target="_blank">Near to Nature’s Heart</a> Kindle<br />
<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2GACwyf" target="_blank">Driven Back to Eden</a> - Free on Kindle<br />
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2I1MYkX" target="_blank">He Fell in Love with His Wife</a> - Free on Kindle<br />
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I withheld bits and bops about these stories so you will have some surprises. Often, I find the reviews on Amazon give all, or nearly all, the story away. Yours, Karen Andreola<br />
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Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-15016228448298766242019-01-13T15:04:00.000-05:002019-10-21T18:37:04.168-04:006 Qualities of Kindness<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">6 Qualities of Kindness</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq pinkbox">
“You are very kind,” I said to him at last, sounding to my own ears like a character out of an 18th century novel, but the words were not all politeness. They were sincere and what I truly thought of him."</blockquote>
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This is what Carol, the main character of <i>Lessons of Blackberry Inn</i>, says to Mr. Fortesque after he confides in her with his startling words of appreciation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fireplace Screen - I admired. By a local Pennsylvania artist.</td></tr>
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The word "kind" is rarely used in conversation today. It is not a word that normally comes to mind. "Nice" has replaced it.<br />
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In a day when virtue and manners were customary in polite society, such as in the days of Jane Austen, I'm guessing the word “kind” was not so rare.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Accidentally buying 2, Yolanda gave me this board book. 1 is for her baby.</td></tr>
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"Nice" in Jane Austen's day, according to an 18th century dictionary, once meant "fastidious" or as Samuel Johnson put it: "superfluously exact." Although "nice" has changed, the meaning of "kindness" has not. Still; it simply isn't used much. Is the word too quaint?<br />
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Some of us have been attempting to bring it back because sometimes "nice" isn't a nice-enough.<br />
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Therefore I use "kind" whenever the situation calls for it in writing or conversation - even if it is within an email or an on-line comment. No matter how quaint or archaic it sounds, I like it.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">What is kindness?</span><br />
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1. Kindness is born of love.<br />
The ministry of kindness is to make everyday life pleasant and comfortable for others.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq purplebox">
<i>"Beauty is quietly woven through our ordinary days . . . Everywhere there is tenderness, care, and kindness, there is beauty."</i> -John O'Donohue</blockquote>
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2. A kind person (such as a protagonist described for us in a good novel) is often God-fearing.<br />
He is:<br />
. . courteous<br />
. . thoughtful<br />
. . obliging<br />
. . considerate.<br />
He shows kindness by refraining or speaking,<br />
. . by his manner,<br />
. . regard,<br />
. . words,<br />
. . acts.<br />
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3. Kindness does no bargaining.<br />
There is no backward glance to see how an act of kindness is benefiting self (bolstering himself up to a higher position to ask – or expect - something he wants in return).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Amish neighbor prefers outdoor chores to indoor ones, she tells me. </td></tr>
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4. Kindness is not show-off-y.<br />
We never mention a kindness we have done, or advertise our good deeds. We seek a better reward – one waiting for us in heaven.<br />
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5. Kindness keeps no record of wrongs.<br />
It doesn't balance the books. When we are truly being kind we don't even remind ourselves - “I've done this-and-that for so-and-so, and now see how little he thinks of doing for me?” Worse still, “Nobody cares. With all I do I'm not even recognized.”<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying out some textures, but undecided about my next project. </td></tr>
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These pitfalls are all avoided simply. How you ask?<br />
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6. By being unaware that we are doing anything special. We don't even know we are being kind, it has become so much a part of our nature. To practice kind living we are - in the words of our Lord Jesus - to “Let not thy right hand know what thy left doeth.”<br />
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England's poet, William Wordsworth (1770-1850) tells us:<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">That best portion of a good man's life,</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">His little, nameless, unremembered acts</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Of kindness and love.</span></div>
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I Cor 13:4; Matt: 6:1; Matt 6:3<br />
Charlotte Mason's book <i>Ourselves </i>helped me come up with my outline.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Kindness in an Old Novel</span><br />
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A story I enjoyed recently was the (1891) novel <i><b>The Little Minister </b></i>by J. M. Barrie, <a href="https://amzn.to/2sr8nJM" target="_blank">free on Kindle.</a> (J. M. Barrie also wrote <i>Peter Pan</i>.) It is set in Scotland, 1840, with colloquial dialects of the locals. Among its sentimentality and dialog, weather conditions produce some startling action near the end of the story. Kindness is on these pages; kindness guided by the Christian worldview. It is the fruit that forms friendships and eventually draws two unlikely people together.<br />
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It was because the Man-of-the-House and I watched the old movie "The Little Minister" (1934) with Katherine Hepburn, and I found it curious and sweet, that I picked up the novel - and - because two old books I was reading at the time coincidentally and curiously mentioned the story. The movie condenses the novel yet captures the gist of the story well. The novel gives us more background to the characters than the movie, such as the minister's sweet mother, and several others who deeply care about the minister's well-being.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq goldbox">
"Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight: always try to be a little kinder than necessary?" -J.M. Barrie</blockquote>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Until next time,</span><br />
Karen Andreola<br />
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Author of the book<i>, Mother Culture. </i><br />
Sold at Simply Charlotte Mason, Grace & Truth Books, ChristianBook.com, and Rainbow Resource.<br />
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Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-12305369989338425892018-12-28T19:17:00.001-05:002019-01-05T15:46:30.664-05:00Start the New Year with Mother Culture <span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">Start the New Year with Mother Culture®</span><br />
Karen’s book is now in print. Click <a href="https://simplycharlottemason.com/store/mother-culture/" target="_blank"> </a><a href="https://charlottemason.com/our-books/mother-culture/" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: #f4cccc; color: #cc0000;">HERE</span><span style="background-color: #f4cccc;"> </span></a> for purchase info.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">A Message from the Man-of-the-House.</span></b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq bluebox">
What a beautifully written book, lavishly illustrated! My congratulations to Karen for the many years she has labored to promote what she calls Mother Culture ®. <br />
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Her passion for Mother Culture began more than 25 years ago – when, through her pioneering research, she first introduced it to the homeschooling community. As she further expanded upon the many practical benefits that a Mother Culture way-of-life could bring to her readers, this passion became her personal calling, ministry, and trademark brand. <br />
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On these pages you will find some of Karen’s best writing, polished and embellished - - - with fresh and timely encouragement added. This long-awaited book is now safely between its covers! Karen gracefully addresses what matters most to mothers. I hope you will consider her an “older woman in the Lord” and a cheerful companion on an often lonely and difficult journey. <br />
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I think this is Karen's most transparent and heartfelt book. I pray that this writing-effort will be a blessing to all the curious moms who seek to apply the many benefits of Mother Culture. <br />
-Dean, the Man-of-the-House</blockquote>
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Thank you, Dean.<br />
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And many thanks for the encouragement you’ve given me over the years, my friends.<br />
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This is my pastel quilt for Liliana. It was her Christmas present. The free-motion quilting part of making it was fun – even if this meant rolling it up tightly in the small space of my machine.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I sewed off-seam in places but enjoyed the over-all, if not perfect, result. </td></tr>
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The sun was shining through the attic window while I was sewing the binding, which made me think to stop and take a photograph. I attached the binding to the back and here I have brought it forward to stitch with a zig-zag.<br />
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Dean found the Holly Hobby Colorform for Eloise – reminiscent of 1975. The calico dresses are so sweet, pretty, and modest. Holly can stand up like a paper doll. We were startled by the fact that something so cute and inexpensive is still available for children these days – that is not electronic.<br />
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I like bread and butter pickles from the health food store. When my store-bought pickles are all eaten, I fill the jar up with fresh cucumber, peeled and sliced. Here is a photograph of one Saturday morning’s refill. These “fresh” pickles can be kept one week in the refrigerator.<br />
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I made some pecan cookies in December. Have you seen these clay sugar-bears in fancy kitchen shops? I finally bought one. Not only are they decorative, they’re practical. These bears really do keep the brown sugar from turning to rock in your storage jar.<br />
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To read my short article/interview on my website, <b><a href="https://charlottemason.com/our-books/mother-culture/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #674ea7;">click here.</span></a></b><br />
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To listen to a 14 minute podcast of a conversation Sonya Shaffer and I shared about some important aspects of Mother Culture, <b><span style="color: #674ea7;"><a href="https://simplycharlottemason.com/blog/an-interview-with-karen-andreola/" target="_blank">click here.</a></span></b><br />
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<i><b><span style="color: #e06666;"><br /></span></b></i>
<i><b><span style="color: #e06666;">M</span></b><span style="color: #e06666;"><b>other Culture - For a Happy Homeschool</b></span></i> <a class="buy-button" href="https://charlottemason.com/our-books/mother-culture" target="_blank">Buy Now</a><br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;">Until next time,</span><br />
Karen Andreola<br />
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Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-60043881666588312092018-12-05T16:52:00.001-05:002018-12-05T18:05:27.742-05:00Learning the Art of Mother Culture<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Learning the Art of Mother Culture</span><br />
<i><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">- a message from my daughter Sophia</span></i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophia, Andrew, and baby William, 2007</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Greetings to Mom's blog friends.</span><br />
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I am Karen Andreola’s firstborn child. On the pages of my mother’s new book, <i>Mother Culture – For a Happy Homeschool</i>,* sometimes she refers to me as Baby One, Big Sister, or Sophia.<br />
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Despite our family’s many household moves and frequent challenges, the memories of my childhood are happy and magical ones. Some of my favorite memories are of playing make-believe, going barefoot in the creek, our family’s many nature walks, and being absorbed in a good book.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXT6oAZExq6xDzidOHGaQmQYiLJrrkoS0nUMjf9KtV3YCaxi5_zm8Qwj1ThHKmGBspE_cuKa2oCyDK1RkcMCIH9Pscvlh5dmGgcyVuJM9VBCSQzKpkRwmg_KYyq1fSSDSzgtALFv9z6U/s1600/good+king+w+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="893" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXT6oAZExq6xDzidOHGaQmQYiLJrrkoS0nUMjf9KtV3YCaxi5_zm8Qwj1ThHKmGBspE_cuKa2oCyDK1RkcMCIH9Pscvlh5dmGgcyVuJM9VBCSQzKpkRwmg_KYyq1fSSDSzgtALFv9z6U/s400/good+king+w+book.jpg" width="356" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I remember reading this aloud 25 years ago and bought a copy recently. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-PESaMAfWLPeYcpN3t-wDUQgadHEhdkKt5xYRpiY4jAyb9lPPNLOoHld9eYbqgkp516PGSXq9L5VhjtUiI8k8SzlOG_eO2ueAS1Yf5ilv3gnfuAvZxcSq2u-D9Fc7PvF2Lw7vZs5OfM/s1600/tree+wall+quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1200" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-PESaMAfWLPeYcpN3t-wDUQgadHEhdkKt5xYRpiY4jAyb9lPPNLOoHld9eYbqgkp516PGSXq9L5VhjtUiI8k8SzlOG_eO2ueAS1Yf5ilv3gnfuAvZxcSq2u-D9Fc7PvF2Lw7vZs5OfM/s400/tree+wall+quilt.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Fast forward to adulthood and the exciting anticipation of my own firstborn. As my husband and I planned for our baby’s arrival, I dreamed of creating those same happy memories for him.<br />
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My mother made it look easy, but I quickly found motherhood was not as dreamy as I had planned. With his birth came a screaming baby, sleepless nights, exhaustion, and loneliness. Life with my baby was really, really hard. The grace of God and many long distance phone calls to my mother saw me through those early years of adjustment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEfbjLUcUMlX3uZZ_hFjARqZL4n7Svgp9BEBV776cyjq3TM9Kjt_n1Ucj1AWMUH9q4lMLMK-AV382t-DOkkAVtX895w1B8CO0JDOk8zIYF70Gyt7gGEh3OCb5_JKCQDTQM-W8aDxPSZA/s1600/3+kids+in+the+woods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEfbjLUcUMlX3uZZ_hFjARqZL4n7Svgp9BEBV776cyjq3TM9Kjt_n1Ucj1AWMUH9q4lMLMK-AV382t-DOkkAVtX895w1B8CO0JDOk8zIYF70Gyt7gGEh3OCb5_JKCQDTQM-W8aDxPSZA/s400/3+kids+in+the+woods.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green time for William, Joseph, Eloise.</td></tr>
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Now I have three children. As they grow, so do my mothering and home teaching skills. I am learning to apply the art of Mother Culture. These wise principles are the tools I have needed to keep growing into the mother I had dreamed of being—not perfect, but equipped to face the daily challenges of a home teacher.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFppl7-qNdzJguY8yzz6Km6D6PV-RGk-8oXEXieZAwBhdPvmAkwNWh5oUo_bAm_ZuQmxxmNN7FKm1wnK6XNvuVSdUCkj1CCdV5M1-ABjuAYDiZP2RBzEsBluoT8CevcBesyKf3OCLms3U/s1600/chocolate+molds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="920" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFppl7-qNdzJguY8yzz6Km6D6PV-RGk-8oXEXieZAwBhdPvmAkwNWh5oUo_bAm_ZuQmxxmNN7FKm1wnK6XNvuVSdUCkj1CCdV5M1-ABjuAYDiZP2RBzEsBluoT8CevcBesyKf3OCLms3U/s400/chocolate+molds.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate molds make interesting Christmas ornaments in the Keeping Room.</td></tr>
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Perhaps those many hours of phone chats with a frazzled daughter convinced my mother of the need for a book on Mother Culture. I can remember one especially trying wet winter’s day several years ago. “Mom, after chores everyone’s been in a sour mood,” I said. “They’re crying and so am I. It’s been a horrible morning.”<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7trkDYjE4jfowJLBH77nLeg4wIWGjnBxuPRnF6LM7u1lz45GwxSwPZXM8Yqjr0F3bms_V8SFE5QEU7VUJj54LOIl_11GJIwLN7j4Qk8eP-avTILRfy6cQW0WsjlDMO0pdMfVts6mn_M/s1600/Christmas+quilt+section.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7trkDYjE4jfowJLBH77nLeg4wIWGjnBxuPRnF6LM7u1lz45GwxSwPZXM8Yqjr0F3bms_V8SFE5QEU7VUJj54LOIl_11GJIwLN7j4Qk8eP-avTILRfy6cQW0WsjlDMO0pdMfVts6mn_M/s400/Christmas+quilt+section.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Free-motion quilting is a fun way to doodle. The church reminds me of Maine.</td></tr>
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“Put on some sunshiny music* and dance with the children,” my mother advised. “When you're good and tired, sit on the floor. The children will gather around you, the littlest one on your lap, to hear you read aloud from a cute picture book. It will calm your frazzled nerves and theirs, too. Then you can return to lessons.” So I did. It worked. Later, when Daddy got home, Mommy took a peaceful walk by herself and read a chapter from an edifying novel. It is amazing how refreshing a 30-minute break can be. Similar words of advice have rescued many a day for my mother’s grandchildren.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UaetJUCsAFNx3SJCFpv5rnTDjxM-pxOxBxiFJMyMXic_nfVaMcKLALTI0QtwjDcyjLxNzIPlO2Ej2e9eklWfBXf8LNHLEkaX9ISFp1V5gmnvykfaPY0QXXdr-MYiKQDD0ghR-jLpLuw/s1600/strasburg+train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="1000" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7UaetJUCsAFNx3SJCFpv5rnTDjxM-pxOxBxiFJMyMXic_nfVaMcKLALTI0QtwjDcyjLxNzIPlO2Ej2e9eklWfBXf8LNHLEkaX9ISFp1V5gmnvykfaPY0QXXdr-MYiKQDD0ghR-jLpLuw/s400/strasburg+train.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our grandchildren like the steam engines at Strasburg's train museum. </td></tr>
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My firstborn baby turns 11 this month. Today, he and I, along with his younger brother and sister, made some of those childhood memories that I always dreamed about.<br />
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By applying the principles preserved in Mom's book, you will not only be encouraging yourself but be inspired to encourage and uplift those you love. As you learn the skillful art of Mother Culture, your days at home with your children will increasingly be filled with joy and peace. - Sophia<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Thank you Sophia.</span><br />
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The occasional odd moment of sitting on the hearth rug, is a fast way of getting the attention of young children, who will stop fussing and head straight for Mommy.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">*New book: available January or sooner. It is printed and now scheduled to be "baked" the printers told us. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">5 Smile-Making Songs</span><br />
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Some peppy and positive smile-makers, for Mom and her young children, can be found on YouTube. I decided not to provide a link but to list them as titled there:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq greenbox">
"Oliver - Goodmorning starshine."<br />
"The Tokens - The Lion Sleeps Tonight."<br />
"(HQ)Peter, Paul & Mary - Puff the Magic Dragon."<br />
"Fifth Dimension - Up, Up & Away, My Beautiful Balloon."<br />
"John Denver - Grandma's Feather Bed"</blockquote>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">2 Quieting Songs</span></span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq greenbox">
"John Denver Sunshine on my Shoulders"<br />
Dad found this little-known quiet-song: "Eddy Arnold C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S."</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mI1DJX43n7YP_9WQVnz8r9pHk59Etng5VYEo79YUdc9ILhp0uiPpKt0pYFSQP1QSAI2cLQVqrXdazdEJjy9PiBKHjZRpUznVP7pDUBSg_eTd-h0sIoV53O69wYLmN-G7tBOfGQvDWNA/s1600/two+christmas+tree+quilts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mI1DJX43n7YP_9WQVnz8r9pHk59Etng5VYEo79YUdc9ILhp0uiPpKt0pYFSQP1QSAI2cLQVqrXdazdEJjy9PiBKHjZRpUznVP7pDUBSg_eTd-h0sIoV53O69wYLmN-G7tBOfGQvDWNA/s400/two+christmas+tree+quilts.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made 4 of these trees for family gifts - starting in July.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #b45f06;">I wish you a cheery day.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Karen Andreola</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlS40ihB0I5wlEk2KVI3hGLoJnDI598jZPlrM1bu_hTEBJxZBM3BK1snskgD288S_LdhBJOK4iYqp6IASBU2OxY2hf9TdNlkOEF10hx7xv0nCMNTulGKSuaIfl34ckB0EpFsiVj98QC0w/s1600/Civil+War+Quilting+Fabrics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlS40ihB0I5wlEk2KVI3hGLoJnDI598jZPlrM1bu_hTEBJxZBM3BK1snskgD288S_LdhBJOK4iYqp6IASBU2OxY2hf9TdNlkOEF10hx7xv0nCMNTulGKSuaIfl34ckB0EpFsiVj98QC0w/s400/Civil+War+Quilting+Fabrics.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A return to the quilt shop, this time, for some reproduction fabric.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">Post Script</span><br />
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I spent a pretty penny for an out-of-print copy of <i>Good King Wencelslas</i> by Mildred Luckhardt for sentimental reasons (Abingdon Press, 1964). But also because it is a story I wish to pass onto my grandchildren. It is based on the Christian Duke of Bohemia (907-935). In 1853, hymn writer, John Mason Neale, wrote the lyrics for the Christmas Carol. Do you know "Good King Wencelsas" written to the music of a jig? Mildred Luckhardt also wrote <i>The Story of Saint Nicholas </i>- but I've not read it. I saw a variety of picture books on Wencelslas on <span style="color: #e69138;">this page</span><span style="color: #e69138;"> </span><a href="https://amzn.to/2UfH0im" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">on Amazon. </a>It made me curious. </div>
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<br />Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-17313368686324411432018-11-13T13:14:00.001-05:002018-11-20T11:49:29.085-05:00Rising up from a Domestic Slump<span style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Rising up from a Domestic Slump</span><br />
Earlier this month I fell into a domestic slump. With my book out of my hands and scheduled for press, my eyes were opened to household details I had put off. Oh my. Where do I start? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX8Yoizz4UkHPAuRbazlRvBmhqGYQ7xC-_ad5hMudMZNbEQA_u5St23PivwfVwR_aNsJjQ8O_BOWG8DQlK0RvjhyEkiKI67BJrw96ocEv5Xbrs15p3RkbOtXEb4HgcGi-znXwMCxI4VE/s1600/nigel+%2526+fanny.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX8Yoizz4UkHPAuRbazlRvBmhqGYQ7xC-_ad5hMudMZNbEQA_u5St23PivwfVwR_aNsJjQ8O_BOWG8DQlK0RvjhyEkiKI67BJrw96ocEv5Xbrs15p3RkbOtXEb4HgcGi-znXwMCxI4VE/s640/nigel+%2526+fanny.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nigel, 2000, Maine. He hand-fed is chicken earthworms until it became plush. </td></tr>
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My first step was to hop onto <a href="http://thelegacyofhome.blogspot.com/"><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">The Legacy of Home.</span></b></a> I hadn’t been in a while. Here, Mrs. White aligns Christian holiness with homemaking. Her devotion to God and family is uplifting. Next, I made haste with one need staring me in the face. We had burned-out light bulbs all over the place. I’m embarrassed to say how many. Summer thunderstorms will shorten their life I was told. With darker days upon us, good lighting is appreciated. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNXxc5uZNXXWLNIivo1_99kVEbZrfCpBiz-tevGyUDeRPtKnbH09OSy7ez6QAYZpDKTMl6b13rYVZj_Bc6mkQpZ4c304TJHFSyxYVvnIEofxowZ-uGtHRmAYicmnIGazQZ0BusOydHIs/s1600/Federal+Mirror.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsNXxc5uZNXXWLNIivo1_99kVEbZrfCpBiz-tevGyUDeRPtKnbH09OSy7ez6QAYZpDKTMl6b13rYVZj_Bc6mkQpZ4c304TJHFSyxYVvnIEofxowZ-uGtHRmAYicmnIGazQZ0BusOydHIs/s640/Federal+Mirror.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keeping Room. </td></tr>
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Standing on the step ladder replacing bulbs on the chandeliers, I also dusted them – especially as I will garland some soon. My mood turns melancholy when days are gray and overcast, and when darkness falls early. To remedy this gloom, I put up three new mirrors. Mirrors multiply light. Our “new” mirrors are used. I like federal period mirrors. Their swirls are interesting, decorative, and a little fancy, without being gaudy. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvNAwsJUl_mPwDlsM8koz6tTYrbF_TsNFM-AiqhFT-yqIvBFAZblrzkUBco-U7MAs5BijamSPfCuurh-_y6IPFMVpdkyMuvnmmRstyduHZgqL3sgg_7xVV6I72llpk75b3guq6GgvSnk/s1600/antique+house.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOvNAwsJUl_mPwDlsM8koz6tTYrbF_TsNFM-AiqhFT-yqIvBFAZblrzkUBco-U7MAs5BijamSPfCuurh-_y6IPFMVpdkyMuvnmmRstyduHZgqL3sgg_7xVV6I72llpk75b3guq6GgvSnk/s640/antique+house.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This house, I newly discovered, is an antique shop that I'd like to visit.</td></tr>
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Perhaps the style is of by-gone days and unpopular, because I’m always surprised at how inexpensive these used mirrors are when I spot one at an antique shop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EMDg2eE2YStf85F_j5_m4FUZNmPBM78w1RebfGAse4GEG97odJwCnVRITG4svjCkD06HhlroAi7e3nfSIdTKqsZaUgMnkdvdKR-CWGILU48nwL153Rinkv_dlpbHMy9d62Sv3rm9cJs/s1600/quilt.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2EMDg2eE2YStf85F_j5_m4FUZNmPBM78w1RebfGAse4GEG97odJwCnVRITG4svjCkD06HhlroAi7e3nfSIdTKqsZaUgMnkdvdKR-CWGILU48nwL153Rinkv_dlpbHMy9d62Sv3rm9cJs/s640/quilt.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Play Quilt (for tummy time) with flannel accent in border and a pieced binding.</td></tr>
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Recently, I walked across the road to visit my new-ish Amish neighbor. I brought her the little play-quilt I made her baby (for his tummy time.) Normally she is all smiles. On that day she tucked a dilemma between her smiles. We’ve had a great many rainy, overcast days which probably led her to say, “When you English build houses you assume electricity will light them. We Amish, who purchase them, find the rooms dark.”<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6i6tnhkUu2jBvZJs_3gV25PiyM1EUgql0Md-aK386xj6vrsm0ZtkBCFrlwGMa-aAgChjKsr0294hqBYaivrwTiUFH8NLTxxWrBxTqSkynmjvLCRrpcxIPg_w8J4B1zJ8kuTT7CwTOuOQ/s1600/quilt+close-up.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6i6tnhkUu2jBvZJs_3gV25PiyM1EUgql0Md-aK386xj6vrsm0ZtkBCFrlwGMa-aAgChjKsr0294hqBYaivrwTiUFH8NLTxxWrBxTqSkynmjvLCRrpcxIPg_w8J4B1zJ8kuTT7CwTOuOQ/s640/quilt+close-up.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By free-motion quilting I put doodle-swirls in the squares. Goldilocks is peeping out.</td></tr>
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What came to my mind privately, were all the many sky-lights I’ve seen built into the ceilings of non-electric Amish shops. I didn’t suggest these, however, knowing how drastic cutting a big hole in the roof would be. So, I suggested mirrors since mirrors were fresh on my mind. I saw none on her walls. She liked the idea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVH4Dm1vP4l2FnQCG1-f7PFgk-_SLC5iWL6ENnHeMheKeLYJRlb6yZuM2_h-idWSiCTafBRGiVB8BLHsli3YLjZ1XZ3vQGHCK12Zq8UId8-48d3iidUUED12wPnYEJcDqQIoGDFg_tnes/s1600/quilting+stitch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVH4Dm1vP4l2FnQCG1-f7PFgk-_SLC5iWL6ENnHeMheKeLYJRlb6yZuM2_h-idWSiCTafBRGiVB8BLHsli3YLjZ1XZ3vQGHCK12Zq8UId8-48d3iidUUED12wPnYEJcDqQIoGDFg_tnes/s640/quilting+stitch.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flannel Backing. Yellow Thread.</td></tr>
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We knock on one another’s doors unannounced, to say hi now and again. She doesn’t see this as strange behavior for the 21st century, and I don’t tell her it is, because this is what Amish do. As they live without radio, telephone, music, or any screens, face-to-face relationships are priority. “It must be pretty quiet over there,” I’ve said more than once to the Man-of-the-House when I gaze out a front window and across the road. I did tell my neighbor which days of the week I’m more free to chat. What I need to remember to tell her, also, is how nice it is to have a stay-at-home mother nearby. Although our family has lived in many different neighborhoods, this stay-at-home mom is a “first.”<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67KP4U4WemJJLBuxL-onk0gkcClpewPMr9k4f3KFEjMFh2SPuJIhOKlmsI-5ZJl2TrbtGVqs4ptUiK5fH8Ae0A768J-ty-cDdp4afQSAoPNwKISEX45ooXaPC62UAVSjqSZS65Ngg6Lw/s1600/mudroom+mirror.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67KP4U4WemJJLBuxL-onk0gkcClpewPMr9k4f3KFEjMFh2SPuJIhOKlmsI-5ZJl2TrbtGVqs4ptUiK5fH8Ae0A768J-ty-cDdp4afQSAoPNwKISEX45ooXaPC62UAVSjqSZS65Ngg6Lw/s640/mudroom+mirror.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mud Room has a little window and a little mirror.</td></tr>
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While deep cleaning and de-cluttering, some passages of Jane Eyre vaguely drifted to mind. I pulled my book off the shelf and quickly found the place I was looking for because I had left a tiny sticky-note in it, years ago. In chapter 34 Jane sets up housekeeping for herself and Diana and Mary. I read it over. I was happy that its attitude further motivated me to spruce-up. <br />
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When I shared with a friend how much I enjoyed the housekeeping chapter 34 she said with joy, “That place in the story catches my notice every time.” <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBB0h7WVXKIZVsCeK61IaeSkhJD681lIiOhz4JlSP5YXSnOH1ORVBAg8smLWR-2OwwCc3WK5oYGY_Rli9SngXHCCrraKqysZoLXXbTHVNxgR4WerN53qWYoXYk-vrAJSQxADjck3gvmw/s1600/Boston+plate.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBB0h7WVXKIZVsCeK61IaeSkhJD681lIiOhz4JlSP5YXSnOH1ORVBAg8smLWR-2OwwCc3WK5oYGY_Rli9SngXHCCrraKqysZoLXXbTHVNxgR4WerN53qWYoXYk-vrAJSQxADjck3gvmw/s640/Boston+plate.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boston Harbor, Johnson Brothers, single plate found at a brick-a-brack shop.</td></tr>
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Jane’s aim is to first “clean down” Moor House <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq peachbox">
from chamber to cellar; . . . to rub it up with beeswax, oil, and an indefinite number of cloths, till it glitters again . . .</blockquote>
She tells Mr. Rivers <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq peachbox">
Afterwards I shall go near to ruin you in coals and peat to keep up good fires in every room; and lastly, the two days preceding that on which your sisters are expected, will be devoted by Hannah and me to such a beating of eggs, sorting of currants, grating of spices, compounding of Christmas cakes, chopping up of materials for mince-pies . . . to have all things in an absolutely perfect state of readiness for Diana and Mary, and my ambition is to give them a beau-ideal of a welcome when they come.</blockquote>
Further on Jane writes,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq peachbox">
The ordinary sitting-room and bedroom I left much as they were: for I knew Diana and Mary would derive more pleasure from seeing again the old homely tables, and chairs, and beds than from the spectacle of the smartest innovations. Still some novelty was necessary, to give to their return the piquancy with which I wished it to be invested.</blockquote>
Therefore, Jane refurnishes the other rooms of the house with curtains, carpets, some carefully selected antique ornaments, bed coverings, mirrors, etc. She seems to be delighted with the task, excited even. The end result was a “model of bright modest snugness.” It “looked fresh without being glaring.” It would be a lovely warm place to spend their winter together.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIyZ5l1I2JwbEEefdWMoftWYONTwsgoAN5iu44ww3SDpkofooyo6g6V9aGfYpZ9tLCMpWvJ3x0FM0ZMUzfSum-AzACv_flOcxsXcrtGV6JBh_ap87oA0w59VN2NEQzwDHqS_FK31JXkw/s1600/thanksgiving+poem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1207" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizIyZ5l1I2JwbEEefdWMoftWYONTwsgoAN5iu44ww3SDpkofooyo6g6V9aGfYpZ9tLCMpWvJ3x0FM0ZMUzfSum-AzACv_flOcxsXcrtGV6JBh_ap87oA0w59VN2NEQzwDHqS_FK31JXkw/s640/thanksgiving+poem.jpg" width="636" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't you like this poem, "Thanksgiving Day" by Lydia Maria Child? </td></tr>
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">Podcasts For Your Encouragement</span><br />
Sonja Shafer has been presenting 15 minute video podcasts on the Simply Charlotte Mason blog. My link takes you to the beginning of <a href="https://simplycharlottemason.com/blog/transition-to-cm-basics/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">the series.</span></b></a> These bite-size segments on switching to Charlotte Mason are approachable. They give the home teacher ideas to contemplate along with some direct step-by-step how-to.<br />
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On Charlotte Mason Poetry, 15-yr-old Anesley Middlekauff shares a 12-minute piece she composed: <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>G<a href="http://charlottemasonpoetry.org/growing-up-with-charlotte-mason/" target="_blank">rowing up with Charlotte Mason.</a></b> </span></span>This bright homeschool student tells personally about how the following 4 have impacted her life. I found it touching.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Go outside.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Read and narrate living books.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Teach living math.</span></div>
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<span style="color: orange;">Start a handicraft.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RXll94SdIyES2WTL9mWJiZNbOgbV366izVWqCskS0VFIQ1mJIYBo1TlwN0TgBBUGqzRnFV_9CNATGBt7bl3URdgfc42e0jYHw1aS9lkfD2m4VDqLqlQqF57eH9BTpkLN7ibW-yCv1kk/s1600/TT+poems.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="1200" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6RXll94SdIyES2WTL9mWJiZNbOgbV366izVWqCskS0VFIQ1mJIYBo1TlwN0TgBBUGqzRnFV_9CNATGBt7bl3URdgfc42e0jYHw1aS9lkfD2m4VDqLqlQqF57eH9BTpkLN7ibW-yCv1kk/s640/TT+poems.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Thanksgiving Day" is in my copy of "First Poems of Childhood" illustrated by Tasha Tudor.</td></tr>
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Nancy Kelly’s Living Education Retreat featured a panel of experienced homeschool fathers over the summer titled <a href="https://sageparnassus.com/building-their-houses-thoughts-from-the-dads/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #a64d79;">“Building Their Houses.”</span></b></a> As the session is longer than an hour, I listened to it in several segments while sewing, enjoying the honest and rare discussion of these dads. The best word to describe it is: “heartening.”</div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Looking forward to our next visit,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Karen Andreola</div>
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Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-9618620399335090552018-10-12T10:02:00.000-04:002018-10-12T10:02:43.078-04:00A Weighty Tip<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">A Weighty Tip</span><br />
Today I’m sharing a tip. It’s more than helpful in bringing up children. It’s vital. You're probably already making good use of it in your house, in which case, my message will be affirmation for you.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUq7DkOcRfBHE6WIZfAfPcJiZRtALXL-6gRVs3wgwN47lAH6NfuTY3d3j8kuRsQV0n1bWsZ1LPXUHXeJtbrt_TTkG1ASfYlaXj_yQ8T6SJIHPhILUavxcCYcU4hvTHVCk5l0m0mBg48Kc/s1600/Yellow+House+in+Williamsburg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="1000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUq7DkOcRfBHE6WIZfAfPcJiZRtALXL-6gRVs3wgwN47lAH6NfuTY3d3j8kuRsQV0n1bWsZ1LPXUHXeJtbrt_TTkG1ASfYlaXj_yQ8T6SJIHPhILUavxcCYcU4hvTHVCk5l0m0mBg48Kc/s640/Yellow+House+in+Williamsburg.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophia's photo taken at Colonial Williamsburg. She knows I like yellow.</td></tr>
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As a young mother I remember pondering the idea of a peaceful home atmosphere of authority. Whatever this was, I wanted it.<br />
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I asked myself, “How do I set the gears of authority to good working-order without harshness in the air, so that my authority is understood and gently felt by the children?” I knew that a booming voice, nagging, bribes, or bigger and bigger punishments were broken gears. I wanted to discipline my children by shepherding them in a spirit of gentleness? (1 Corinthians 4:21, Galatians 6:1)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisokXEqXngZJUY0bhY5hd42xTtb9xebmTUIm2TRK8sPKGv4S7E47Uu_56dDiMMPHgJSoHudm6aKClYFF6w1ERWFyOAElSi9VLIv69jxtJfJ9wUrM1bDLD6nJiqWQzvejLYb7SXVhlapg/s1600/old+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisokXEqXngZJUY0bhY5hd42xTtb9xebmTUIm2TRK8sPKGv4S7E47Uu_56dDiMMPHgJSoHudm6aKClYFF6w1ERWFyOAElSi9VLIv69jxtJfJ9wUrM1bDLD6nJiqWQzvejLYb7SXVhlapg/s640/old+photo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken 1994 during our visit to Amish country. Yolanda, Nigel, Sophia</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-size: large;">In the Kitchen</span><br />
It had been a busy day of home-learning. I was in the middle of cooking double, so I could bring a meal to a family and simultaneously take care of our own supper. Most of the meal was completed. One thing more was left to do. But I stopped abruptly. Leaving steaming hot potatoes in the pot (awaiting salt, butter, cream cheese and mashing) I stood there with my arms crossed, as if crossing my arms would root my determination. I was fortifying myself that I wasn’t going to change my mind about something I had just calmly said “No” to. I kept myself from adding, “And I mean it.” The apostle James tells us to let our yes be yes, and our no be no.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DEDaYMuTJdIteI0OlGuNSfFA-TGiXBMMbC7yPFKk839yC8lO57rPqNaQOD-FV7LxLly8mfxfUNRcGqCJqA6gBDUmFuCUHSBtg1bO2F0RQZvJnhVDcIn8nXpHScv9petM-1_eMoxkQRA/s1600/quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DEDaYMuTJdIteI0OlGuNSfFA-TGiXBMMbC7yPFKk839yC8lO57rPqNaQOD-FV7LxLly8mfxfUNRcGqCJqA6gBDUmFuCUHSBtg1bO2F0RQZvJnhVDcIn8nXpHScv9petM-1_eMoxkQRA/s640/quilt.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I enjoyed hand-quilted these bow ties. Swirls in the border are by machine. I'm teaching myself free-motion quilting.</td></tr>
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“And I mean it,” is superfluous. By being true to her word a mother is trustworthy. She earns a child’s trust by keeping her word.<br />
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All civil societies work well only when its people speak truth, do not bear false witness, and keep their word. In early America, to shake hands on an agreement was binding. “I gave my word,” was a big deal then.<br />
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Because Jesus our Lord is true to His Word and His promises, His followers seek to be trustworthy, too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDz-ug9bWJPwtjV3PItcpALfeWP8MxLtCYMB5LXgw3Q4YAzvZBukx-mrXp200KTCJ_qGawAIQvAR080B6PVkw-oT4fSZYZgYrKagZZzjhJuwKl6ZqWQQieemFBshjkJOamLYgJ7AlXJI/s1600/Williamsburg+Gentleman+in+Big+House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="749" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMDz-ug9bWJPwtjV3PItcpALfeWP8MxLtCYMB5LXgw3Q4YAzvZBukx-mrXp200KTCJ_qGawAIQvAR080B6PVkw-oT4fSZYZgYrKagZZzjhJuwKl6ZqWQQieemFBshjkJOamLYgJ7AlXJI/s640/Williamsburg+Gentleman+in+Big+House.jpg" width="507" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colonial Williamsburg. </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Tell the Truth</span><br />
A young child will turn a deaf ear (or drowsily drag his feet) when he has gotten used to hearing another empty threat where Mommy and Daddy do not follow through with a consequence swiftly, or when a privilege or promised treat, never comes. When a mother’s words are weighty, when she can be trusted, when her yes is yes, and her no is no, the child is disciplined fairly. He knows it is fair and will accept the consequence and admit his shortcoming more readily than if discipline is haphazard.<br />
A moment of correction will often come at an inconvenient time (such as in the middle of making mashed potatoes). It is best to stop, breathe, and discipline calmly, anyway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOaJfEc2dyXs-aDHZSCZOA79BM2rlTIJoBR9-OKfYoP-vU6-GsB7ZPQ6R6RTWVlJRcXFTVvQ5j5AxxcGgb1vMC1XBox6r8teyNB5dY8cOQo4L8uht98uz5QfFFPcLsZaAkHk0QZOZ3XU/s1600/open+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOaJfEc2dyXs-aDHZSCZOA79BM2rlTIJoBR9-OKfYoP-vU6-GsB7ZPQ6R6RTWVlJRcXFTVvQ5j5AxxcGgb1vMC1XBox6r8teyNB5dY8cOQo4L8uht98uz5QfFFPcLsZaAkHk0QZOZ3XU/s640/open+book.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florence Nightingale</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><span style="color: #45818e; font-size: large;">Florence Nightingale</span><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
For my Mother Culture I’m reading<i> Florence Nightingale</i> by Jeannette Nolan (pub.1946). I like its bright writing style and that Jeannette Nolan unashamedly reveals what was born in Miss Nightingale’s young heart. Her motivation to be of service to others, sprang forth from a knowledge and love of the God of the Bible. This religious motivation (in this case, Anglican) would hardly be given a nod in a modern publication (if it were slotted for the school library shelf). But Miss Nightingale’s Christian faith<i> is </i>relevant. A person doesn't live a virtuous life at a whim.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #cc0000;">On Christ the solid rock I stand, </span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i>All other ground is sinking sand.</i> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000;"> (lyrics, Edward Mote)</span></div>
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My copy has a thick, sturdy library binding that, in its heyday, had held up to repeated handling. Its well-worn its pages tell me it must have been read by hundreds of children long ago (who would be age 85-90 today.)<br />
<br />
But I digress. The point I wish to make is this. Miss Nightingale knew she needed to be trusted for her authority to be respected. When she had become head of a group of nurses, having just arrived at the Barrack (transformed inadequately into a hospital) it was a scene of much suffering.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">The story reads,</span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq peachbox">
Soon, whenever she had an hour, she must write out some rules for the nurses. She intended that they must be strictly disciplined, for without discipline the best results could not be attained. The nurses must recognize and defer to her authority. She was their leader and she would be obeyed. But to enforce discipline, she would have to retain their affection and respect. They trusted her now; she must never do anything to lose their trust.</blockquote>
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Isn’t this the position a young mother finds herself in when surrounded by little children needing her daily guidance and care?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtENj_fsiA-omBHE9mT7BuP9DQovJgZXUpEYA8LA5km_PZICzvy_nRTg5ZwMhysN-jnDlcWpn2hijAphgZqvZPWJ-XJYe9Tqx2ALkXVqORU9po244kT5LN-ER_P6oyd18Aevk2-zg45E8/s1600/sun+on+floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtENj_fsiA-omBHE9mT7BuP9DQovJgZXUpEYA8LA5km_PZICzvy_nRTg5ZwMhysN-jnDlcWpn2hijAphgZqvZPWJ-XJYe9Tqx2ALkXVqORU9po244kT5LN-ER_P6oyd18Aevk2-zg45E8/s640/sun+on+floor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catching some rays on camera. Sunshine has been a rarity here for months.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">On a Domestic Note</span><br />
I’ve been roasting locally grown vegetables. One of my daughters made soup incorporating her leftover roasted veggies. She told me how happy she was with at how it turned out. “It’s delicious, if I do say so myself,” she said.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-ZaYXXrqyaPTnB1nKsGi6z2PMK8e0NYvi9fIc4orVx5fvRXJz5ZXAQA3gebH2wHOCxTJJG8Kc1eIfw7yFT1PeKgh1mQ4Doi290oSt61L_lzhQ8C87o3tgk-R6tKyG2nXgjh-F1tCUYw/s1600/blog+10-11-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="1000" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-ZaYXXrqyaPTnB1nKsGi6z2PMK8e0NYvi9fIc4orVx5fvRXJz5ZXAQA3gebH2wHOCxTJJG8Kc1eIfw7yFT1PeKgh1mQ4Doi290oSt61L_lzhQ8C87o3tgk-R6tKyG2nXgjh-F1tCUYw/s640/blog+10-11-18.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harvest vegetable soup with roasted veggies. </td></tr>
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“What a good idea,” I told her. I took out the little plastic containers of several days of leftover roasted veggies and did some impromptu food combining with corn I sliced off the cob. The roasted eggplant gave the soup a savory flavor. The corn was crunchy. Yum.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQ0176jRHhuFkOMDBBFJchPWuS4gzP-DpHQ8lp-fyO1-_m5YnGO8PXEwigenS3Dcy6_N56h0JqJNlLelq0UAylmCD0tJ63r99fpbg_qaRjn3Uz2wbdt1jPoovR5bzhciFNedd3sgoIUI/s1600/coloring+book+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="719" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHQ0176jRHhuFkOMDBBFJchPWuS4gzP-DpHQ8lp-fyO1-_m5YnGO8PXEwigenS3Dcy6_N56h0JqJNlLelq0UAylmCD0tJ63r99fpbg_qaRjn3Uz2wbdt1jPoovR5bzhciFNedd3sgoIUI/s640/coloring+book+2.jpg" width="568" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To the Cider Mill by Danna York</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Coloring with Grandma</span><br />
One of the things my grandchildren know I’m happy to do side by side with them, is color with crayons. An uncommonly cute coloring book is one created by Danna York, a Christian home teacher and artist. <i>To the Cider Mill</i> reflects one of her favorite memories of an outing she took with her children during their home-teaching years.<i> </i>It is apropos to the season.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_Xm62K0v8_jAfk7lv0Btg8N7Dqn4lsrGTldsJXGhCaZqmRDeDNG45ACvlRLGhqRhedFQHqe1cqpmTx0r4Z07LdoiTJgA9oF-Hbi074PxtGN9R-CjXwOBdTBRV14K16pNrQTDXCaAgZA/s1600/coloring+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_Xm62K0v8_jAfk7lv0Btg8N7Dqn4lsrGTldsJXGhCaZqmRDeDNG45ACvlRLGhqRhedFQHqe1cqpmTx0r4Z07LdoiTJgA9oF-Hbi074PxtGN9R-CjXwOBdTBRV14K16pNrQTDXCaAgZA/s640/coloring+book.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uncommonly Cute</td></tr>
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If you are interested in making this book a gift for a child, Danna York would be happy to hear from you. By typing out her email we prevent spam. Yorkdanna(at)gmail(dot)com.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bD7uL-zMoYBF6vCXmdG11nc3HjIZaoPmj4RvB4hZXOdZC1GWZCuukjHxYhGahJDlmucgULw-86axvXbBS1esRtBzmU0ZVlzLqNW65AlJDScgvBhq2wQpAM44QF0bGy6vCzPN-AOCo9c/s1600/pumpkin+on+sill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7bD7uL-zMoYBF6vCXmdG11nc3HjIZaoPmj4RvB4hZXOdZC1GWZCuukjHxYhGahJDlmucgULw-86axvXbBS1esRtBzmU0ZVlzLqNW65AlJDScgvBhq2wQpAM44QF0bGy6vCzPN-AOCo9c/s640/pumpkin+on+sill.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wool pumpkins (purchased) for a window sill need arranging somehow.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">Photographs </span><br />
Sophia’s family visited Colonial Williamsburg over a week-end in September. She said it was quiet and that they were almost the only visitors.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Until next time, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Karen Andreola </div>
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Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-58195009856697345462018-08-29T18:28:00.002-04:002018-08-30T07:53:19.181-04:00Promotion of the Idyllic <span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">Promotion of the Idyllic</span><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">First the Big News</span><br />
A baby girl, 7 lb. 9 oz., was born to Yolanda and Daniel. They named her Liliana. We are smitten with her and her button nose.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj34cCYZN6wb-B4ZGsWiu_I_Fe9O2OMvrnREOwmPL9wo1bTK1sq8j5ScrTF-OrGodUNfUjbf4Km4x581rD5e25nXgv58etbYCx7X8wDMYlcWG59Fd-8np_zF5YGI2e6fJZcf64IxjBO4k/s1600/liliana+sleeping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj34cCYZN6wb-B4ZGsWiu_I_Fe9O2OMvrnREOwmPL9wo1bTK1sq8j5ScrTF-OrGodUNfUjbf4Km4x581rD5e25nXgv58etbYCx7X8wDMYlcWG59Fd-8np_zF5YGI2e6fJZcf64IxjBO4k/s640/liliana+sleeping.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Two Children’s Books</span><br />
In my Preface to <i>Lessons at Blackberry Inn</i> I admit to something. I admit to joining the ranks of the idealistic. I say<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq pinkbox">
<br />
I believe an author of children’s fiction has a duty to describe the world as it ought to be, as it can be. </blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyqmdFElsuQyNA49Ch4QAIznBnSzzkPldntKv4IRnig5DTfdinz63XY916JLR_bSSfPKMEYN7pKIeq_42Pk5Fis4qvuCejEHjQcUmFmRomCMuU5yN4V614IRA_hVji0oz9jzmal9rqSs/s1600/bookmark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyqmdFElsuQyNA49Ch4QAIznBnSzzkPldntKv4IRnig5DTfdinz63XY916JLR_bSSfPKMEYN7pKIeq_42Pk5Fis4qvuCejEHjQcUmFmRomCMuU5yN4V614IRA_hVji0oz9jzmal9rqSs/s640/bookmark.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A blog friend gave me this book mark after she visited Prince Edward Island this summer.</td></tr>
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One of my aims in writing was to demonstrate that the “idyllic principle” is also applicable to stories for grown-ups.<br />
<br />
It was the “idyllic principle” that enabled me to warm up to the story, <i><b>The Winged Watchman</b></i> by Hilda van Stockum. I love this story.<br />
<br />
As I continue in my Preface of <i>Blackberry Inn</i>, “All fiction is useful chiefly to animate truth, to inspire some noble aim or sweet spirit.”<br />
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Good fiction increases our understanding and our sympathies. Do such books encase us in a bubble? They don’t have to. While upholding virtue, they might introduce us to unpleasant and even life-threatening conflict. In <i>The Winged Watchman</i>, the main characters are a Catholic family living in Nazi occupied rural Holland. Dad runs a windmill, one of the few non-electric water-pumps in service. Hunger and secrecy are part of what this family lives with every day. We learn their secrets one chapter at a time. Meanwhile, as we read, created for us are scenes of faith, hope, patience, industry, trust, generosity, hospitality, parental love - - - and lots and lots of courage.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e69138;">Love requires courage.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #e06666;">Love is courage in action.</span></div>
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If I could go back and homeschool all over again I would make this a family read-aloud.<br />
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A 10-year-old boy, Joris, is central to the plot. I like Joris. And I like his mother very much. She holds the family together. I mentioned some years ago, how rare mothers seem to be in fiction. Motherless characters seem to fill the pages of fiction (including Shakespeare and Dickens.) Here, however, Mother cannot escape notice. And in the last chapter, the beautiful sentiments of admiration for her, voiced by Father, left me with a face wet with tears when I closed the book.<br />
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War-torn Holland in WWII would have been unlivable without faithful mothers and fathers. The unity of a strong family is also capable of supporting (and rescuing) members of the community. In <i>The Winged Watchman</i>, this family’s strength has a spiraling effect. (Hilda van Stockum drew the illustrations for her own story.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0z-1I144ylPPoICk391THBK-wgxE6e04WjG068l_y-qPJlm77ECPvDxrgSzGPK-YRmfZI7CnST1z62r3Ekq9UehmcauI-5uQ1CtbGAPhBfPcc5iR831JtMq1FxV5kXVb34CHiijLXpM/s1600/night+stand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="803" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0z-1I144ylPPoICk391THBK-wgxE6e04WjG068l_y-qPJlm77ECPvDxrgSzGPK-YRmfZI7CnST1z62r3Ekq9UehmcauI-5uQ1CtbGAPhBfPcc5iR831JtMq1FxV5kXVb34CHiijLXpM/s640/night+stand.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another little quilt made as a table topper with mini charm squares.</td></tr>
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Just before I read <i>The Winged Watchmen</i>, I just happened to have watched the fast-paced 1940 Alfred Hitchock film “Foreign Correspondent” with Joel McCrea (a favorite actor of mine) with Dean, so I got a good look inside of one such old Dutch windmill. The film takes place at the onset of WWII.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1wX1YGG5T8LrVXf2INpIBdFkZvXQ7GPxm85Pw8iAkMi05Wa_3BV7y1rF5C2JbXjczMdGQ4U2KbT8guZH5U55Oo2U38-2pNO1LzvOa64ayiirhO-eGV3PuRlWE4zA76bz-otq12OsaYM/s1600/qulit+top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1wX1YGG5T8LrVXf2INpIBdFkZvXQ7GPxm85Pw8iAkMi05Wa_3BV7y1rF5C2JbXjczMdGQ4U2KbT8guZH5U55Oo2U38-2pNO1LzvOa64ayiirhO-eGV3PuRlWE4zA76bz-otq12OsaYM/s640/qulit+top.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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I picked up another story by Hilda van Stockum: <i><b>The Borrowed House.</b></i> This family is not idyllic. I found the tone to be different, too. And the religious motivation dim. It was written 30 years after <i>The Winged Watchman.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcE3KxKs8bXJjBVilFL6qzqSuVnuzcvGoyvNTdQat5gA2PmyhnciXI0oeG6Fdh4Qa3MDx2qiFOJbBFYrSgRvbXz-EpA6GBAk6MS8GpFn1a4jC9lsoPjhnCRRVsXZhwJIRfS5wjpe9dl1A/s1600/borrowed+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="792" data-original-width="1132" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcE3KxKs8bXJjBVilFL6qzqSuVnuzcvGoyvNTdQat5gA2PmyhnciXI0oeG6Fdh4Qa3MDx2qiFOJbBFYrSgRvbXz-EpA6GBAk6MS8GpFn1a4jC9lsoPjhnCRRVsXZhwJIRfS5wjpe9dl1A/s640/borrowed+house.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The story is for children somewhat older. The main character is a 12-year-old girl, Janna. In Germany she is indoctrinated in Hitler’s Youth Camps. Yet, what she observes and experiences after moving to Holland, gets her thinking. Janna's ideas privately turn around without anyone debating her early impressions. My first thought was that such easy wanderings off her foundations is far-fetched. But perhaps in the stressful times of war, life and ideas are intensified and it might be believable. Therefore, perhaps we have the idyllic principle here after all.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANSe-03y1b_qjwfHulXgN3HLa56EVQE7OPO1tLRa6QrE0Dlwoile9tL8drKzfyrPpgXdOJHdC2v-A87OlK8__3Nt7ji36NhzYhNFBK-NI7QFogc-bapMewKPqnV2GtpsrgxPwNMcsIUE/s1600/close-up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANSe-03y1b_qjwfHulXgN3HLa56EVQE7OPO1tLRa6QrE0Dlwoile9tL8drKzfyrPpgXdOJHdC2v-A87OlK8__3Nt7ji36NhzYhNFBK-NI7QFogc-bapMewKPqnV2GtpsrgxPwNMcsIUE/s640/close-up.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I should tell you something that felt uncomfortable during my reading. Janna’s mother receives friendly attentions from the handsome baron, although she is happily married. This worries Janna. It worried me, too. It is the baron who, by some connection, is letting the family “borrow” the house with its servants – a house that belongs to a well-to-do Jewish family (who were forced to leave.) The fine possessions of the Jewish family fill all its rooms.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSchctdzBJgMczQopvgddDeHlDSArKVaCpHvbSogEByTuDF8YmlA4kNxydB9DsWBf9-I4KZI0_k-OO8DszqAHHOEdzJBYW-lMcEgepKGNU9EjG8T_LDfmPnuC90gD8Hk-HKj9-42awGE/s1600/artist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="925" data-original-width="548" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSchctdzBJgMczQopvgddDeHlDSArKVaCpHvbSogEByTuDF8YmlA4kNxydB9DsWBf9-I4KZI0_k-OO8DszqAHHOEdzJBYW-lMcEgepKGNU9EjG8T_LDfmPnuC90gD8Hk-HKj9-42awGE/s640/artist.jpg" width="378" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We noticed the idyllic principle applied by this painter on Saturday.</td></tr>
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The value of <i>The Borrowed House </i>is its presentation of ideas, however lightly touched upon these conflicting political views are. In the last chapter it is a relief to Janna to learn that her beautiful mother remains faithful to Janna’s father. And although I am giving this away for obvious reasons, I am not giving away sub-plots involving some likable courageous characters of the Resistance. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpspVMeyIGCOT5T6QzT40QCfJYMIb_EaqPV8oC7zPV4Eqaaq1PALDBy2-g9ZfUKUi1O8q1aSSvo6XRmNhai2oyaWHgjIfRhdgWGoaNJ_OnknFxzjNdFJU_lxd6Lf6xK_v-RjR7FMD5gc/s1600/yarn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="707" data-original-width="1000" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRpspVMeyIGCOT5T6QzT40QCfJYMIb_EaqPV8oC7zPV4Eqaaq1PALDBy2-g9ZfUKUi1O8q1aSSvo6XRmNhai2oyaWHgjIfRhdgWGoaNJ_OnknFxzjNdFJU_lxd6Lf6xK_v-RjR7FMD5gc/s640/yarn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life is not idyllic. When I heard my cousin started chemo-therapy and radiation I started knitting.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Other News </span><br />
My new book is about to be sent to the printer. Its quotes and footnotes are many. These all had to be checked and re-checked for accuracy. Nigel worked patiently with me on the fussy lay-out. On his computer he cleaned up more than 40 antique illustrations that were scanned from my collection of antique books. He fixed a cloudy eye, softened a sharp nose, removed a misplaced shadow, etc. With this big project finally ready for printing my eye has stopped twitching. My prayer is that it will minster to the biggest concerns of the busy home teacher.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Knitted Lace</span><br />
I like this simple scalloped edge from <i>Knitting on the Edge</i> by Nicky Epstein, p.88. I used it for an inch before knitting k2,p2.<br />
<br />
(multiples of 6) Place markers are helpful.<br />
<b>Row 1</b> (ws) Purl.<br />
<b>Row 2</b> K1,*yo, k1, sk2p, k1, yo, k1; rep from * to end.<br />
Rep rows. Knitting in the round Row 1 is K from now on.<br />
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<b>(sk2p is:</b> skip 1, knit2tog, pass slip st over knit2tog.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYmzfV6Al46-zUm0CXX691vWDfHcmsdRZTvibOZjBmqFJF-p_P_S7mwcefHxzW5gcjczhkocCXRfUHzD2CcubR4nJQGVou54e_kqEzCePzWXbZGjDlt4BfVAzKYHq1-oamZ1M9zlVrUU/s1600/red+cap+and+flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="723" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYmzfV6Al46-zUm0CXX691vWDfHcmsdRZTvibOZjBmqFJF-p_P_S7mwcefHxzW5gcjczhkocCXRfUHzD2CcubR4nJQGVou54e_kqEzCePzWXbZGjDlt4BfVAzKYHq1-oamZ1M9zlVrUU/s640/red+cap+and+flowers.jpg" width="474" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cap for a cousin.</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #e69138;">By Hilda van Stockum</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #e69138;"><br /></span></b>
<a href="https://amzn.to/2LxHx9T" target="_blank">The Winged Watchman</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2Pkk0M1" target="_blank">The Borrowed House</a><br />
<br />
I'd like to read her story <i>The Mitchells</i>, next. It is published by Bethlehem Books.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNHLB7G8yY4uAJaNjrm8ejbT3iKMk5w-xttxDO7f1d_G-ali6A-oRfzWRBENmLAhkW1bbLeL4XrtmLPuRNp72oWftc6Y64PmHse80_l9Lp3S0Z4cdED3RsdIRnL3kWjY2yO7exegVOgE/s1600/stuff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="1000" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilNHLB7G8yY4uAJaNjrm8ejbT3iKMk5w-xttxDO7f1d_G-ali6A-oRfzWRBENmLAhkW1bbLeL4XrtmLPuRNp72oWftc6Y64PmHse80_l9Lp3S0Z4cdED3RsdIRnL3kWjY2yO7exegVOgE/s640/stuff.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alas, the table topper is serving its purpose on the night stand. Dean reads Charlie Brown to unwind.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHgPXYqzUaYqSYMuj_j0n95BtziuarTcs-Uy7F_ikFJhYuyD3VWva1bdZ4Xk2_2hlNytEYCtztbxU6WV7sYRhX4kCSgumdV0aJbgfo5m3e8FsvN9OgPr5wwuEl-UomMOOBhtdt3Y6EEY/s1600/swallowtail+on+zinnia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="733" data-original-width="1200" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNHgPXYqzUaYqSYMuj_j0n95BtziuarTcs-Uy7F_ikFJhYuyD3VWva1bdZ4Xk2_2hlNytEYCtztbxU6WV7sYRhX4kCSgumdV0aJbgfo5m3e8FsvN9OgPr5wwuEl-UomMOOBhtdt3Y6EEY/s640/swallowtail+on+zinnia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Dean likes photographing the swallowtails on our zinnias out front. Aren't they beautiful? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Until next time,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Karen Andreola</div>
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Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-6342374988670114532018-07-05T15:14:00.002-04:002018-07-13T09:52:48.215-04:00Let's Preserve the Wholesome and the Good, Karen Andreola<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">Let's Preserve the Wholesome and the Good</span><br />
Whoever is telling the stories is interpreting life. This is
why during my homeschooling years, being unfamiliar with children’s literature,
I relied upon recommendations in the paper catalogs of family-owned Christian
companies. Now book lists can be found on-line.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fnMvdCrssjFbclW9pvIygidRK6w5iixXTsBR1OeMZ8HJazBPHogBe2AtCKj822yJPHqTWqg4M3M34CyX8qm3e36B5QLKJAU0sSENiT37MnuVx8bAGz5eGRXqUvyer48TQQBlw0GGJJY/s1600/Yolanda+Baby+Quity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="690" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fnMvdCrssjFbclW9pvIygidRK6w5iixXTsBR1OeMZ8HJazBPHogBe2AtCKj822yJPHqTWqg4M3M34CyX8qm3e36B5QLKJAU0sSENiT37MnuVx8bAGz5eGRXqUvyer48TQQBlw0GGJJY/s640/Yolanda+Baby+Quity.jpg" width="440" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made entirely on machine for Yolanda's upcoming baby. Yolanda likes yellow. </td></tr>
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During visits to the public library, I gravitated to the “outdated”
picture books - fiction and non-fiction. I would sometimes purchase library discards. Scavenging through used book shops also supplied me with out-of-print "finds."<br />
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It wasn’t until
years later that I noticed many of the books I liked best were published
pre-1963. These books are disappearing from libraries. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What’s the big deal about 1963? I found out. That was the
year that the United States Supreme Court declared Bible reading and prayer in
public school to be unconstitutional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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Not
reading Scripture aloud each morning during homeroom, or saying the Lord’s
Prayer, is one thing. But publishers took this ban too far.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstKne1qxK_2hg0VBzaoui7mjf0uQvX3tUsaGcL58Qam6uiC5t3C1aYQ-F8b_kW0m8d3xlBAFYY3w_gjjSTs4SZlfpIoAhOpZL3UJkiZ_CD4Xrb6gJpwVuEaJmaopzudad4NFz2q1Z61A/s1600/patch+with+blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="1000" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstKne1qxK_2hg0VBzaoui7mjf0uQvX3tUsaGcL58Qam6uiC5t3C1aYQ-F8b_kW0m8d3xlBAFYY3w_gjjSTs4SZlfpIoAhOpZL3UJkiZ_CD4Xrb6gJpwVuEaJmaopzudad4NFz2q1Z61A/s640/patch+with+blue.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like the pink and cream border fabrics immensely and am glad I had entire yard of it, rather than a forth. </td></tr>
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To ensure that their
schoolbooks were included (and to stay in business)
it seems they removed every mention of God, the church, and reference to the ten
commandments. </div>
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They removed any connection between certain noteworthy Americans and their Christian faith, even if that faith was their strongest motivation for
serving their fellow man.The final step, it seems, was to drop these people out of
the curriculum altogether.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzneoAIh5p3WJjTrFAf66wwoNlvVkjP3d2bd1uXnC2eNM0x-jr3yHcLJvOsePlCmnBv6hOO0Z4OiVg2DxKhEQ1SygDgmTE0jJ1wNXGjjalzlIJGgfZYo_-aIaDc0R8MHr_Fl5WNaT2AFA/s1600/holy+hocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="669" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzneoAIh5p3WJjTrFAf66wwoNlvVkjP3d2bd1uXnC2eNM0x-jr3yHcLJvOsePlCmnBv6hOO0Z4OiVg2DxKhEQ1SygDgmTE0jJ1wNXGjjalzlIJGgfZYo_-aIaDc0R8MHr_Fl5WNaT2AFA/s640/holy+hocks.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photograph in hand during a morning stroll. Hollyhocks, their a familiar faces.</td></tr>
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Censoring these heroes from the schoolbooks was
easy. Simply do not teach history. This removes them from the minds and
consciences of millions of American children, silencing their testimony
forevermore. Teach social studies instead, (or social issues) which can conveniently be filled
with the Left’s propaganda. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvaV5Cr4ASU1uF8Dy1M18wCAPZnCIUJeC56wsm9ChutwDPXXWiLkaGbj6_3UsZO-v7vH5RUbI-kh69Nur6x7_yUH3vz0KLS6lpwD0BE0lJiqc1wlEuTf3prkFPl5tcSmQuWbzQ5m4xQs/s1600/bee+balm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="729" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhvaV5Cr4ASU1uF8Dy1M18wCAPZnCIUJeC56wsm9ChutwDPXXWiLkaGbj6_3UsZO-v7vH5RUbI-kh69Nur6x7_yUH3vz0KLS6lpwD0BE0lJiqc1wlEuTf3prkFPl5tcSmQuWbzQ5m4xQs/s640/bee+balm.jpg" width="466" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hummingbirds like the red Bee Balm. I always cut them way back but they are prolific.</td></tr>
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Terrence Moore, in his book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Story Killers,</i> believes that the goal of the authors of our government
school’s Common Core (slipped in place without a vote from the Senate) is to keep America’s children “from reading stories,
particularly traditional stories, that run counter to the political ambitions”
the Left represents. He sees Common Core is the “educational arm
of the progressive state. As Plato pointed out in his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Republic </i>. . . whoever writes the stories shapes – or controls –
the minds of the people in any given regime.”*1<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZDLP1AN0CsQL8qrLlfOj7OdbQHH83Xr46UsTMTXF3m3QdnUQJpcfu6Z_vv1iH9HGScMlR_TWZ-VsRycs66r99A8eEttfoFLYuUcnoYwfYF7NKXjgblwqRHBBFVm99avuqKcRfvIBTBM/s1600/Peter+Peter+s%2526p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6ZDLP1AN0CsQL8qrLlfOj7OdbQHH83Xr46UsTMTXF3m3QdnUQJpcfu6Z_vv1iH9HGScMlR_TWZ-VsRycs66r99A8eEttfoFLYuUcnoYwfYF7NKXjgblwqRHBBFVm99avuqKcRfvIBTBM/s640/Peter+Peter+s%2526p.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dean bought me these salt and pepper shakers. Do you know who these funny British folks are?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I spent a little time reading <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Story Killers</i> this year. It disturbed me so much that I was losing
sleep over it, so I had to put it down. It is written gentlemanly (Terrence
Moore is a professor at Hillsdale College) but I found the facts disturbing. I will link (below) to his eye-opening lecture that gives a peek at
what he uncovered in the high school English curriculum. You will be very glad
you are home teaching.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOM2nF0hmtKBxq2PoZviAOr-GM_UPuEx6ChK4QpgXBI4_novCPpr6eLzCk3nVkg_uyarDw1ZKFi-DDPwdxBZ5_Do8FWDKjiMjZvdqk8HEEk-hkl8xnDjwcuzfOrFvUeFGLJNpQ8Cw7Zwg/s1600/Peter+Peter+s%2526p+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="669" data-original-width="1000" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOM2nF0hmtKBxq2PoZviAOr-GM_UPuEx6ChK4QpgXBI4_novCPpr6eLzCk3nVkg_uyarDw1ZKFi-DDPwdxBZ5_Do8FWDKjiMjZvdqk8HEEk-hkl8xnDjwcuzfOrFvUeFGLJNpQ8Cw7Zwg/s640/Peter+Peter+s%2526p+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater . . . </td></tr>
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<br />
The removal of the best fiction of the Western World is being done quietly. There are no book-burnings, not yet. Schools and libraries simply promote other books, books with contemporary themes. (Yikes. Their recommendations are startling.) Occasionally the discrediting of a classic book leaks out. These discredited books were once considered
wholesome and good. Read and re-read for decades, they seem to be read today by few besides Christian home-taught children. Why?<br />
<br />
These books have their feet planted on a morality and
worldview understood by the Christian of an earlier America (for example,
monogamy in marriage, between male and female.) The same books ignored, discredited, or discarded, by the Left (woefully in power of the schools and libraries today) are those home teachers are snatching up.<br />
<br />
We are educating our children with them. In so doing, we are preserving a culture.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large; mso-spacerun: yes;">This Upset Me</span><br />
One recent discredit upset me. Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beautiful
stories, yes her “Little House” series, had its award removed only weeks ago. The
Association for Library Service to Children stated their reason.“Wilder’s legacy, as represented by her body of work,
includes expressions of stereotypical attitudes inconsistent with [ALSC’s] core
values . . . ”</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink Astilbe being crowded out by the Sassafras tree with its 3 shapes of leaves, one being a mitten. </td></tr>
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Are the core values of Laura Ingalls Wilder's stories that "far gone" and immoral? Un-American? Evidently, the ALSC is offended by them. Joy Pullman writes in defense of Laura's values and perspective. I link (below) to her article: “It’s not Laura
Ingalls Wilder Who is Prejudice, It’s the Librarians Smearing Her Legacy.” </div>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Are we entering into the reality of Aldous Huxley's <i>Brave New World?</i></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq bluebox">
“But why is it prohibited?” asked the Savage. In the
excitement of meeting a man who had read Shakespeare he had momentarily
forgotten everything else.<br />
The Controller shrugged his shoulders. “Because it’s old;
that’s the chief reason. We haven’t any use for old things here.”<br />
“Even when they’re beautiful?”<br />
“Particularly when they’re beautiful. Beauty’s attractive,
and we don’t want people to be attracted to old things. We want them to like
the new ones.”</blockquote>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">On a Much Lighter Note</span><br />
Many find Carol Ryrie Brink's <i>Caddie Woodlawn</i> and its sequel to be
favorites. They were favorites in our house. Are you looking for something light and cheerful to read this summer? Here is another story by this beloved author. To lighten up this sober post
and to lighten up your summer I feature it here. <i>Baby Island </i>has a sprinkle of the ridiculous that will had some humor to a hot afternoon. My children are all grown now so I read it to myself. But it made me chuckle so how can I honestly say I read it "silently?"<br />
<br />
Due to a storm at sea, two sisters (conscientious babysitters) drift in a lifeboat and end up on a deserted tropical island with four little children. No one is hurt but the babysitters are bit stressed and bewildered.<br />
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The theme of this story uphold an idea misunderstood by a multitude of people today who do not have a Biblical understanding. Therefore, we can no longer take it for granted. Babies are persons
and precious. In the name of love, self-less effort is always needed to protect, care for them, and guide them. (I Cor. 13) And they are worth it. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">E</span><span style="color: #0b5394;">nd Notes</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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*1 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Story Killers</i>,
Terrence Moore, pg 8.<br />
<br />
I recommend his “The Story Killers” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCoOv_DwaAk" target="_blank">on Youtube.</a> After the
first 5 minutes of introduction the lecture is about 50 minutes long. I
listened while ironing. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/://thefederalist.com/2018/07/03/not-laura-ingalls-wilder-prejudiced-librarians-smearing-legacy/" target="_blank">Joy Pullmann’s article</a> on Laura Ingalls Wilder at The
Federalist.</div>
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<a href="https://amzn.to/2u9S1p9" target="_blank"><i>Baby Island</i> </a>at Amazon.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Hope you are enjoying your summer.</span><br />
<span style="color: #e06666;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e06666;">Keeping in touch,</span><br />
Karen Andreola </div>
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<br />Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-90761575054270174542018-06-01T20:03:00.001-04:002018-06-02T12:53:40.812-04:00Love and Duty<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;">Love and Duty</span><br />
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"Karen, please give a short and simple definition of Mother Culture," was the request on Facebook. Wishing to accommodate I typed away. Then I worked to cut it down quite a bit.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq bluebox">
To me Mother Culture is a mingling of love and duty. It is the skillful art of a mother looking after the ways of her household and herself. With a heart of devotion, she seeks to find happiness in those things she "has" to do, as well as whatever she might set her hand to do to express her creativity.<br />
Greatly helped by an understanding of the educational method of Miss Charlotte Mason, she is a home teacher who learns how to cultivate the souls of her children and herself while she is free to not be too exhausted for her husband's company.<br />
So nourished and refreshed with ideas, she keeps growing closer to God and into the Christian woman God is designing her to be.</blockquote>
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I hope this definition helps you introduce Mother Culture new home teachers in your circle of acquaintances.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">In the Works </span></b><br />
Nigel finished the cover of <i><b>Mother Culture - for a Happy Homeschool</b></i> (above). If it is difficult to tell whether he used water color or oil paint it is because he used neither. Using his large wacom tablet and wacom pen as a paint brush, he worked meticulously on my front and back covers for a good many days. It is a skill he taught himself. By a kind of trial and error he designs his own paint brush tools to accomplish the strokes he needs to get the look he imagines. "Necessity is the mother of invention," said Aesop.<br />
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One morning he said, “I have a
surprise for you. I added something to the picture.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Really? What?” I questioned. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Take a look,” he said. <o:p></o:p></div>
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He had painted my purple book, <i>A Charlotte Mason Companion</i>, on top of
the pile of books he had placed within easy reach of the mother. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Fabric </span><br />
As you know, fabric makes me smile. In between daily chores I enjoyed making a pint size "courthouse steps" inspired by Kathleen's Tracy's <i>Small & Scrappy.</i> Using the 4" Log Cabin Trim Tool by Jean Ann Wright, my piecing turned out less wonky. With this plastic ruler you trim after you piece each new pair of strips in a continual sort of "squaring-up" of the block as it grows. You end up with a pile of scraps,which in olden days would have stuffed a toy. I watched a YouTube tutorial about how to use it.<br />
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I placed this little quilt on my tea table to photograph it, while I was drinking a watermelon-strawberry-orange smoothie, and decided to make the quilt its table top for awhile. Some "wonky" is still in evidence but I tell myself this is part of the charm of something handmade.<br />
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I hand-quilted in-the-ditch with blue thread and added a scalloped edge to put some "round" in the design.<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Wild Flowers</span><br />
Walking back from the mailbox early in May I was pleased to see that a wild azalea (<i>rhododendron prinopyllum</i>) was blooming in our Pennsylvania woods again, this year with more blooms than last. I found a second bush on the other side of our property. I only know its name because I identified it (the old fashioned way) with my field guide some years back. I've managed unscathed, to keep the prolific poison ivy off both wild azalea bushes.<br />
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At an antique store two little out-of-print books caught my eye: <i><b>First Delights</b></i> <b><i>- A Book About the Five Senses</i></b> by Tasha Tudor (pub.1966) - a well-read library discard - and <i><b>And It Was So</b></i> by W. L. Jenkins of Westminster Press (based on Scripture) illustrated by Tasha Tudor in 1958. One is for Sophia and Andrew's children. <br />
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The other is for Yolanda and Daniel's little girl on the way.<br />
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<br />
Speaking about babies on the way. I collected fabric for a "pink lemonade" crib quilt. As this quilt has a thicker batting than what I usually use in my doll quilts I quilted it with a walking foot on machine. I will show you my photograph after the baby shower as Yolanda reads this blog and I want to keep the finished quilt a surprise.<br />
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<br />
In April I spent a week with my parents in New Jersey. Then one of my children had surgery and I tried to be supportive.<br />
<br />
And yet, since last November, rarely a week has gone by that I wasn't either contemplating, writing, or re-writing, my book.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;">A Family Affair</span><br />
For the book, my husband Dean spent weeks scanning choice pictures from our collection of antique books. His computer died and he had to take it to a computer fix-it place to recover the scans. My daughter Sophia wrote the Foreword in the middle of a major household move. Nigel has started the lay-out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rDxlOv8tNrZEhcqUB9LtZRVkHYnkZjWtqP731zBHQK-JbSSoNTCU0Sk10iOJpR0VvfCVimgxMcf7zI3AXbvvrcKIQU16YwgQASkB4hyphenhyphenvVvvsDe085rfNLolN-ge07tadz-nzdkgpc80/s1600/Hope-for-Tomorrow-sy-bg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1104" data-original-width="902" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rDxlOv8tNrZEhcqUB9LtZRVkHYnkZjWtqP731zBHQK-JbSSoNTCU0Sk10iOJpR0VvfCVimgxMcf7zI3AXbvvrcKIQU16YwgQASkB4hyphenhyphenvVvvsDe085rfNLolN-ge07tadz-nzdkgpc80/s400/Hope-for-Tomorrow-sy-bg.jpg" width="325" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">The Calendar</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkePz55Nm7kdp3ZcEwvCylMuKUcEtn5E-oQ6_FSl8u2ikYTsp6bqta4ZPqloNWd3TpZiZFV1AgZIU3DyaNpKQJFthqUZjy8n8UHCN2BEAb412aaOw-FGIVD4YWJJMT7eh2zcPO_jGUBWU/s1600/gardening+at+the+Lamp+post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="666" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkePz55Nm7kdp3ZcEwvCylMuKUcEtn5E-oQ6_FSl8u2ikYTsp6bqta4ZPqloNWd3TpZiZFV1AgZIU3DyaNpKQJFthqUZjy8n8UHCN2BEAb412aaOw-FGIVD4YWJJMT7eh2zcPO_jGUBWU/s640/gardening+at+the+Lamp+post.jpg" width="457" /></a>The calendar I wrote for Simply Charlotte Mason titled <b style="font-style: italic;">Hope for Tomorrow </b>is for sale.<br />
<br />
This spring Sonya Shaffer wrote an inspiring blog article, "8 Reasons to do Nature Study" that I enjoyed reading.<br />
<br />
SCM is planning to carry <i><b>Mother Culture.</b></i> I feel honored and encouraged.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;">L</span><span style="font-size: large;">earning Styles</span></span><br />
In March I re-wrote (and polished up) my article "Learning Styles and Charlotte Mason" for the blog Charlotte Mason Poetry. You will find a wealth of topics there.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Garden Flowers</span><br />
In early May (in between all our rain) I enjoyed surrounding the front lamp post with pink zinnia. I can highly recommend keeping up with any physical therapy home assignments. If it wasn't for PT I would not have the joy of using a shovel again, kneeling on my garden mat and getting up again even with curious bees whirling around and buzzing in my ears.<br />
<br />
You can see in the foreground how our hungry wild rabbits like our crocus, nibbling leaves in a series of "meals" until they are chewed down to the root. I try not to mind because somehow the crocus always manages to bloom each spring.<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Reading</span><br />
I think I did more reading this year so far than I've ever done. I hope to share highlights of some of these books in upcoming blog posts.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Links</span><br />
Kathleen's Tracy's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2xxuzXO" target="_blank">Small & Scrappy</a></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<a href="https://amzn.to/2kBEO43" target="_blank">Log Cabin Trim Tool</a> by Jean Ann Wright<br />
<br />
<a href="http://charlottemasonpoetry.org/learning-styles-and-charlotte-mason/" target="_blank">My article</a> on Charlotte Mason Poetry<br />
<br />
<a href="https://simplycharlottemason.com/store/hope-tomorrow-calendar-journal/" target="_blank">2018-2019 Hope for Tomorrow Calendar </a>Journal for Simply Charlotte Mason<br />
<br />
Sonya Shaffer's <a href="https://simplycharlottemason.com/blog/8-reasons-to-do-nature-study/" target="_blank">"8 Reasons to do Nature Study."</a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Keeping in touch,</span><br />
Karen Andreola<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-24875239974376606692018-03-24T07:45:00.000-04:002018-03-25T09:43:15.977-04:00A Few Resources for Boys <span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">A Few Resources for Boys</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3F5XZrSQYK_VG4WvLxx5h_pvWCuYOEC8-XfRPjy1cJz34PrIIwxWlUBKWYiYPyfO1xNDl3RgfpLrKhJqK10vDwDakTP5SoGq21OMhHER97wmyZKbs0jqcUyplJYELAGgwDP0ilhdZ8Y/s1600/nigel+and+dad+final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="608" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ3F5XZrSQYK_VG4WvLxx5h_pvWCuYOEC8-XfRPjy1cJz34PrIIwxWlUBKWYiYPyfO1xNDl3RgfpLrKhJqK10vDwDakTP5SoGq21OMhHER97wmyZKbs0jqcUyplJYELAGgwDP0ilhdZ8Y/s400/nigel+and+dad+final.jpg" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nigel Andreola and Dean Andreola, Maine 1999</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Some boys will read but they aren't particularly excited about it. Some, drag their feet.<br />
<br />
To remedy this we look for books that capture interest. Boys age 10-14 enjoy Ralph Moody's stories because they are based on challenges of his own life.<br />
<br />
Are you familiar with Walt Morey? He is best known for <i><b>Gentle Ben</b></i> because a television show based on the book, aired 1967-69. It accounts for it being popular on Amazon.<br />
<br />
My children tell me, however, that his <i>other</i> stories are better. Therefore, I nodded when I spied a comment on <i>K<b>avik the Wolf Dog</b></i><b> </b>expressing: "What a story! Way better than <i>Gentle Ben.</i>" It was all the comment the reader left but it was a happy exclamation.<br />
<br />
Another writer of adventure is William O. Steele. My children read his <i><b>Buffalo Knife.</b></i> Most of Mr. Steele's books are out-of-print. I read <i><b>The Story of Daniel Boone</b>. </i>He also wrote another Landmark; <i><b>The Story of Leif Ericson</b>. </i>A generation ago or so, the Landmark Books made a noteworthy contribution to a child's knowledge of history. That was when children studied history. I'm sorry that so many living-book-histories are out-of-print. Keep an eye out for them. (Some Landmarks are better "reads" than others.)<br />
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It is encouraging to know that avid book rescuing is going on. Home teachers are building their libraries with used and sundry cast-offs. With these old "finds" they are preserving history. Rather than hide truth under a bushel, they are letting it shine for their children and their children's children. Ambre Sautter is building a website with a heart for rescuing books and chronicling them. Her Facebook readers at "<b>Reshelving Alexandria</b>" post their recent "finds." Many library discards have become treasures.<br />
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<br />
Getting back to the subject of boys, I'll let my son Nigel tell you about a gem for leisure reading. Thankfully these "clean" comics are still in print.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The Adventures of Tintin</b></span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;">Review by Nigel
Andreola</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><b>The Adventures of
Tintin</b></i> will satisfy cravings for wholesome action-packed adventure. Devoid
of blatant sexual immorality and foul language it is appropriate for most ages.
Kids as well as adults from all over the world have loved these books ever
since the Belgian Mr. Herge began writing them in the 1930’s.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXEm9EumjC2Bsi2hn0EHYUV0izbVrjlQczUdfgk8l4xG4ew8bF_vX2GdWOYAgHA2ciDHKStmRDC_FsTPmjn7pIC44iRe1MLnItWc7VAys7cZRqS9fW52mxcj348pht9aP0ADL1Y76wsI4/s1600/tintin+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="969" data-original-width="1000" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXEm9EumjC2Bsi2hn0EHYUV0izbVrjlQczUdfgk8l4xG4ew8bF_vX2GdWOYAgHA2ciDHKStmRDC_FsTPmjn7pIC44iRe1MLnItWc7VAys7cZRqS9fW52mxcj348pht9aP0ADL1Y76wsI4/s400/tintin+5.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
Tintin is a boy reporter who (along with his faithful dog
Snowy) solves mysteries and fights crime. Although he is small, he is tough and
delightfully clever.<br />
<br />
He brings to justice international drug smugglers,
thieves, slave traders, spies, and warlords. He restores peace and good
government to countries at war.<br />
<br />
And if this isn’t enough, he narrowly escapes
death while he saves his friends lives in every book.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Unlike modern comic book formats, here we have witty dialog
(with a large vocabulary) and an intriguing novel-like story line.<br />
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My father
introduced me to this unforgettable cast of characters when I was a boy. But my
sisters read them, too. You can meet the bumbling twin detectives, Thomson and
Thompson, the eccentric hard-of-hearing mad scientist Professor Calculus with
his priceless inventions, and Captain Haddock, a sailor with a weakness for
whisky, to name a few of the characters. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Friends of all ages have borrowed my Tintin books so often I
am surprised the well-worn covers are still holding. Brimming with real-world
geography, Tintin’s adventures take him to colorful and exotic locations all
over the world. He faces many dangers in Africa, the Americas, China, India,
Nepal, Arabia, Eastern Europe, England and more.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZPFZW1BOMfD0nlpqBr9qSujNWjglGy92te2iC0_e3uVgC5PKyG5vDWiOSO7r1ObbCioXEnV9OFX_Rzi7v1HEL4yJ36wsnA4vu3ZHCMFHQxQZJWVuHDA3lCOyVvYwdCQtG5QuRm-R0_E/s1600/tintin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="1200" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZPFZW1BOMfD0nlpqBr9qSujNWjglGy92te2iC0_e3uVgC5PKyG5vDWiOSO7r1ObbCioXEnV9OFX_Rzi7v1HEL4yJ36wsnA4vu3ZHCMFHQxQZJWVuHDA3lCOyVvYwdCQtG5QuRm-R0_E/s640/tintin.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdOCiCG9BEjzNfJ3sYwxZHrKxzsKYM9Db6ciOW45u8Hz4z4c2K-9R_DubgRVfv4tL1cohHqB0F5AgHG7wvwH6Jn223FnZfWL8ig3-Npehgt5os33Xtr0GMXnbWObxjMspsNl6Eq_ikTY/s1600/Tintin+2+page+spread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1021" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdOCiCG9BEjzNfJ3sYwxZHrKxzsKYM9Db6ciOW45u8Hz4z4c2K-9R_DubgRVfv4tL1cohHqB0F5AgHG7wvwH6Jn223FnZfWL8ig3-Npehgt5os33Xtr0GMXnbWObxjMspsNl6Eq_ikTY/s400/Tintin+2+page+spread.jpg" width="340" /></a><br />
<br />
It is true that Tintin will
occasionally encounter the strange customs and pagan rituals of primitive
cultures, and the books are politically incorrect by today’s standards, (firearms are used).<br />
<br />
But to
me, the political incorrectness heightens the suspense and humor.
Although the stories are secular, they are moralistic, so the
presentation of good versus evil is well-defined and portrayed.<br />
<br />
By the way, if any of my friends are reading
this, isn’t it about time you consider buying your own copies?<br />
---Nigel<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">Post Script</span><br />
I finished piecing my log cabin table topper. You see it is pictured here - yet to be quilted. It's rather large for a table topper. I got carried away. I admit.<br />
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Red is traditionally used for the center of an American log cabin quilt square. It represents a warm hearth. The centers in this design are larger than is typical. I used the <a href="http://amzn.to/2uadmSP" target="_blank">"Log Cabin Trim Tool"</a> by Jean Ann Wright, to "square up" and keep my strips accurate. This trim tool (plastic ruler) comes in three sizes and is demonstrated on YouTube. I'm already day-dreaming about making a tiny log cabin doll quilt Amish style, using solid colors and the smallest trim tool.<br />
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Fabric makes me smile. This topper certainly has the scrappy look with lots and lots of different of fabric. I may have been a too scrap-happy. It's rather busy. But it will be something to look at on a gray day (when it's finished.) What's delightful about Mother Culture is that you can choose to be creative and decorate in ways that make you smile.<br />
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<span style="color: orange;">Listed on Amazaon:</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span>
<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2ubXm2t" target="_blank">Kavik the Wolf Dog</a></i> by Walt Morey<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2Gc321g" target="_blank">Buffalo Knife</a> </i>by William O'Steele<br />
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<b><i>The Adventures of Tintin</i> </b>by Herge<br />
<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2FV8PJg" target="_blank">Cigars of the Pharaoh </a></i><br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span>
You will see other books by these authors surrounding those I linked here. Happy book hunting.<br />
<span style="color: #cc0000;">Thanks for stopping by,</span><br />
Karen Andreola <i> </i><br />
<i><br /></i>Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-72476926518629190602018-03-11T15:41:00.001-04:002018-03-11T15:46:21.049-04:00Drawing Shyness by Karen Andreola <br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Drawing Shyness</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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My children all liked to draw - - - and were unhampered by
drawing lessons because I didn't give them such lessons in their early years. Only in later years did they have a few drawing lessons, on shape and
shading.<br />
(One resource was an old kit by Jon Gnagy. It was eagerly taken up.)<br />
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Before that, I simply said, "Draw what you see." </div>
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That was enough.</div>
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I let them draw here and draw there - with no criticism from
me (unless I was pressed. Then I'd give "one" pointer.)<br />
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"You
like our pictures because you're our mother," they would moan.<br />
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"Okay, okay, if you wanna get picky - - - that sunflower
is disproportionately wide in the stem." Choice vocabulary would always
appease them. With that, my job was done. "Now, let me bring this basket
of clean laundry upstairs and get another started in the washer."<o:p></o:p></div>
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Drawing is a sort of slow-growth "learn-as-you-go." I found children are self-correcting. Doesn't this make a teacher sound lax
or lazy?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
Miss Mason humorously admits to being "shy in speaking" about drawing. This is because she didn't hamper her students with instruction, either. The less a
teacher does "for" students, the more she is frowned upon by the
school-ish establishment. </div>
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She didn't care, however. She simply let children
draw what blossomed in their imagination connected with the reading of the day.<br />
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She was impressed, too, with how the children used "all their paper"
in drawing what they observed of the world around them. *1<o:p></o:p></div>
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She says,<o:p></o:p></div>
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"They give you horses leaping brooks, dogs running
after cats, sheep on the road, always with a sense of motion. . . a gardener
sharpening his scythe, their mother sewing, a man rowing, or driving, or
mowing.<br />
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They have a delightful and courageous sense of color, and
any child will convince you that he has it in him to be an artist.”</blockquote>
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“ . . . Their field studies give them great scope. The first
buttercup in a child's nature notebook is shockingly crude . . . but by and by
another buttercup will appear with the delicate poise, uplift and radiance of
the growing flower." *2</blockquote>
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How delightfully sweet!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjGr1Rge7cyPsZkC3fdGC5xJOaItUfxMpeDZYpBZt1-LV8YPpRi4qHo4YsRE3NVm95KSMX9vcXREhRD-4l0DGFZNU5NxNsiPJfwpnvdiXT_KPp7GsSXmPmS2bJFFYyPEu9ZDB48PhM1c/s1600/do-you-like-butter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="358" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjGr1Rge7cyPsZkC3fdGC5xJOaItUfxMpeDZYpBZt1-LV8YPpRi4qHo4YsRE3NVm95KSMX9vcXREhRD-4l0DGFZNU5NxNsiPJfwpnvdiXT_KPp7GsSXmPmS2bJFFYyPEu9ZDB48PhM1c/s400/do-you-like-butter.jpg" width="260" /></a>*1&*2 Charlotte Mason, <i>Philosophy of Ed</i>. p.217<o:p></o:p></div>
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Dear friend, <o:p></o:p></div>
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You are not a lax or lazy teacher if you give your students
the assignment to draw - - - and then set them free - - - to draw what they
see.<o:p></o:p><br />
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(I first made this a Facebook Post for Monday morning. Then, I thought I ought to place it on the blog here for those who prefer not to scroll there.) <o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Good News</span><br />
Yolanda and Daniel are moving back to Lancaster County because he found a job here. Meanwhile Sophia and Andrew (and my grandchildren) are moving an hour away rather than three. We are all looking forward to seeing more of each other this year.<br />
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Yolanda is expecting a baby this summer. She has waited a long time. I'm praying she will keep the baby as the women in our family have a history of miscarriages. </div>
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Spring is around the corner. Snowdrops are in bloom down the road. I hope, very soon, to be relieved of the symptoms of cabin fever. Weeding the garden has risen in my estimation to be a sought-after occupation. </div>
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I am looking forward to digging in the garden - especially after watching the film "Secret Garden" with Margaret O'Brien last week. This melodramatic version (complete with temper tantrums) is actually pretty close to the book.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Until next time,</span><br />
Karen Andreola </div>
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Copyright Karen Andreola, 2018<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-61598274683552977672018-02-18T13:31:00.000-05:002018-02-18T13:48:53.334-05:00I am, I can, I ought, I will. <span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">I</span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"> am, I can, I ought, I will.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1OEse3QXzXwPqqm9oSnc3aA8ze-1YR20j0A0bJUrizcHgfC-5wlQFJg8w9sRg8sGCvp_UilFCdpcAcXsH1PAX2kVdnmJK_24td7K8tDi1rRTbcSaKXq1RfpzEbRr8ljtJj7WsCwHZck/s1600/little+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="572" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1OEse3QXzXwPqqm9oSnc3aA8ze-1YR20j0A0bJUrizcHgfC-5wlQFJg8w9sRg8sGCvp_UilFCdpcAcXsH1PAX2kVdnmJK_24td7K8tDi1rRTbcSaKXq1RfpzEbRr8ljtJj7WsCwHZck/s640/little+girls.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1989 - Tennessee. Sophia and Yolanda are still close today. </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>The Motto</b></span><br />
The motto of the P.N.E.U is for persons of any age and position.<br />
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In the middle of the school year it is good to be reminded of our motivations.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">F</span><span style="font-size: large;">amily-</span><span style="font-size: large;">S</span><span style="font-size: large;">tyle </span></b></span><br />
One of the benefits of home learning is that children look up to adults.<br />
<br />
In an age-integrated environment, spiritual and intellectual meals are served family-style with discussion and narration part of the menu plan.<br />
<br />
Students work independently with lovely focus too, keeping a record of their learning in notebooks and through projects.<br />
<br />
The smallest segment of their learning is experienced within a group of peers in a co-op, perhaps, within meaningful activities, these can include opportunities for ministering to others.<br />
<br />
In his pamphlet, <i><b>A Generation Which Knew Not the Lord</b></i>, addressing why an alarming number of children raised in Christian homes are leaving the church, pastor Joseph P. Cammilleri says,<br />
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"The godliest young people that I have observed are those who spent the most time with their families; family dependence, so to speak, in contrast to peer dependence."</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuMJ2bOnRgwWyK8dytg7y-K-mR15lYlajGNZYyp8XG-dVkFJPD4z9TMQEuklpu-s6qw0VFidQEIEkH4kTQiOeHICjm4_5OUbwS_t6owt3ew1eND2oByT2ihbO7M6iRsi673FonGPcojQ/s1600/tea+cozy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="803" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuMJ2bOnRgwWyK8dytg7y-K-mR15lYlajGNZYyp8XG-dVkFJPD4z9TMQEuklpu-s6qw0VFidQEIEkH4kTQiOeHICjm4_5OUbwS_t6owt3ew1eND2oByT2ihbO7M6iRsi673FonGPcojQ/s640/tea+cozy.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yolanda and I made tea cozies for gifts one year. We made some in blue pots, too.</td></tr>
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With family-style learning, even grandparents may get into-the-act. This year a mother shared with me how her retired father studied WWII with her son (for high-school credit). History was a favorite subject of Grandpa's. He is gone now but during those influential years he was esteemed for his teaching-love. What Grandpa left behind him, in the heart and mind of his grandson, is special and immeasurable.<br />
<br />
In the philosophy of secular humanism (and hedonism) there exists no higher authority than man (or self). Yikes. We see what a mess this philosophy makes of a civil society and the lives of individuals. Yet, this is the religion of the government schools and Universities. It is also the religion of Hollywood.<br />
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Being brought-up in a Christian household a student is blessed by living with higher and purer ideals than what is presented in the government schools. His ideals steam from the Word of God. Let's look at a few ideals today, within the motto.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzJ7WPFzlrxcKswMmZ2x5zp8OCq_y1bRBqvL8QcouZ9FqhQKYmUATRHXxye7teCLh2RypEu-CztOebTy29DmwsE7iYmTgnmuENsZfWo3zLogi6Fop4UqQgKo_kF2TNfkwS0-3dtfMQGs/s1600/antique+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzJ7WPFzlrxcKswMmZ2x5zp8OCq_y1bRBqvL8QcouZ9FqhQKYmUATRHXxye7teCLh2RypEu-CztOebTy29DmwsE7iYmTgnmuENsZfWo3zLogi6Fop4UqQgKo_kF2TNfkwS0-3dtfMQGs/s400/antique+books.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first draft of my book is finished. I am contemplating pictures for it.</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Ideals</span></b><br />
Ideals are way up high. We have to reach for them. Carl Shultz said,<br />
<br />
"Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands. But like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you [use] them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny."<br />
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It stretches our personality while it develops our character, to reach for an ideal - although what we actually achieve will be somewhere lower. I am reminded of a song I used to sing in Sunday school - "We Are Climbing Jacob's Ladder." We reach-up to climb. The song had hand motions to go with it. When I think of Charlotte Mason's motto I think of climbing Jacob's Ladder. The first step of the ladder is:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkYKiLjsuv0-SXWsC5oO_sj35Hn6JP9wPwhUf9PiSdo-ZW6fKYDz5e3Kbf-uAuHolkzX1oC4GLzXuHCRrSUzYMTAkyK43mBMrA2HVD9BMzvX30IJYpTTeH9L9vGQTaNtMvef5DcQRMJs/s1600/antique+books+close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkYKiLjsuv0-SXWsC5oO_sj35Hn6JP9wPwhUf9PiSdo-ZW6fKYDz5e3Kbf-uAuHolkzX1oC4GLzXuHCRrSUzYMTAkyK43mBMrA2HVD9BMzvX30IJYpTTeH9L9vGQTaNtMvef5DcQRMJs/s400/antique+books+close+up.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the cover of one of my Victorian books. Isn't she sweet?</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-size: large;">I</span><span style="font-size: large;"> am.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></b><br />
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If I am a Christian who am I? I am an ordinary person and have sin-nature, but if my faith is in Christ I am a new creation.*1 Through His Holy Spirit I am a partaker of the divine nature.*2 I am a person redeemed,*3 ransomed,*4 reconciled,*5 adopted.*6 I am of the elect*7 and accepted in the beloved.*8 etc.<br />
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Many beautiful old hymns were written in praise of who we are in Christ. Please feel free to share any favorites in the comments.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-size: large;">I can.</span></b><br />
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I can reach for an ideal. A series of failures may result in setbacks because I am an ordinary person. But each effort should bring me a little nearer to the goal. Christ chose ordinary men to be his disciples. To these ordinary men were left the important work of continuing what Christ began.<br />
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<span style="color: #351c75;">"But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'"*9</span></blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02ubUgkxiRYNMH7anR0qGMH6tKzICnsnjy4c-1TwQMz2vwVSpGrNnWV4uRY1O9pD00TfSDpucI-C8sjfKu6pzpgHzoDO9Wc4MS3evxP6ZshkgSoSCMrUDo4l35QNp_cVs7bPDxueB6CM/s1600/open+page.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="928" data-original-width="1200" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02ubUgkxiRYNMH7anR0qGMH6tKzICnsnjy4c-1TwQMz2vwVSpGrNnWV4uRY1O9pD00TfSDpucI-C8sjfKu6pzpgHzoDO9Wc4MS3evxP6ZshkgSoSCMrUDo4l35QNp_cVs7bPDxueB6CM/s640/open+page.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A found a beautiful mother and child for a page in my new book. I have 40 chapters and hope to find 40 pictures.</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">I ought.</span></b><br />
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The word "ought" comes from the word "owe." What we ought to do is what we owe to our God, parents, and one another. We are to<i> outdo</i> one another with showing love and honor.*10 "I ought" is a twin with "I can" for what we ought to do we can do. "Duty" is old fashioned word. We rarely hear or use it today, which suggests there could be a cold association with it. But we can think of this step surrounded by a glowing halo. We would do better if we loved warmly what we ought to do.*11<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmmNrnpxrey81AYT2rKPSCJRWWZqMN2dd9Ik_RCqTSUcrtxPp_rHheYvMYUPuBCYqiDJCKTiAfhafuPngWnUaunAHBCY37lJ6XimfxsNGUtyTJ_lehhXI9hvYcMDuJqSWmkbk2_eTD1w/s1600/tea+cozy+close-up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWmmNrnpxrey81AYT2rKPSCJRWWZqMN2dd9Ik_RCqTSUcrtxPp_rHheYvMYUPuBCYqiDJCKTiAfhafuPngWnUaunAHBCY37lJ6XimfxsNGUtyTJ_lehhXI9hvYcMDuJqSWmkbk2_eTD1w/s400/tea+cozy+close-up.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We used zig-zag stitch to applique our cut-out pieces. Piping in top seam.</td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">I will.</span> </b><br />
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The last step involves our will. It should be prefaced with "by the grace of God."*12 We are often too inclined to depend on our own resources. "It is God who works in you, both <i>to will</i> and to do for His good pleasure."*13 I thought hardly anything about the will until I read Charlotte Mason's writings. The function of the will is to choose moment by moment. The more we consciously perform an act of will, the stronger that willpower becomes.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Here I am. Send me. </span></b><br />
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With this motto each person can say, "I am only one, but I am one; I can't do everything, but I can do something. That which I do, I ought to do, and that which I ought to do, with God's help so I will do it."*14<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">May this motto greatly encourage my Christian friends mid-year.</span></blockquote>
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<b style="color: #f1c232; font-size: x-large;">Post Script</b><br />
For those who asked, Sophia and Yolanda are doing well. I hope to share more soon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2TFdlN1dO395Rme12dMeXLXkV3El3GFgTMVGkTRwA9aYpB4ymLnFaiqbNMLkuKE3dk-cDqK9CPdUPi1lS_xh9kkn0DDoWGRJBOk9b7JRj2-lole6spOE2DoA9Bg3oRk6HL1pzvQ7MEM/s1600/little+dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2TFdlN1dO395Rme12dMeXLXkV3El3GFgTMVGkTRwA9aYpB4ymLnFaiqbNMLkuKE3dk-cDqK9CPdUPi1lS_xh9kkn0DDoWGRJBOk9b7JRj2-lole6spOE2DoA9Bg3oRk6HL1pzvQ7MEM/s400/little+dog.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophia needle-felted me this corgi. Compare it in size to the postage stamp.</td></tr>
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I connected the points made (above) presented concisely, to truths in the Word of God as I understand them.<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;">Comments are Welcome.</span><br />
<span style="color: #660000;">Karen Andreola</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">E</span>nd Notes</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="color: #674ea7;">I</span><span style="color: #674ea7;"> AM:</span></span><br />
*1 2nd Corinthians 5:17<br />
*2 2nd Peter 1:4, 2nd Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 3:9<br />
*3 Ephesians 1:7<br />
*4 1st Peter 1:18<br />
*5 2nd Corinthians 5:18<br />
*6 Ephesians 1:5<br />
*7 1st Peter 1:2<br />
*8 Ephesians 1:6<br />
<span style="color: #f1c232;">I CAN </span>*9 2nd Corinthians 12:9<br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">I OUGHT </span>*10 Romans 12:10, *11 Romans 12:1<br />
<span style="color: #e06666;">I WILL </span>*12 James 4:15, *13 Philippians 2:13, Hebrews 13:21<br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;">SUMMARY </span>*14 Isaiah 6:8Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-53059854789738037952018-02-01T16:18:00.001-05:002018-02-02T18:11:51.617-05:00From Doodles to Websites <div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">From Doodles to Websites</span><br />
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First a Chat. <br />
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All January I was frazzle-busy. In between cooking and company I was writing and polishing my new book. Nigel is illustrating the cover. "Please give the mother a contented smile and make it a good-hair-day," I said. He is obliging me accordingly. I hope to tell you about the book soon. I am working to make it as ministering as I can.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBAJFbpEg_eVe9NLpzP40jPRvKp6EnIkogmS84S6BPxbBIKSE94QeRPrbCWVl8_ODIb4s52b_30l058eKFrVT5prZ0OBj6aPhWv3qTj85BrYsnmkHwFdU2v2VgLuD_buPw4MqHyE6odQ/s1600/christmas1991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="1086" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBAJFbpEg_eVe9NLpzP40jPRvKp6EnIkogmS84S6BPxbBIKSE94QeRPrbCWVl8_ODIb4s52b_30l058eKFrVT5prZ0OBj6aPhWv3qTj85BrYsnmkHwFdU2v2VgLuD_buPw4MqHyE6odQ/s400/christmas1991.jpg" width="397" /></a></div>
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I found this old photograph taken in Christmas 1990 (just before I started my Parents' Review). My red dress is a Laura Ashley, wool cotton. It is in my closet still today. That was the last year I kept my hair to my waist. I used to love holding a little one on my hip. In this picture it is Nigel hanging there. Yolanda is in green. Sophia is in red. She is now five years older than I was in this picture. Oh my. (I'm feeling nostalgic this winter. What fun those home-teaching years were.) I hope to have some happy news to tell you about Yolanda and Sophia in my next blog post. I have an old photo of Dean and Nigel to share, next time we meet. <span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
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Poor Dean has a bad cold and is in bed. It's a good thing we have homemade broth in the freezer (from the Thanksgiving turkey). My next blog post is in draft still so I decided to make this announcement in the meantime. <br />
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">I am delighted to announce our new
family business venture.</span></span></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://starrynightmedia.com/" style="background-color: #161c46; border-radius: 1em; color: yellow; display: block; margin-top: 1em; padding: 1em; position: relative;" target="_blank">Starry Night Media, LLC.</a></h3>
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<a href="https://starrynightmedia.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="https://starrynightmedia.com/" border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk8Ens7ZphoKpbrhLMjQo9KyZysyLNllNBBLHRoz2BOZjjlR1uLq4wRn6bDnUXdZGee7zuBDFctMqEAxEBhe5fVl9xyTgkZdJCcG5rto2PGFT4kImBR9H3izLmOa4tkkgsGSiClCcYK6M/s1600/Starry-Night-Media-Website-for-blog.jpg" /></a></div>
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My son built the website <a href="https://starrynightmedia.com/" target="_blank">starrynightmedia.com</a> to showcase his abilities. Isn’t it handsome? He’s an award-winning
web designer, graphic designer,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and illustrator.<br />
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<a href="https://starrynightmedia.com/" target="_blank">Starry Night Media</a> provides quality websites, beautiful graphic designs, and
artistic illustration services. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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With web design he can build you a brand-new website, spruce
up your old one or aid your efforts to do it yourself. He built our
<a href="https://charlottemason.com/">charlottemason.com</a> website and makes sure his projects work on all popular
devices. If you watch the hot-air balloon on our website you will see it is sailing on the breeze.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDLEFIvOW0SnSZ6oyQ9xuPaGGfKr0H4Y1TsdX-aQzgkKmPlArFHJEoPukUgFNq1m5Qcmtvqlis_rj4tddClicyogO1x15JE20M8JUoCB2GnMclIppa4CPLeSmqKgQtPeSN9CiSKzgdDM/s1600/charlotte-mason-research-company-website-for-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDLEFIvOW0SnSZ6oyQ9xuPaGGfKr0H4Y1TsdX-aQzgkKmPlArFHJEoPukUgFNq1m5Qcmtvqlis_rj4tddClicyogO1x15JE20M8JUoCB2GnMclIppa4CPLeSmqKgQtPeSN9CiSKzgdDM/s1600/charlotte-mason-research-company-website-for-blog.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-C1T5LBs2uOhDHVlUB58xVI9WGyoZrhE2_LYbcXATKEZsPWYPQRdJlH-AqBlkDGuDmvx9XGOmFfKfTnf2zM7VKo_5V2G9wssjtTUhHwt_PLYdQXsQiNCWLYJkB33xpwCWNZaLV9r75M/s1600/gold-crisp-organic-starry-night-media-llc-1558x1440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1558" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-C1T5LBs2uOhDHVlUB58xVI9WGyoZrhE2_LYbcXATKEZsPWYPQRdJlH-AqBlkDGuDmvx9XGOmFfKfTnf2zM7VKo_5V2G9wssjtTUhHwt_PLYdQXsQiNCWLYJkB33xpwCWNZaLV9r75M/s400/gold-crisp-organic-starry-night-media-llc-1558x1440.jpg" width="400" /></a>With a diverse range of art styles we can illustrate most
anything you can imagine.<br />
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At present, Nigel has some book illustrations in-the-works
and is happiest while painting and drawing.<br />
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He painted this spotlight of a grocery store shelf. It shows how useful a good illustration can be in making your product stand out. The exotic squirrel on "Gold Crisp" corn flakes is an example of an interesting cereal box. "Puffs" is bland in more ways than one. he, he. If you eat "Sugar Rush" you are at risk of glowing in the dark.<br />
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To fit the banner width of the website Nigel expanded Van Gogh’s Starry Night painting. He matched the
art style impeccably with his own composition. For example, the sparkling river in the painting is entirely his artwork and add-on.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbI5fY_L3Z6bkzBuj30FupCMFO6S7oFqjvo3OAL1qi_2op0npNqkcsOnij1EtF9TFfFjnT-OUW4xGAp2pV63_uRkKnwWQleLiM4xxfmDY3PpD1GSO9fk-_U14GmbyEKE8GRLqO_65aVHc/s1600/Starry-Night-vr-Background-2k-2560x1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbI5fY_L3Z6bkzBuj30FupCMFO6S7oFqjvo3OAL1qi_2op0npNqkcsOnij1EtF9TFfFjnT-OUW4xGAp2pV63_uRkKnwWQleLiM4xxfmDY3PpD1GSO9fk-_U14GmbyEKE8GRLqO_65aVHc/s1600/Starry-Night-vr-Background-2k-2560x1280.jpg" /></a></div>
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He is often asked what drawing course he took as a boy. Just picking up a pencil and leisurely drawing what he felt like drawing, while listening to the Your Story Hour audio or a Jim Weiss audio, developed his skill. That's basically it. Time spent drawing. He doodled on his Saxon Math page to my dismay. "Can't you resist doodling on at least a few pages. I need to put some dignified-looking neat-n'-tidy doodle-free pages in your the portfolio," I pleaded. Years of Picture Study must have carried some weighty influence, too. We can never know to what measure "inspiration" plays a part in education. But we can be sure it does.<br />
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The only exercises that were of real practical help, he says, were the ones by <a href="http://amzn.to/2DREl5L" target="_blank">Jon Gnagy. </a>We followed the exercises in the age-old brown book. I see on Amazon that the brown book is sold expensively, being that it is probably out-of-print. My link is to a kit that is shown to be in color. I wonder how close it is to the old brown book.<br />
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<a href="https://starrynightmedia.com/contact/" target="_blank">Click here to contact us today and see what we can do for you</a> at Starry Night Media.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/StarryNM" target="_blank">You can also follow us on Facebook by clicking here.</a><br />
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Until next time,</div>
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Karen Andreola<br />
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Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-51559499453174358532017-12-07T10:35:00.000-05:002017-12-07T15:58:15.197-05:00Christmastime, 3 Lesser-known Films, 1 Book<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Christmastime, 3 Lesser-known Films, 1 Book</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1e1MBQQV-INmIVBrVlQ7cFskufNFuej0nTQgb0HOmkc3zJ4AbH_BVy4Sfzr0_8fxTwv5ppvmTbpFJhMW9QTCbxGVxk6EzrUY1U7VpdfCcIQmAAGRttOjQufBXmi0VhuQiQLAAnWxkl8/s1600/christmas+window+dressing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1e1MBQQV-INmIVBrVlQ7cFskufNFuej0nTQgb0HOmkc3zJ4AbH_BVy4Sfzr0_8fxTwv5ppvmTbpFJhMW9QTCbxGVxk6EzrUY1U7VpdfCcIQmAAGRttOjQufBXmi0VhuQiQLAAnWxkl8/s400/christmas+window+dressing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landis Valley</td></tr>
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Dean and I watched an old movie recently that I quickly warmed up to.<br />
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"Our Vines Have Tender Grapes" is so sweet I plan to share it with my grandchildren.<br />
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Acting extravagantly, I bought the DVD.<br />
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I photographed it surrounded by my tiny fabric yo-yo garland that I added more yo-yos to recently.<br />
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While I was standing in the kitchen over Thanksgiving holiday telling Sophia about it, ending with "I got the DVD," I heard a funny little echo emanating from the next room. It came from the munchkin mouth of 2-year-old Eloise. Learning to talk, she regularly repeats the word she hears at the tail end of a sentence. I thought I heard, "No DVD." I asked her mother, "Did you hear that?"<br />
Sophia said,"Yes, I guess she was born in the computer age, the generation of no DVDs."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxRPc6SW9f-5_7GfiFs_PoNRkVhs9iwU2A1VhMcUbMhsvwtz6e99trjqK1kpq4I6eFV0ZMoY4u3tomzQGx8B7omRiRgoBJH5eQgtcfXQzQ_CZ-pdECf71pmjGKUeqrLlEPFddgT5QzPo/s1600/full+size+barn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="1200" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLxRPc6SW9f-5_7GfiFs_PoNRkVhs9iwU2A1VhMcUbMhsvwtz6e99trjqK1kpq4I6eFV0ZMoY4u3tomzQGx8B7omRiRgoBJH5eQgtcfXQzQ_CZ-pdECf71pmjGKUeqrLlEPFddgT5QzPo/s400/full+size+barn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landis Valley's roomy Yellow Barn where wedding receptions are held. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjavuSEiNL9UDPMSPvBI8i4BUZ5mq5NIcUQok__rEWSXvtOkcEcXfkkJRKYobreKSe3j92LOItWEeoh4GYCWjwV6aIFPb38COLbGtDDwmIrB0j1M7ieczXAhPFf05WAfNKfl5JOJozTu4/s1600/house+and+horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1083" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjavuSEiNL9UDPMSPvBI8i4BUZ5mq5NIcUQok__rEWSXvtOkcEcXfkkJRKYobreKSe3j92LOItWEeoh4GYCWjwV6aIFPb38COLbGtDDwmIrB0j1M7ieczXAhPFf05WAfNKfl5JOJozTu4/s400/house+and+horse.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landis Valley, work horse</td></tr>
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This film is a slice of Americana. It takes place during the course of one year, 1945, in a small farm community of Norwegian immigrants in Wisconsin.<br />
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One farming couple (not too young) have one child, little Selma. We see the story through Selma's eyes.<br />
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Father-daughter heart-to-heart talks crop up. Selma has an inquiring mind. She isn't afraid to ask questions about her world. She trusts her father will never say, "I don't know. Go ask your mother, I'm busy."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He came up to Dean to have his photo taken. So Dean did.</td></tr>
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He stops to answer Selma, recognizing her questions to be valuable teaching moments when he can sensitively impart truth to her.<br />
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Meanwhile our young men are going overseas to fight for freedom. At home, people are fighting for freedom and the American way-of-life in their own humble hard-working way.<br />
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Christmastime brings the community to church to worship Christ the newborn King.<br />
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Why am I smitten with this film? The loving kindness and generosity of the characters during a trying time, is very touching. <br />
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One of the little books I in my Christmast stash is <i>Let's Keep Christmas,</i> illustrated by Barbara Cooney in 1952.This uplifting sermon by Peter Marshall takes five minutes to read and is a pleasant way to end an evening.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitTgl-xUz_gGWVnDUzD8nUwlEDRq6c66yDCDTODltzftFRNOx9NxC8BlCqhsVToiLw1BVPFMW-NbfT7Uh_ybp1Zsx-o81T6rNqbHiKbsx0Tq55OBj-1ejOklzqyycCNnwRJak0C4FK9Xs/s1600/building+a+snowman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="1200" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitTgl-xUz_gGWVnDUzD8nUwlEDRq6c66yDCDTODltzftFRNOx9NxC8BlCqhsVToiLw1BVPFMW-NbfT7Uh_ybp1Zsx-o81T6rNqbHiKbsx0Tq55OBj-1ejOklzqyycCNnwRJak0C4FK9Xs/s640/building+a+snowman.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landis Valley, Children making a snowman.Grandma watches while she sweeps the porch.</td></tr>
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Dean's mother Esther, once told me about a new friend she made. This lady was in her nineties and quite frail. She told Esther that her pastor in years gone by, was Peter Marshall. But Esther hadn't heard of him. A week later this lady went to be with Jesus but had evidently (just prior) asked her daughter to send Esther the book, <i>A Man Called Peter </i>written by his wife Catherine Marshall, author of <i>Christie.</i> The daughter handed the book to Esther a day after her mother's decease. Both friends are with Jesus now. We never know who God will bring in our path, when, or where. One life, if it is a life of kindness, will always in some way touch another in an uplifting way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyujRBbfRTE0beNoSnNZwEsuaFl5aPHfI1BdJhq7SzOxUY3oFuaKlRySgROXz3-wpGOuwb_HJ6TUCRNq05toBRLpGeDa8ZyOWmGkJkDi7kIxht6lC79k7zxB6M_aOlMMQbgz6rkD9Xkrc/s1600/snowman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyujRBbfRTE0beNoSnNZwEsuaFl5aPHfI1BdJhq7SzOxUY3oFuaKlRySgROXz3-wpGOuwb_HJ6TUCRNq05toBRLpGeDa8ZyOWmGkJkDi7kIxht6lC79k7zxB6M_aOlMMQbgz6rkD9Xkrc/s640/snowman.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My daughter Yolanda makes delicious treats at holiday time. She made us some ginger bread.</td></tr>
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One of the fun fairy-tale-like Christmastime films I used to have on VHS is "The Snowman." The music is gorgeous. It is based on a picture book by Raymond Briggs. (The Snowman's nose is a tangerine.)<br />
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I told a young mother about this British film produced in the 1980s because she hadn't heard of it so I thought to recommend it here.<br />
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The snowman (like Frosty the Snowman) has magic powers that enable him to fly through the air and take the boy who built him to the North Pole. There the snowman introduces the boy to Father Christmas. What a delight! They join a merry party. Then they fly home. You can guess the end of the story because you know what happens to all snowmen.<br />
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It is a silent film with a dream-like quality (the boy wakes up from a dream) but the music in this pantomime blends-in well and enhances the plot. Your children will be riveted. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozIq64o-hueeisXn7cxJTIumDOxc5k45b1uy2x7XTyWlmLVJV_gfjlmdMjYWRY-Fq4aKYs0ndLOE3pDxAFpkBprfq9Pymf7fnC1qIwR_CGUDri4xdQ20CZiOAFDvXhdD80JQ2AjcCVQQ/s1600/all+mine+to+give+dvd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="338" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozIq64o-hueeisXn7cxJTIumDOxc5k45b1uy2x7XTyWlmLVJV_gfjlmdMjYWRY-Fq4aKYs0ndLOE3pDxAFpkBprfq9Pymf7fnC1qIwR_CGUDri4xdQ20CZiOAFDvXhdD80JQ2AjcCVQQ/s320/all+mine+to+give+dvd.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
Here's another film that is a slice of Americana. It claims to be true. The story was made public originally in a magazine article. "All Mine to Give" is filled with hope. A young immigrant couple from Scotland (with bonnie accents) carve out a life for themselves in the 19th century, among a community of God fearing people in the mid-west.<br />
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Dad makes sure Mom has a pump <i>inside</i> their log cabin - quite an innovation in those days. They love each other dearly but their relationship is humorously "real." Dad sees life through the wisdom of poet Robert Burns. Sickness eventually takes both hard-working parents and leaves their six children orphaned. What becomes of the children?<br />
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When Dean and I watched it before I knew what was happening my face became wet with tears. The children are so cute, especially on Christmas Day. You'll need a tissue box to take care of a whirlpool of different emotions in the final scene.<br />
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This is my take. Loving kindness is not possible without a degree of sympathy, courage, service, and generosity. You'll find all five virtues tucked inside this true story. Warner Brother's trailer of the film can be found on YouTube.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlMN7kwHm37sRbDWWthcYoUn_Ku3GjeeJR4KXK0Sg8lnj24XwVWn09pOwEgFtwM0v1_QLGuhJAz5kvwhqlDAL9twFvEBOm9-Aqbqk-Vtb1E8WZ9NIPaakQS7s1QKA0-hdcACJjcO5q40/s1600/model+barn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="942" data-original-width="1200" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLlMN7kwHm37sRbDWWthcYoUn_Ku3GjeeJR4KXK0Sg8lnj24XwVWn09pOwEgFtwM0v1_QLGuhJAz5kvwhqlDAL9twFvEBOm9-Aqbqk-Vtb1E8WZ9NIPaakQS7s1QKA0-hdcACJjcO5q40/s400/model+barn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landis Valley model of the yellow barn.</td></tr>
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Although the world, through its easy acceptance of secular humanism, would like to believe we can be good without God, both films (to their credit) "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes" and "All Mine to Give," drop clues for us to follow. In reality it is <i>the life of Christ</i> that trains the conscience and most deeply inspires the hearts of people, to do the work necessary for living unselfishly.<br />
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May we all aspire to be more like our Lord.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"> End Notes</span><br />
For easy access to read more about the resources above, I link them here.<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2kxj2BF">Our Vines Have Tender Grapes</a><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2ktJ7Sh">Lets Keep Christmas</a><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2kvmTzn">The Snowman</a><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2kvmTzn">All Mine to Give</a><br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/2kwEQ0n">A Man Called Peter by Catherine Marshall</a>. This is the award-winning film based on the book.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4S3z_dovRMmnPjqQGBLrri6CNLta08DfFMVBd0w7oNDpK48AGND4i863gPjmohFizP3XSMhnW4mzyiDpgUVcnRPkQQk4nCWYEohesjp6TA1s0T0HbZFQqMhgZdx-XoZhPyht70NSH0U/s1600/ginger+cookie+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1216" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4S3z_dovRMmnPjqQGBLrri6CNLta08DfFMVBd0w7oNDpK48AGND4i863gPjmohFizP3XSMhnW4mzyiDpgUVcnRPkQQk4nCWYEohesjp6TA1s0T0HbZFQqMhgZdx-XoZhPyht70NSH0U/s640/ginger+cookie+tree.jpg" width="630" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ginger cookies at Landis Valley </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Every Christmas Blessing Be Yours,</span><br />
Karen Andreola <br />
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Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-40929529611618093632017-11-13T11:16:00.001-05:002017-11-13T12:09:11.761-05:00Classroom Not Required <span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Classroom Not Required</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">A Little News First</span><br />
"I've been unable to keep up with my blog of late," I said to a friend. She suggested shorter pieces. We'll see if I'm capable. But first, since it's been years, I'll share a little news. . . . <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo - not "staged." Sophia often finds her Eloise here with dolls and picture book.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Karen</span><br />
After a summer of freelance writing it felt good to click "Send." <b>12</b> articles and more than <b>55</b> hand-picked Charlotte Mason quotations went flying through the airways to Simply Charlotte Mason. Come spring their 2018-2019 school-year calendar will be for sale, written by yours truly. I've been doing guest writing and "other writing," too, during a pretty fall. I took a week to re-write the piece <a href="http://momentswithmotherculture.blogspot.com/p/what-is-mother-culture.html#.WgnFAGhSxaQ">"What is Mother Culture"</a> and clicked "Update" here on this blog. <br />
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I was asked to speak out-of-state. I feel honored. But I had to decline. My chronic pain, due to an over-active immune system, is worse. I am, however, learning to manage. I'm not curled up on the sofa thinking one more month of rest will make my small-fiber-neuropathy go away. Slow-breathing helps with unannounced waves of anxiety that accompany these sorts of ailments. I let nothing get in the way of my morning exercises. I do them with worship music playing in the background and with sunshine filling the room. Colorful fruits and veggies are on my plate. Keeping country hours also helps me "hang in there."<br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Dean</span><br />
Dean is retired. It was difficult accepting early retirement due to his own ailment. His working career was more than 45 years. As a boy he hauled potatoes and gave change at the produce shop next-door. He worked in the public library during high school and managed the reference-desk in the days before Google. He worked in a steel plant in his young manhood (in the days of U.S. manufacturing). After Bible college he worked in publishing and did freelance writing. I have the advantage of tapping his well-seasoned brain when I run into the complexities associated with book distribution in our modern age.<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Nigel</span><br />
Our son, Nigel, who has gradually improved since his initial bout of RSD, keeps himself busy with his wacom tablet and pen. With it he creates art and music on computer. His graphics and musical compositions are for hire. He built a business website: starrynightmedia.com. Feel free to inquire.<br />
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I thought he'd be well enough to drive a car again by now. Not yet. But it's a goal. Moving forward, he does his own set of strength training.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #e06666;">F</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">r</span><span style="color: #e06666;">e</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">e</span><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><span style="color: #e69138;">T</span><span style="color: #e06666;">a</span><span style="color: #cc0000;">l</span><span style="color: #e69138;">k</span></b></span><br />
Getting close to being out-of-stock of the Mother Culture CD, I've made the talk <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rJSM4Ls2iA&t=54s">FREE on YouTube</a>. </b><br />
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It begins and ends with a peek at the piano music Nigel composed. He illustrated it with rabbit-musicians for the cover of his up-coming album of soft music.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2rJSM4Ls2iA/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2rJSM4Ls2iA?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsbUT_uN6r0BX50YRupEELHAFcY2flOo9nCdI67PkniZuACeOLCgTsUSXaLKzpN7wsOe4yrhDpcRPNZHixWoh1M8dc38g7QeMLyakkYFLA1XPFhDa4otePDlc7gx4fTXKZWbmbKImjF0/s1600/The-Friendly-Album-Relaxing-music-for-naptime-and-study-Nigel-Andreola-Starry-Night-Media.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1334" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqsbUT_uN6r0BX50YRupEELHAFcY2flOo9nCdI67PkniZuACeOLCgTsUSXaLKzpN7wsOe4yrhDpcRPNZHixWoh1M8dc38g7QeMLyakkYFLA1XPFhDa4otePDlc7gx4fTXKZWbmbKImjF0/s400/The-Friendly-Album-Relaxing-music-for-naptime-and-study-Nigel-Andreola-Starry-Night-Media.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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After being asked our opinion as to design, his sisters and I told him, "Make it cute."<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">The Friendly Album</span><br />
Relaxing music for naptime and study.</div>
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<a href="https://starrynightmedia.com/music/">You may sign up</a> to be notified when the album comes available.</div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">C</span></b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;">lassroom </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">N</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;">ot </span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;">R</span><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;">equired</span></span><br />
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Although I am fond of the birds that inhabit our woods, and miss them this time of year, it's still hard for me to
fathom the depth of admiration the French immigrant Mr. Audubon had for
America's birds. It's exhilarating to read his story, about his unwavering
pursuit of knowledge – to observe birds in their habitats. What a lofty goal of
drawing every one of them and as accurately as possible!<br />
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Not too long ago I read the children's biography, <i>The Story of John J. Audubon</i> by Joan
Howard (published 1954). My
children read it silently during our homeschool years. I doubt I'll ever catch up with the amount of books they read. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Lucky for me, my old book has the dust cover intact. For,
when I was finished reading the story I read about the author on the back flyleaf.
Joan Howard was an American. Her childhood, however, was "spent in places
as far apart as England, Alaska, and India." Her family "never
stopped in any place long." How interesting to learn that she was home-taught.
I am assuming she was, for it said, "most of her education was acquired
<i>more from reading</i> than from formal schooling, though she did go to
college."*1 <o:p></o:p></div>
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A light came on when I read this. This is the identical
combination that many home taught children are given today – and they <i>do</i> go to college. The freedom to read whole books,
rather than the compendiums made for classroom-convenience is one advantage. The pleasure of varied experiences is another. Observing and getting to know the people, places, and wildlife within
reach helps immensely in establishing relations.<br />
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Yes. Being <i>in</i> books and
<i>out </i>of the restrictions of a crowded
classroom, during the early years of one's education, has glorious advantages.
Joan Howard probably saw and heard many strange and new things in the far-away places
where she lived. Maybe even <i>exciting</i>
strange things. These novelties were probably talked about around the family supper table, adding to her education. It is interesting, too, that <i>being in</i> books she gradually became a
writer <i>of</i> them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The school-ish ploys born of the typically large classroom, get in the way of student developing a friendship with
knowledge, for establishing relations with books and things. When it comes to
schoolwork, she tells her students in <i>Ourselves</i>
how very important this friendship is. She personifies knowledge as “she" like the writer of Proverbs personifies "wisdom" as "she." <br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq orangebox">
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"People employ themselves . . . about Mathematics, Poetry,
History, in a feverish, eager way - not at all for the love of these things,
but for the sake of [grade], prize, or place, or reward . . . But Knowledge has
her own prizes, and these she reserves for her lovers. It is only so far as
Knowledge is dear to us and delights us for herself, that she yields us
lifelong joy and contentment. He who delights in her, not for the sake of
showing off, and not for the sake of excelling others, but just because she is
so worth to be loved cannot be unhappy. He says, 'my mind to me a kingdom is'*2
-and, however unsatisfactory things are in his outer life, he retires into that
kingdom and is entertained and delighted by the curious, beautiful, and
wonderful things he has stored within." *3</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LHz3bqZbudFIL4kZxBgeWgNY1LpbL_HG3-A4L2fOT3-tz1UDGI33k7XNxnFhnClWtJxvdzGR3H7x_6Cmi2q3kME62o0096qVCHivwSC7f4xIqhqx4v1Bk5wYtLozV43b-VAUt5XR9xY/s1600/miss+hickory.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="1200" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1LHz3bqZbudFIL4kZxBgeWgNY1LpbL_HG3-A4L2fOT3-tz1UDGI33k7XNxnFhnClWtJxvdzGR3H7x_6Cmi2q3kME62o0096qVCHivwSC7f4xIqhqx4v1Bk5wYtLozV43b-VAUt5XR9xY/s400/miss+hickory.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">Post Script</span><br />
You may have heard of <a href="http://amzn.to/2yutM5Z">Miss Hickory</a> by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey. This New England fairy tale based on a doll with a hickory nut as a head and talking woodland creatures, is one I picked up and read again not long ago.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nCHWqx8FCrErg6Its20PKTC3CcQh5-ArM5AeuPpe_R5UpQaotmlTlanL9xjZqmTnCcy1q8ShPueU_EEzlufwC3hH-h5cY9hfIgkZILSzmVbwklgzkUXX-FkwkVK_JQa-YN3S5L3sZic/s1600/bird.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="1200" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nCHWqx8FCrErg6Its20PKTC3CcQh5-ArM5AeuPpe_R5UpQaotmlTlanL9xjZqmTnCcy1q8ShPueU_EEzlufwC3hH-h5cY9hfIgkZILSzmVbwklgzkUXX-FkwkVK_JQa-YN3S5L3sZic/s400/bird.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's a favorite of our home-learning years. I find it delightful even as an adult. The story begins in the autumn, breaks for Christmas (with a traditional New England <i>brief</i> <i>whimsical scene</i> of animals peacefully gathering at a creche at midnight) and finishes in springtime with a comical, fanciful ending.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Z0m1RDIyDeC5fzydlUyJmpLQt0884BN5bn2OBZgZeFiGGR0pq-cNe9YnQmxJUB_Zyq6FRVCdNd-XRqMqyVk81nRfBLC84v0YFnMeVVQxsFhTrBj-jCns-Br036jwF3VU8afzyTYsPrY/s1600/barn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Z0m1RDIyDeC5fzydlUyJmpLQt0884BN5bn2OBZgZeFiGGR0pq-cNe9YnQmxJUB_Zyq6FRVCdNd-XRqMqyVk81nRfBLC84v0YFnMeVVQxsFhTrBj-jCns-Br036jwF3VU8afzyTYsPrY/s400/barn.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some may not like to mix folk tale with a Biblical truth. I understand.</td></tr>
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In a used a brick-a-brack shop, I spotted another story by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey, bought it and read it. It takes place in rural small-town-America (early 1950s). This two-room schoolhouse is a different kind of classroom. It's one that extends into everyday living. The children, with initiative and team-work are enterprising. They scheme at fixing up the schoolhouse, keeping track of their nickle-and-dime earnings for "arithmetic."<br />
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Closing the book, the old-fashioned word "capitalism" came to mind, with its investment of creativity and elbow-grease (a microcosm of "nation building" - something we American's never used to apologize for). It left me with a good feeling. It is only charitable capitalism at the hands of a great many free-enterprising people turning-a-small-profit, that makes high taxes and big government unnecessary. Although such basic economics is intentional untaught in schools today, (as public school follows a form of socialist manifesto) this is the America I understand. If you find <i><b>The Little Red Schoolhouse</b></i>, buy it to preserve its American way-of-thinking for future generations. Grandmothers tend to be opinionated.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VRC6n2ujbo8E-qv_9zYg-uUmE4v7gL6fDzvw1quNnG0ff7Sh03ueTkMdY4kyscLE4cYSfMuNo6oApYNoLpxyGdM4NM-mFyVQlICHBJmz3bneztwaETxkSDNE6BY-S9vzHA1MxOhL4HI/s1600/Little+Red+Schoolhouse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="1600" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7VRC6n2ujbo8E-qv_9zYg-uUmE4v7gL6fDzvw1quNnG0ff7Sh03ueTkMdY4kyscLE4cYSfMuNo6oApYNoLpxyGdM4NM-mFyVQlICHBJmz3bneztwaETxkSDNE6BY-S9vzHA1MxOhL4HI/s400/Little+Red+Schoolhouse.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRnkk0-yUte4KxsfkrX4vjsZaPmqCHEBlj8AOn3wnXvejcO-bPmbSyK_nlfyw9UzqCvkAoSamx2KAEUxBNNbxmlWhRqdS739i_xGYspz3xx8rhbnb7Ro_G2ipUnZAkidH3UIR-QcVH7g/s1600/ellie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="915" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRnkk0-yUte4KxsfkrX4vjsZaPmqCHEBlj8AOn3wnXvejcO-bPmbSyK_nlfyw9UzqCvkAoSamx2KAEUxBNNbxmlWhRqdS739i_xGYspz3xx8rhbnb7Ro_G2ipUnZAkidH3UIR-QcVH7g/s400/ellie.jpg" width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She likes "dress-up" and is Holly Hobby here.</td></tr>
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<i><b><a href="http://amzn.to/2hoAvHH">Miss Hickory</a></b></i> by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey is linked here to Amazon. Most libraries have it.<br />
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Landmark Books, such as <i>The Story of John J. Audubon,</i> are mostly out-of-print but can be found by scavenging.<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138;"><span style="font-size: large;">E</span>nd Notes</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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*1 Joan Howard, <i>The
Story of John J. Audubon</i>, back flyleaf (A Landmark Book). <o:p></o:p></div>
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*2 "My Mynd to Me a Kingdome is" (original-spelling)
- the title and first line of a poem by Sir Edward Dyer (1543-1607)<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
*3 Charlotte Mason, <i>Ourselves</i>,
Book One, pg 78-79<br />
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<span style="color: #f1c232;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #f1c232;">Thanks for visiting,</span><br />
Karen Andreola<br />
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<br />Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-91355596805361250532017-09-17T14:18:00.000-04:002017-09-20T12:04:35.997-04:00Another Cadillac Course?<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Another Cadillac
Course?</span></span></div>
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You might recall the homeschool product reviews the Andreolas wrote. Who knew anything about the quantity of stuff we <i>didn’t</i> review? No one. Until now. <br />
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Letting the dishes soak I decided to tackle instead, the box that sat on a chair at the far end of the kitchen table. I tucked some hair behind an ear. I straightened my glasses. I meant business. I always gave boxes of sample curriculum a sober and honest appraisal. <span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGgtxDLW2XQQqoPrIi2Zp02TbnwV90TTNL9NnO2e0wRF5fOcNPLmG-htrvAbMlrluj9Ln1Yw4nKdru2XTJDuOWw0aiReKwH-LaoGeangOpedYfzcLncNy6f6L_HZt0lgHdG0pvMdly7w/s1600/kitchen+garden+pumpkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="810" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGgtxDLW2XQQqoPrIi2Zp02TbnwV90TTNL9NnO2e0wRF5fOcNPLmG-htrvAbMlrluj9Ln1Yw4nKdru2XTJDuOWw0aiReKwH-LaoGeangOpedYfzcLncNy6f6L_HZt0lgHdG0pvMdly7w/s640/kitchen+garden+pumpkin.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landis Valley. The white doors lead to the basement. </td></tr>
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This time, it was a science curriculum. Wow. What large, beautiful photographs of the animal kingdom and their habitats. The kit came with two thick, hardcover textbooks; shiny and durable enough to last 100 years. The teacher’s book contained the identical text of the student’s book but with an added paragraph or two. This way the teacher could be “one-up” on the animal at hand. Why? Was the added information too difficult for a child to comprehend? Too boring? The text was expected to be livened-up by the teacher. The teacher’s edition said it was “an aid to formulating lectures.” <span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZmY7y5tPBbGk015ATFPtKe5y7ll4rZR_1tfPkW6SJV5QhNuh0yeeFxlh_1DtvrljCmDKGUbR6D3QW88zA3JuCliLPg4Du9RRxRM8b32MFthPpGrc51fn6ITSLSKJkkSuiyeWDDfnpMg/s1600/garden+bunny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="447" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZmY7y5tPBbGk015ATFPtKe5y7ll4rZR_1tfPkW6SJV5QhNuh0yeeFxlh_1DtvrljCmDKGUbR6D3QW88zA3JuCliLPg4Du9RRxRM8b32MFthPpGrc51fn6ITSLSKJkkSuiyeWDDfnpMg/s320/garden+bunny.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our wild rabbits eat dogwood berries for breakfast.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">It supplied
dozens of questions on each animal. Added to this was a pack of animal-fact-check
cards, a softcover quiz book and test book. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">It was an expensive package, impressively
<i>school-ish</i> in the modern-classroom sense of the word. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Following this course who
could possibly say a child <b>wasn’t</b>
doing school? </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Charlotte Mason. That’s who?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">My decision was firm. I would
not review it. Time to wash the dishes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">At the sink
I stood. Motionless. Mesmerized. I was staring out the window, a wet dishcloth
in my hand. I wasn’t looking at anything outside. It was dark. I was seeing
something in my mind’s eye. I saw a young mother, new-to-homeschooling, less-than-confident,
well-meaning, hardworking, tired. I could relate. I’d been there. A little
whirlwind of emotions swirled within me. It rose to the surface and I sighed
just as Man-of-the-House entered the room. He wanted to know what was the
matter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqC8Toeb8NkLYlaQpDpg1NUE3qHUbSA1pzmZwE8p0t9v1xn-4Knth5u18Tm5Cro0X2wXJ3LyEM7jEKgv5tYluNsTR5jhMv2eAxBd-2-qoSQew09bYJY66W38-5ID9jfmRUBzpF5h6D6gs/s1600/star+quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqC8Toeb8NkLYlaQpDpg1NUE3qHUbSA1pzmZwE8p0t9v1xn-4Knth5u18Tm5Cro0X2wXJ3LyEM7jEKgv5tYluNsTR5jhMv2eAxBd-2-qoSQew09bYJY66W38-5ID9jfmRUBzpF5h6D6gs/s640/star+quilt.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I finished a little quilt for a bedroom wall with early American scenes and scrappy stars.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">“It’s
this new fancy-dancy Cadillac course,” I blurted out, my back to him. I began
filling the dishwasher. “It involves <i>hours
upon hours</i> of teacher-preparation for giving lectures, a sort of spoiler,
you-might-call-it, because much of the same information is repeated . . . as
it’s supposed to be read by the student afterward. Then, repeated for the quiz.
And repeated again for the test. It’s riddled with review questions,
multiple choice, cross-word puzzles . . . and those dreadful match-the-columns.”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">“I always hated
those,” he said. “Are they meant to throw a child off?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">“I dunno,” I
said weakly. But I revved up again. “The quizzes teach for the test. It all
goes to substantiate a final grade. I can <i>just</i>
see it.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">“See what?”
he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkZjE59xR1UgekI0Ydsm0idBsiRQ6kyVhmz-aI9z7HE9tFwf9py1OGPaZJl3dajCGqYCANI5SyfNFzg-hN5ube9pIlk8HcdzXWg-xYk9TQ3bTVTMrBOM0kVIBADw25Nogb8hmHywI6fI/s1600/Mushroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="1055" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkZjE59xR1UgekI0Ydsm0idBsiRQ6kyVhmz-aI9z7HE9tFwf9py1OGPaZJl3dajCGqYCANI5SyfNFzg-hN5ube9pIlk8HcdzXWg-xYk9TQ3bTVTMrBOM0kVIBADw25Nogb8hmHywI6fI/s400/Mushroom.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's mushroom season in our front garden. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">“I can see
this classroom busy-work, marketed to homeschoolers, leading to burn-out in
Mother and tedium in student - if followed exactly as the course objectives
advise,” I said, eyes widening. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">“And conscientious moms wanting the <b>best</b> for their children, who’ve just
spent 300 dollars on it, might do just that – <i>attempt</i> to <b>do it</b> <b>all</b>. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">If <i>all</i> her courses are the <b>biggest
and best</b>, the family will be doing “school” ‘till 5 o’clock. (I almost said
“midnight," which on second thought, might not have been too inaccurate.) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvi1aynsRG-vgQhDUbAM-OeJusXjnZ6HdBzNh7uN7BvA27XkEFVG_PWCiUWzqAGPBT0sxBIWrfcHZkvLIqzjIvEUI9zSb0pbKtwVUZ3e78YHQXNua5rOd7QJW09hTgM1AAtwUOnOgdGok/s1600/star+qulit+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="1200" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvi1aynsRG-vgQhDUbAM-OeJusXjnZ6HdBzNh7uN7BvA27XkEFVG_PWCiUWzqAGPBT0sxBIWrfcHZkvLIqzjIvEUI9zSb0pbKtwVUZ3e78YHQXNua5rOd7QJW09hTgM1AAtwUOnOgdGok/s400/star+qulit+girl.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">“So . . . this
kit has all the earmarks of what Charlotte Mason advised </span><b style="font-size: 12pt;">NOT </b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">to do?” the Man-of-the-House asked, knowing the answer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">“Yup,” I
said, emptying the sink of the last fork. I rinsed the sink of all its suds and
squeezed out the dishcloth with unusual vigor. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">When I
finally turned around, I saw the Man-of-the-House squinting down at the books and rubbing his beard. He, too, was impressed with the pictures. He said, “A committee of Ph.Ds wrote
this course, you know.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">I made a
little face. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">He missed
this. He was still reading. “Hmm . . . it’s as if the writing has no voice.
It’s impersonal. Like a computer wrote it . . . not a person enthused with his subject.” He paused while he drew his conclusion. “It requires a <b>gallon</b> of teaching, doesn’t it?” He smiled at me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">“Yup,” I said, smiling back. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Hanging up
the tea towel for the night it struck me how glad I was for a husband who
understood. Softened by this thought, I put a hand on his arm. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrGY0zYvcQ0j6fY9_BPZKDsNNzjqNOYv_vdJL179vsksDVDMaJKDE31DKwuX0onMDkN5FQYip7YzIhqYNFovTOvW8c9-_qn1ih_XabAXb02x5Ed8fu3zSb69L0k-pg_YDbKeKdmxUz9k/s1600/star+qulit+mother+and+daughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="1200" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrGY0zYvcQ0j6fY9_BPZKDsNNzjqNOYv_vdJL179vsksDVDMaJKDE31DKwuX0onMDkN5FQYip7YzIhqYNFovTOvW8c9-_qn1ih_XabAXb02x5Ed8fu3zSb69L0k-pg_YDbKeKdmxUz9k/s400/star+qulit+mother+and+daughter.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">“Okay.
That’s that,” he said. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">There was one thing left to do. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Knowing how much I
disliked cardboard boxes strewn about the place, he carried the impressive-looking course to the basement. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">There it sat. Until it was given
away with boxes of other material that had had their turn at cluttering up our
keeping-room that year – our last year of writing catalog reviews.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_hHa9u3QmqTZ_2l6-T6SSDzbYb7KQ5YP_RA6xQd3GJubp7DzjevVKNj54r2kwnrCbEYN2-znG1l6g4nRxw3MN8HDdI7OLJPUgerrExL3nZhoXLBL7J8XU2zVnvQ32Njd1wfb_I10Qvg/s1600/george+herbert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_hHa9u3QmqTZ_2l6-T6SSDzbYb7KQ5YP_RA6xQd3GJubp7DzjevVKNj54r2kwnrCbEYN2-znG1l6g4nRxw3MN8HDdI7OLJPUgerrExL3nZhoXLBL7J8XU2zVnvQ32Njd1wfb_I10Qvg/s640/george+herbert.jpg" width="524" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young George Herbert (Christian Poet) and Mother. Painting by Charles West Cope</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large; line-height: 106%;">A Different Story</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">One day,
Charlotte Mason observed a PNEU class of girls, age 13, read an essay on George
Herbert with 3 or 4 poems included. None of the girls had read either the essay
or the poems before. They narrated in full paragraphs. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq pinkbox">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">“No point made by the
poet was omitted and his exact words were used pretty freely,” Miss Mason says.
“The teacher made comments upon one or two unusual words and that was all. To
explain or enforce (other than by a reverently sympathetic manner, the glance and
words that showed that she too, cared), would have been <i>impertinent</i>.”</span></blockquote>
</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq pinkbox">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">“It is an
interesting thing,” she says, “that hundreds of children of the same age [following
the PNEU syllabus] . . . scattered over the world, read and narrated the same
essay and no doubt paraphrased the verses with equal ease. I felt humbled
before the children knowing myself incapable of such immediate and rapid
apprehension of several pages of new matter . . . In such ways, the great
thoughts of great thinkers illuminate children and they grow in knowledge,
chiefly the knowledge of God.”<br /> </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Yet usually,
the work of education, she says, “is drowned in torrents of talk, in tedious
repetition, . . . in <i>every sort of way</i>
in which the mind may be bored and the affections deadened.” *1</span></blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Read the
living book. Narrate. This is mostly what’s necessary. But it’s a BIG
necessary. Children are brought up acquiring powers of self-education, by this
method. They want opportunity and direction. Not mental gymnastics for storing
information. Rather, their mind comes alive when it ponders ideas conveyed in
literary language. Are the children free to make their own associations, follow
a train-of-thought, draw conclusions? This is how persons truly become knowledgeable.
By it, they enter a state of knowledge, like friendship. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EafYejqN0rvtLF_GX12pUFpEvX5WFr9kIMr2ikHQ6i-uI-zXEDM_ntaYfzi7VXK09RTcQ226gh_kgk3hGIPQvZcsX91S5R7RTRt6sgk0KxrgNMN14fq-5bhUx_YLqzM2u09MEwLBy1Y/s1600/shells+and+rocks+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EafYejqN0rvtLF_GX12pUFpEvX5WFr9kIMr2ikHQ6i-uI-zXEDM_ntaYfzi7VXK09RTcQ226gh_kgk3hGIPQvZcsX91S5R7RTRt6sgk0KxrgNMN14fq-5bhUx_YLqzM2u09MEwLBy1Y/s640/shells+and+rocks+books.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dean fondly remembers "Stones & Minerals" from his boyhood.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Example:
“Tell (or add to your notebook) what you’ve learned about Australia’s amazing
kangaroo from its birth to adulthood. Draw a series of 3-4 illustrations for
it.” <b>An ounce of teaching, for a gallon
of learning.</b> Not the other way around. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Today, some
call this “minimalist-homeschooling.” Call it what you like. I call it “The
Gentle Art of Learning.” <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_gWrlyO1icaE7wm1T8BiZszMw7Mst-fwbO0UaGL_BC0_vkw8VcpMM-B2yjxojJOMqqyuFzVXNV1XzEMwxatgNT7M86TAUKQ7uyO88rrD2hIsehCFnZFFg4q6jLp7HIVSUvlJqEZG1fw/s1600/quilt+label+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="849" data-original-width="1200" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM_gWrlyO1icaE7wm1T8BiZszMw7Mst-fwbO0UaGL_BC0_vkw8VcpMM-B2yjxojJOMqqyuFzVXNV1XzEMwxatgNT7M86TAUKQ7uyO88rrD2hIsehCFnZFFg4q6jLp7HIVSUvlJqEZG1fw/s400/quilt+label+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Label stitched to back of quilt written in fine point laundry marker. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: large;">E</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">nd Notes</span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">For preparation for year-end tests children need to be familiar with multiple-choice. Sample test-booklets are available and can be worked a month or two before the test, 10 minutes a day. But mostly, multiple choice can take a back seat. </span><span style="color: #990000;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">*1 Charlotte
Mason, <i>Philosophy of Education</i>, pages
64-65 (Italics mine)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35yR20iqi7T9tgV6prw7Qyo1Z5DytCj-3PrIFIXzoaG9Nq5745l6qlgzm3i_fp4qaup7z-OtonldNVDljzf0Z2eeY3Kbo7ZgGXMOm3OzTfNHSK41Z0RbZtW5BG2BnB-JShHY4Ocmg-Z0/s1600/star+quilt+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35yR20iqi7T9tgV6prw7Qyo1Z5DytCj-3PrIFIXzoaG9Nq5745l6qlgzm3i_fp4qaup7z-OtonldNVDljzf0Z2eeY3Kbo7ZgGXMOm3OzTfNHSK41Z0RbZtW5BG2BnB-JShHY4Ocmg-Z0/s400/star+quilt+house.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Comments are Welcome,</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">Karen Andreola</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 106%;">(I'm working on the log-cabin table runner at present. Nice to have you for a visit.) </span></div>
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Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-31202811446154568462017-08-23T10:32:00.000-04:002017-08-29T18:13:22.811-04:00Story Hand-Me-Downs<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><b>Story Hand-Me-Downs</b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1z4C5-aaMad80vx3P4TQ4brD3eo9WFqcJBInLYKGKbMeONhBf-Pbz7zM9LR0jkdCpAxY6tDL0l8t36eyPjPTCCdTccyC4QiAZXP4zJ89fJ_WBpX950UTEEmj2vh2SHcZHNM3kYId_Gms/s1600/Out+of+the+Woods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="1200" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1z4C5-aaMad80vx3P4TQ4brD3eo9WFqcJBInLYKGKbMeONhBf-Pbz7zM9LR0jkdCpAxY6tDL0l8t36eyPjPTCCdTccyC4QiAZXP4zJ89fJ_WBpX950UTEEmj2vh2SHcZHNM3kYId_Gms/s400/Out+of+the+Woods.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
I'm squirreling away gifts into the Christmas-Closet and knitting mittens.<br />
<br />
A small pile of books is forming. I noticed something they share in common. They recall true events. What a strange coincidence. I'm guessing that if an adult finds the events interesting, a child would, too.<br />
<br />
People of all ages enjoy (and can learn something) from a well-written picture-book.<br />
<br />
<i><b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0374380775" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="2ae161f34c4c079cd4eacb53041980e6" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Out of the Woods - A True Story of an Unforgettable Event" href="http://www.amazon.com/Out-Woods-Story-Unforgettable-Event/dp/0374380775/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=charlottem0a5-20&linkId=2ae161f34c4c079cd4eacb53041980e6&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_8359555" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Out of the Woods - A True Story of an Unforgettable Event</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_8359555" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=charlottem0a5-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=2ae161f34c4c079cd4eacb53041980e6&_cb=1503446159935" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></span> </b></i>by Rebecca Bond is a brand new hardcover. What beautiful illustrations! (Pen & ink with color wash.)<br />
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This gentle story was handed down by the author's grandfather. An old photograph of him as a boy is in the "Author's Note" - surrounded by the mittens I made for my 3 grandchildren.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNi7PA0TF-cfV7YPvwDXFEbSAim7efWt43ZNQU8GU_OOkRZNZaQJjGnO04xbQ5DCzx9hCnOz_4ps9r8I1hDrhwKRkDghzE9jGMHa9b8h1qOSaYLSPNx6ZgbfcfUzYDfhmleJGVjzjdGQs/s1600/mittens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="870" data-original-width="1200" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNi7PA0TF-cfV7YPvwDXFEbSAim7efWt43ZNQU8GU_OOkRZNZaQJjGnO04xbQ5DCzx9hCnOz_4ps9r8I1hDrhwKRkDghzE9jGMHa9b8h1qOSaYLSPNx6ZgbfcfUzYDfhmleJGVjzjdGQs/s640/mittens.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The author's grandfather. Mittens for my grandchildren.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The setting is the woods of Ontario, Canada, 1914. Young Antonio's mother runs a hotel for lumber jacks and trappers. With no other children nearby Antonio pokes his nose into the goings-on of the hotel and wanders in the woods. During a forest fire a remarkable event brings people and animals together. (Pub. 2015)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJfc4Iqh9tMnYiJ288EUM4afRqguF0ZNltLkBTmro6DhfRBjv0cNkOiMQ2wcI-2T3ZAT8642TNFbLU3CfAfCfeApjMR1ssrbelKW6Tn0iDP_t9C4n4XC2mcbzFOu9sdNVQnyFGT_HYdI/s1600/Out+of+the+Woods+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAJfc4Iqh9tMnYiJ288EUM4afRqguF0ZNltLkBTmro6DhfRBjv0cNkOiMQ2wcI-2T3ZAT8642TNFbLU3CfAfCfeApjMR1ssrbelKW6Tn0iDP_t9C4n4XC2mcbzFOu9sdNVQnyFGT_HYdI/s640/Out+of+the+Woods+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pages inside "Out of the Woods"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I purchased a used copy of <b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0064437248" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="3702ac04078bd0bb2b072ed3df985cba" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Mailing May" href="http://www.amazon.com/Mailing-May-Michael-Tunnell/dp/0064437248/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=charlottem0a5-20&linkId=3702ac04078bd0bb2b072ed3df985cba&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_4445681" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mailing May</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_4445681" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=charlottem0a5-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=3702ac04078bd0bb2b072ed3df985cba&_cb=1503446172843" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i></span></b> by Michael O. Tunnell. Although the story is fictionalized the historical facts are accurate. Five-year-old May Pierstorff really was mailed from Graneville to Lewiston, Idaho the winter of 1914.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYL-dCXdtXvPfmKX3oOLuXKeqxo-iDlQLHqIDlAsgXd5KV-tFSBugOfl9a3OB7NICESEvMB44YynY318Xlr834L-bop3e_0MXmSUkJRpnLD1fvJOw1XqxvXRkzMEkzHdvB0sAFzXLLGks/s1600/Mailing+May.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="1200" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYL-dCXdtXvPfmKX3oOLuXKeqxo-iDlQLHqIDlAsgXd5KV-tFSBugOfl9a3OB7NICESEvMB44YynY318Xlr834L-bop3e_0MXmSUkJRpnLD1fvJOw1XqxvXRkzMEkzHdvB0sAFzXLLGks/s400/Mailing+May.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
May would like to spend some time with her grandmother but a railroad ticket would cost a full day's wage for her father. He can't afford that. But May's parents come up with an idea. Mail May. Because she, with her suitcase, weighs under 50 pounds, she is classified as a baby chick. Her uncle Leonard works in the postal car. He could easily watch over this special live parcel. The train's conductor approves it.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiSBRut_GOzGQODc4ctf1OuQsGuNB2MRfA4l7xLLoeibCVvB4Uxth_zUz6n77F8SVjDfuIZ1_8fC4koIHzzIdU1muLvMHtCD3NNrclXk7J5GS4F0ZjaseNB0-htNOUin73PkH2YMTJys/s1600/snow+-+horse+-+barn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1200" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNiSBRut_GOzGQODc4ctf1OuQsGuNB2MRfA4l7xLLoeibCVvB4Uxth_zUz6n77F8SVjDfuIZ1_8fC4koIHzzIdU1muLvMHtCD3NNrclXk7J5GS4F0ZjaseNB0-htNOUin73PkH2YMTJys/s640/snow+-+horse+-+barn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pages inside "Mailing May"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The author gathered his facts from museums and word-of-mouth, included May's son. Mr.Tunnell wrote his book to show that ordinary people can come up with creative ways to solve a problem. The illustrations are richly saturated in color with accurate details of the period. (Pub. 1997)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosriCoC4Z_IytVSQxoi52yzcSoU_kqkWAecKCEwOnU3TIU5jPN0jzNjvzQoSpKC6iaattTnH5UZwn-rP4yXlfUzPDXlnwPjZA_YuNmOf2VNnB4Tlc4umVkzlvUX7ySLIAJiBl944s88c/s1600/Matchlock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1192" data-original-width="1200" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjosriCoC4Z_IytVSQxoi52yzcSoU_kqkWAecKCEwOnU3TIU5jPN0jzNjvzQoSpKC6iaattTnH5UZwn-rP4yXlfUzPDXlnwPjZA_YuNmOf2VNnB4Tlc4umVkzlvUX7ySLIAJiBl944s88c/s400/Matchlock.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
Just before sitting down to write about <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0698116801" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="73c0189a9162e06b3309dd671b80baeb" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Matchlock Gun" href="http://www.amazon.com/Matchlock-Gun-Walter-D-Edmonds/dp/0698116801/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=charlottem0a5-20&linkId=73c0189a9162e06b3309dd671b80baeb&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_6004898" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Matchlock Gun</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_6004898" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=charlottem0a5-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=73c0189a9162e06b3309dd671b80baeb&_cb=1503446202223" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i></b></span> by Walter D. Edmonds, Dean shared a bit of news. The thought had already crossed my mind that it is doubtful whether <b><i>The Matchlock Gun </i></b>would win a Newberry Award today.<br />
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Society thinks differently than it did in 1942. Therefore, when the news reached my ears it seconded my suspicions. Today, general opinion seems to be that guns are bad.<br />
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To those, however, who believe in the right to self-defense, the 2nd amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and small government, guns are not bad. It is violent people and big, tyrannical governments that are bad.<br />
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The news? Yale University decided to cover up an offensive musket held by a Puritan. (I googled. A group of 500 Puritans founded Yale in 1638.) In this carved stone relief on the outside of the Yale library, the musket is pointing in the direction of an Indian. The arrow, grasped in the Indian's hand, pointing toward the Puritan, is not covered up. Clay was used to cover-up the musket. This way future generations might find it (and see how far we've progressed to becoming a gun-free, 2nd-amendment-free society?)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-43vTKppnCc1r0dOwxqS0zPni-kxjnJYZ9O4mMdz1EPwxtInh6GyUa2DrEKl_iv2LY0zfAC3IS2wUgfGEAIt9-wOIZu0LG775vhnMkprJmtP0YqvydQq0aQF61S9NJVTL_Vl63Y3nHeA/s1600/Blue+Sky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="1057" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-43vTKppnCc1r0dOwxqS0zPni-kxjnJYZ9O4mMdz1EPwxtInh6GyUa2DrEKl_iv2LY0zfAC3IS2wUgfGEAIt9-wOIZu0LG775vhnMkprJmtP0YqvydQq0aQF61S9NJVTL_Vl63Y3nHeA/s400/Blue+Sky.jpg" width="352" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pages inside "The Matchlock Gun" Antique doll quilt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's Colonial America in <i><b>The Matchlock Gun.</b></i> Young Edward's father is away defending a village near Albany, New York, from an Indian raid. Edward, his mother and little sister, are home. Near the end of the story Edward (frightened but brave) is forced to use drastic measures.<br />
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His mother is being chased up the hill and to the door of their cabin by an attacking Indian. Edward, in the kitchen, stands behind his grandfather's heavy antique Spanish gun (that is propped up on the table). He has one shot.<br />
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He fires just as the Indian strikes his mother in the shoulder with a tomahawk. Mother is wounded. The Indian dies. The boy saves his mother's life. (No red blood is depicted.) (Pub. 1941)<br />
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The author's story was handed down to him as part of his personal family heritage.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC15OatDcbaChcUinTUyKNNKXBVMOQzfSv5cgNV3QzD4tagkDBsPi_Ib452tF6Hyu-BePBjEWLmSolSRNutyP_52kkUSSta_EoXa7c-qHRwPS8oo4dOcwsXXoAmELD4WtuHfjZUzVmglk/s1600/Thunder+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="1200" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC15OatDcbaChcUinTUyKNNKXBVMOQzfSv5cgNV3QzD4tagkDBsPi_Ib452tF6Hyu-BePBjEWLmSolSRNutyP_52kkUSSta_EoXa7c-qHRwPS8oo4dOcwsXXoAmELD4WtuHfjZUzVmglk/s640/Thunder+Cake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This rooster pin-cushion has wings. Missouri Star Quilt Co. has a chicken pin cushion tutorial.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm uncertain whether <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0698115813" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="a0981c2e8985d17236e490e43947baae" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Thunder Cake" href="http://www.amazon.com/Thunder-Cake-Patricia-Polacco/dp/0698115813/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=charlottem0a5-20&linkId=a0981c2e8985d17236e490e43947baae&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_7174400" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thunder Cake</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_7174400" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=charlottem0a5-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a0981c2e8985d17236e490e43947baae&_cb=1503446232777" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /> </i></b></span>by Patricia Polacco is a memory from the author's childhood. But it seems so. She dedicates it to her Babushka Carle and writes in first-person, starting with: "On sultry summer days at my grandma's farm in Michigan . . .<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwCOl76Rlub2dhIdl5wUikaliTDMJmOpzUdThfNkSvFpXt23RA-c_XXZioUEWK028SwuxOSxuQ26aXa367THZqYrvk2mnEfy-N6XUq7Qr_4vtnmpSs9Nzk_knvRkkVQLsX9AhCV2taVU/s1600/book+fair+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1200" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUwCOl76Rlub2dhIdl5wUikaliTDMJmOpzUdThfNkSvFpXt23RA-c_XXZioUEWK028SwuxOSxuQ26aXa367THZqYrvk2mnEfy-N6XUq7Qr_4vtnmpSs9Nzk_knvRkkVQLsX9AhCV2taVU/s640/book+fair+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dean and I went bonkers at this enormous used-book sale this summer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A Russian-immigrant grandmother deals cleverly with her granddaughter's fear of thunder. As a summer thunderstorm approaches Grandma relies upon her granddaughter's help to make a Thunder Cake. The granddaughter is busy collecting eggs from the hen house, milk from the cow, an over-rip tomato from the garden. Yes, a tomato. The cake must be made during a thunderstorm for it to be authentic Thunder Cake. By the time the cake is in the oven and the table is set, thunder is loudly crashing overhead. But when the cake is cool and frosted it is delicious; a tangible proof of bravery.<br />
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A recipe for Thunder Cake, a chocolate tomato layer cake, is found in on a back page. 15 years ago, after being intrigued by a muffin recipe in <i>Joy of Cooking</i>, with the "secret ingredient" of tomato, I made a dozen. They were good. Therefore, it wouldn't surprise me if Thunder Cake was tasty, too. (Pub. 1990) I picked up a used copy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktxyIK1GFnWKjp0eJ0RC_zPcetnp3FAJ-LvyekVVwkXhqbvvsU5wRfMeHbr9s4bGsr05dp8mTHDCKPJ5cXcL85whP29tyoiuUMUj3d-mvcXvHFmiDlgUt13z7nvsQtKEc8pzH92UPhO0/s1600/Oregano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="1200" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktxyIK1GFnWKjp0eJ0RC_zPcetnp3FAJ-LvyekVVwkXhqbvvsU5wRfMeHbr9s4bGsr05dp8mTHDCKPJ5cXcL85whP29tyoiuUMUj3d-mvcXvHFmiDlgUt13z7nvsQtKEc8pzH92UPhO0/s640/Oregano.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our herb garden around the back patio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Post Script</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Zucchini</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZn0gZeelGOHUtOkCbtp5b_M1xn3xXA17obmZECHcxC2RVHKBeVew7UGWFYYv29uOVcKZLCNcq5asVkLA6v3pxsTwAOzQOm0HwqQ8vTDLGfKx6neVS4oMQcoSw2RkAUUNCf7iTxLqycSI/s1600/cooking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZn0gZeelGOHUtOkCbtp5b_M1xn3xXA17obmZECHcxC2RVHKBeVew7UGWFYYv29uOVcKZLCNcq5asVkLA6v3pxsTwAOzQOm0HwqQ8vTDLGfKx6neVS4oMQcoSw2RkAUUNCf7iTxLqycSI/s400/cooking.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zucchini burgers with garden herbs smell delicious while cooking.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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When summer brings zucchini, I make vegetarian burgers. A gluten-free, bell pepper-free batch for the Man-of-the-House. A batch with "the works" for me includes finely grated carrot. Yum.<br />
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A generous helping of minced herbs from the patio garden add flavor: chive, oregano, sweet basil, thyme, parsley. I cook the burgers in butter and olive oil until brown and crispy on the outside, but creamy-soft inside. <br />
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The parsley is store-bought. (Can you see why?) Peter Rabbit lives in the back yard. Benjamin Bunny lives in the front yard. They love parsley. And leave none for us. Dean noticed that finicky Peter won't touch the Italian herbs. "I wonder if the rabbits in Italy have acquired a taste for them," I said "I hope our rabbits never do."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXTRC-QQbzWJg0tx3fkaYqx-upYqe5oXH9vxpI-wmm0M_agnjiY7Gxj6U398IkRIYD9IOFbAV7ICs8Ew_3Ne481Ir5BkbmXpKde-qD5q8mxblegfhseOqwy8DYlfxfC_nPPxqAoR9DU0/s1600/parsley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="1200" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKXTRC-QQbzWJg0tx3fkaYqx-upYqe5oXH9vxpI-wmm0M_agnjiY7Gxj6U398IkRIYD9IOFbAV7ICs8Ew_3Ne481Ir5BkbmXpKde-qD5q8mxblegfhseOqwy8DYlfxfC_nPPxqAoR9DU0/s640/parsley.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">The Doll Quilt</span><br />
The little blue-and-yellow quilt is an antique doll quilt presented to me by a family we invited for lasagna dinner. It was a sweet and thoughtful surprise. At close inspection I see it was a young girl who hand quilted it because the quilting stitches are wobbly. Cute. I wonder what her doll looked like.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-pg18ahvY_cDcz4MzCTzcRoWvQVIbz_zAhtw7JonqkEjSKlCUx8FK57l336M68rhr0NfVIuYIt_ZOVTO6YTVRQL1p_MtEqX-pOlh4XNadlPDncAiraLtmeMUW523fsUSnKbG-Iqe6vk/s1600/zucchini+burgers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="711" data-original-width="1200" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-pg18ahvY_cDcz4MzCTzcRoWvQVIbz_zAhtw7JonqkEjSKlCUx8FK57l336M68rhr0NfVIuYIt_ZOVTO6YTVRQL1p_MtEqX-pOlh4XNadlPDncAiraLtmeMUW523fsUSnKbG-Iqe6vk/s400/zucchini+burgers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Mennonite Historical Society raises money each year with this enormous used-book sale out on their lawn. <i>Some</i> of the books fit under a tent. We found armfuls of gems. <br />
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Books reviewed are linked to Amazon.</div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Happy Reading,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Karen Andreola </div>
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(karenjandreola(at)gmail(dot)com</div>
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Typing-in my e-mail reduces spam. Thank you. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny oregano flowers fill-out my little bouquet nicely. </td></tr>
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<br />Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-46148726351260601772017-08-07T11:33:00.001-04:002017-08-07T11:33:20.784-04:00Sipping Pages Like Tea<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span id="goog_1536258482"></span>Sipping Pages Like Tea</span><br />
I'm excited. Charlotte Mason's writings are back in print. Now in a large format. My new set has arrived and I've been writing in the margins! I love my new books. As always I am sipping the pages slowly, like tea.<br />
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The company <b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Simply Charlotte Mason</span></b> has published the series anew.<b> </b>We authorized use of the copyright material on the covers and the front-matter of our pink volumes. They asked Dean to write an introduction for this new edition. Here's a piece of it: </div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">"The 21st century has brought changes in the way people access, read, and store books. The demand for printed books has diminished while the demand for e-books has increased. Sadly, we are no longer able to continue our printing of <i>The Original Homeschooling Series.</i> Yet thanks to kindred spirits at Simply Charlotte Mason, we have been able to pass the baton, so to speak, and partner with them to see <i>The Original Homeschooling Series</i> safely back in print."</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_eyO7zNS2SkECKnEy35jYDRMN2cIVaxiSEO59O4oBE11GPRz2zV2Opy5fPoKa9za9N7L_ZB62-AE7bHAPhLVAFUVwhkbDcLzN_5hyphenhyphenxsULYIJmLywuc807X66BQ5HLYNHjA6udCBQP3Y/s1600/cradle+at+the+hearth+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="803" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_eyO7zNS2SkECKnEy35jYDRMN2cIVaxiSEO59O4oBE11GPRz2zV2Opy5fPoKa9za9N7L_ZB62-AE7bHAPhLVAFUVwhkbDcLzN_5hyphenhyphenxsULYIJmLywuc807X66BQ5HLYNHjA6udCBQP3Y/s640/cradle+at+the+hearth+2.JPG" width="427" /></a></div>
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I'm happy to announce that the beautiful old-fashioned font is intact. The pagination remains the same, too.<br />
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Both are what I've become so fond, and so familiar, reading. I like how my eye can land on the page on the exact geographical spot of the pages of my pink volumes.<br />
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This is good news for those of us who are involved with personal and group study.<br />
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It preserves footnoting and referencing so that we can all be literally on the "same page."</div>
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More good news. The print is larger (for my old eyes) and the ink is darker and easier to see. <br />
How is it that I'm noticing gems I hadn't noticed before? <i><span style="color: #e06666;">Was this bit always here?</span></i> I asked myself.<br />
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Re-reading is re-discovering. And Miss Mason's ideas are Christian-life-wisdom for people of all ages; even grandmothers.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful old-fashioned font is intact. Pagination is the same. A larger, darker size print. Yeah.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peony taken on Dean's walk, like a flower in the painting.</td></tr>
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These days, I share tips with my daughter long distance, over the telephone when she asks. She is home-teaching. What exhausting effort Sophia puts into her bright, rambunctious children.<br />
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Sometimes she gets muddled. I suspect a probable cause. She sees an endless scroll of questions on Facebook sites. Here young mothers seek specific advice on learning materials. Then, a myriad of well-meaning, but conflicting answers flood in.<br />
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"I think you might be experiencing information-overload," I tell her. "Reading a product review and also a couple pages of a well-written book is a calmer, more consecutive, and less confusing practice," I remind her.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old oil painting. Gift from Dean. A bouquet that never withers.</td></tr>
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In the days of her girlhood, I endeavored to live Charlotte Mason's advise. I rarely talked about the philosophy with my children.<br />
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Now <i>Sophia</i> is the home-teaching mom. She is learning what to "think" as well as what to "do."<br />
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It's always a joy (and relief) to hear what she has decided to apply, and that it is working satisfactory, if not splendidly well, as yet.<br />
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It takes time to see progress with anything newly adapted. I commend her hourly effort.<br />
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The pages of Miss Mason's books are a big help with child training, home atmosphere, and discipline.<br />
They provide a guide to the <i>kind</i> of books that open the door of a child's mind and create that wonderful "<b>intellectual glow</b>" on the faces of the children that make all the time and effort worthwhile.<br />
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I enjoy laying one of my new Charlotte Mason books open where my lap-top computer used to rest before it died. (I'm in no rush to replace it.) I like to read 2 or 3 pages in an afternoon quiet-time. That's all.</div>
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I might pencil a note in the margin. Also, whatever especially speaks to me I copy into a hardcover-notebook.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the bunny? It sleeps under the lilies and ate every lily leaf and parsley leaf there. Humph.</td></tr>
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A slow reading is the only doable one for me. Even during my years of young motherhood, when I sometimes had to contend with a quickening <i>sense of urgency</i> in wanting to understand Miss Mason, I sipped the pages like tea.<br />
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I didn't worry about having to understand absolutely <i>everything</i> I read. Ideas have a way of growing on you. Weeks or months would go by when I let "thoughts think themselves."<span style="color: #a64d79;">*1</span> I would go about the business of life. Ideas have the potency to stand up to simmering on the back burner.<span style="color: #0b5394;">*2</span> The "life" part (the application of practical ideas) is where the most patience and persistence is required. Keep plodding, my friends.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">"Steadfastness is, of course, of the essence of all
Loyalties," says Miss Mason.</span><span style="color: #6aa84f;">*3</span> </blockquote>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">19th century cradle, gift from Dean. I wonder whose baby slept in it.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Here's a link to the new series for sale at </span><b><a href="https://simplycharlottemason.com/store/the-original-home-schooling-series-study-edition/"><span style="color: #674ea7;">Simply Charlotte Mason. </span></a></b></span><br />
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It contains hidden gems to uncover. Gems to grow-by.<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">E</span><span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">nd Notes</span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;">*1</span> Charlotte Mason, <i>Parents & Children</i>, pg 156 "Thoughts Think Themselves."<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">*2</span> Ibid, pg 34 "Now is it not marvelous, that recognizing as we do the potency of ideas, both the word and the [concept] it covers, enter so little into our thought of education?" <br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">*3</span> Charlotte Mason, <i>Ourselves</i>, Bk 1, pg 123<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Yours,</span></div>
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Karen Andreola</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"A Philosophy of Education" is one of my favorite volumes and probably the most often quoted in "Companion." </td></tr>
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Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-24191733295757058942017-05-29T09:18:00.003-04:002017-06-06T09:10:33.589-04:00Finding Your Feet - Part One<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;">Finding Your Feet </span><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Part One</span><br />
"Can I do this?" I asked myself. I was a young mother. Children's books were not part of my childhood. I was a recent Christian. I had no teacher's training. But I was determined to home-teach.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3TTTGao6iIadmv5b4qB18_p_enPSZklWO5fYNBIIymqbpz_ORLBPyCvpA4fDo77HfJXCVpokUbulyM29wQ_u0fXjB-xiaGEOHuIW1uAZNKllgKsPxF6yNje9oWXN1mYM4XSUf69xpZE/s1600/cup+in+the+garden.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1200" height="563" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB3TTTGao6iIadmv5b4qB18_p_enPSZklWO5fYNBIIymqbpz_ORLBPyCvpA4fDo77HfJXCVpokUbulyM29wQ_u0fXjB-xiaGEOHuIW1uAZNKllgKsPxF6yNje9oWXN1mYM4XSUf69xpZE/s640/cup+in+the+garden.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catbirds take a bath in our garden teacup daily. </td></tr>
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I felt like a dunderhead. I was, however, a motivated dunderhead. The more I dug, the more enthused I became. Charlotte Mason supplied me with the "how-to" and the "why-to." I recognized that her books in my hands were a gift from God, a generous answer of prayer. Slowly and gradually I grew in understanding. Did I understand everything I read? No. Ideas take time to germinate, time to be contemplated, to be worked-out, to be lived-out. Ideas can't be rushed. Eventually, we <i>find our feet</i> by walking in them. The ideas become a way-of-life. It's the educational life.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEWCyWJ0PQw4kJApz2zCPhnf0v45nmXl5jVGSPtsGa6rtjhK6Yn95ujkATm1-zyhhOPNwVDRnSUlLLqIlCEF6iXnKLauA1lnORRb6IR0n7LABQyjZH8Ue6zMlcvcBJ4GxASwNzfDBurU/s1600/e-yoke+sweater.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="1200" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqEWCyWJ0PQw4kJApz2zCPhnf0v45nmXl5jVGSPtsGa6rtjhK6Yn95ujkATm1-zyhhOPNwVDRnSUlLLqIlCEF6iXnKLauA1lnORRb6IR0n7LABQyjZH8Ue6zMlcvcBJ4GxASwNzfDBurU/s640/e-yoke+sweater.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knitting this yoke pattern for Eloise was a dream. It has 8 stitches to weave under the arms and no other seams. </td></tr>
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I've noticed something. Charlotte Mason's principles fit different circumstances beautifully. The people applying them are of different financial means. They have different backgrounds, different personalities, gifts, talents. They even live in different parts of the globe. Some with English their second language.<br />
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Miss Mason's principles are not just for the well-to-do or the well-prepared. They aren't solely for the intellectual. My husband Dean told me Miss Mason's principles are basic enough for even simple people (like us) to understand. She reached out to the poorer (less-literate) classes as far back as when she gave her lectures in London in the 1880s, and thereafter. I can relate. I was Less-literate with a capital "L".<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPrm9mVwkjjf9pBaPb1X7UoCg4w4ecKhLdyJZPVAADU4EMseLjT2nesPRo3PLmt104JB6OtogYVhSjeylpUVMjD8wq8k6eSKrNX-OH8rWt_em5G6xaoSEX6oNjSfnMD5U5cTrUi6BtWc/s1600/pansies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1200" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEPrm9mVwkjjf9pBaPb1X7UoCg4w4ecKhLdyJZPVAADU4EMseLjT2nesPRo3PLmt104JB6OtogYVhSjeylpUVMjD8wq8k6eSKrNX-OH8rWt_em5G6xaoSEX6oNjSfnMD5U5cTrUi6BtWc/s640/pansies.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Johnny-jump-ups with pansies. Potted herbs behind. Outside the kitchen door. </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>Margin</b></span><br />
Miss Mason's ideals are high. I craned my neck looking up. But it is a road worth walking no matter what situation you are in at the start. However others carry-out the method today, however well-accomplished the PNEU was in its hey-day of the 1930s, you are left to personally to <i>find your feet</i>. Please give yourself <i>margin </i>my friend. With respect to the <i>person</i> God is making you to be, respect your <i>personal </i>application.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidI4SgQuE8KvbiAZ8rTZkZ8O-Ozs-dE4Ai1kFykGmxBxbex1cXnSwwFtPQ-SXhen1m96hQvEZmDxcBn7-gIw0UV2Y5CLgaQLIyu2m1tCK8qa2PjrjN_EnJuOY7gUByGwmnjTz-4zRUlsw/s1600/garage+garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="669" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidI4SgQuE8KvbiAZ8rTZkZ8O-Ozs-dE4Ai1kFykGmxBxbex1cXnSwwFtPQ-SXhen1m96hQvEZmDxcBn7-gIw0UV2Y5CLgaQLIyu2m1tCK8qa2PjrjN_EnJuOY7gUByGwmnjTz-4zRUlsw/s640/garage+garden.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weigelia and Dianthus along our garage-shed.</td></tr>
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On page 38 of <i>School Education</i> Miss Mason invites teachers to recede. Teachers are to make room for students to "<i>feel </i>their feet" with what they are learning.<br />
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We inspire. We set-in-motion habits and skills. Then we recede. This way we do not continue to indefinitely "carrying them through their schoolwork." Rather, we give them margin while we set their feet in a land-of-opportunity. Self-education is the result.<br />
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The same can be said of mothers. Home teachers are learners, too. Are you giving yourself <i>margin</i>?<i> </i>Let's be courteous. Let's give <i>each other </i>margin.<br />
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Dean says, "The Charlotte Mason Method shines brightest when we allow ourselves the freedom to adapt Miss Mason's philosophy to our own individual domestic circumstance. We are, then, free to be ourselves before God and our children."<br />
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Some seek exact recipes. By focusing on the letter-of-the-law, however, we can miss living by the spirit-of-the-law. A mother misses the joy of learning with her children when choosing exact recipe over personal application. Miss Mason's principles are living principles meant to be a blessing.<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><b>A Mixed Bunch </b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJn67LkuzfHnUTD-yJf0_TXO3Dl3KvcY0bXNelGYCqsKC01usYtv9vNSZokb9b6gP2mTSIx2p85WquzIgjKWdlIt_nHBZJ3RmI-W_5IqvEuef9SPiu8b7Mo8PFZQ6nufZzPPGo3RlDK8/s1600/pink+dianthus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="924" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGJn67LkuzfHnUTD-yJf0_TXO3Dl3KvcY0bXNelGYCqsKC01usYtv9vNSZokb9b6gP2mTSIx2p85WquzIgjKWdlIt_nHBZJ3RmI-W_5IqvEuef9SPiu8b7Mo8PFZQ6nufZzPPGo3RlDK8/s400/pink+dianthus.JPG" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weigelia and Dianthus along the garage-shed, close up.</td></tr>
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We are a mixed bunch of Charlotte Mason followers. I know because I've had the pleasure of meeting some of you through the mail.<br />
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One family fills a handful of notebooks on various subjects. You're impressed. Your family started one or two. These notebooks are half-filled by the end of the school year. But they are <i>handsomely</i> half-filled. This will do. Each notebook represents happy days of curious and focused learning.<br />
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One mother reads Plutarch annually. Another mom prefers to read a little Plutarch if any, especially as she has shelves of carefully collected juvenile biographies filled with "lives." Such a quantity of lives for children was unavailable in Miss Mason's day. Go for it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElSc1uHootUQKwPktM0NGmo1StsyMr299IIwFaUlfr9cRcxxO5MjuQ23HQhJ8idbeNfqkK7bmT3Uh8Tsg08zGeFEjof6Z0lJb0vU1S-fdH7miFlFe3pwQ90n7DiMkTe0G-O_gu7AD_GQ/s1600/quilt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1118" data-original-width="1200" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElSc1uHootUQKwPktM0NGmo1StsyMr299IIwFaUlfr9cRcxxO5MjuQ23HQhJ8idbeNfqkK7bmT3Uh8Tsg08zGeFEjof6Z0lJb0vU1S-fdH7miFlFe3pwQ90n7DiMkTe0G-O_gu7AD_GQ/s640/quilt.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new little quilt of scrappy "Broken Dishes" beside the Dianthus.</td></tr>
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A pastor friend of yours, who lives an hour away, had his children memorize Shakespeare. He sends you an invitation to the performance. You take the drive to "hear" and see his students perform The Tempest. It's thoroughly enjoyable. Your family has appreciated Shakespeare. But directing a full-length play isn't an undertaking for you.<br />
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All 5 of a family's children play a string instrument. Even the 4-year-old takes lessons. Private lessons aren't in your budget. But since your eldest babysits she can help pay for hers. The younger children must wait their turn to start. They like hearing Big Sister play and look forward to when they will start their lessons.<br />
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One mother's student receives a lesson in Latin from his father daily. You tried Latin but it tipped the scales for you when your 6th child was born. And someone has to get a healthy supper on the table. Your husband isn't likely to teach his children Latin. Even if you ask him. He bought his boys catcher's mitts and enjoys playing ball with them out back. "Just what they need," you're thinking as you watch their energy through the kitchen window, "a good work-out." You offer a prayer of thanks while peeling the carrots. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYupqzy9cplwOYREUKWxTo-Y4k9nYOMsoOCilpLbvj2grR9eaGoqu43xCC1MSsmazApMlx-YhhircjAWULg3JsptVueEGOVi4K5Sb6i0HrqUd93kpZnaUgkNZS5hNURTw07ooFgwJZlQI/s1600/shells.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="785" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYupqzy9cplwOYREUKWxTo-Y4k9nYOMsoOCilpLbvj2grR9eaGoqu43xCC1MSsmazApMlx-YhhircjAWULg3JsptVueEGOVi4K5Sb6i0HrqUd93kpZnaUgkNZS5hNURTw07ooFgwJZlQI/s640/shells.JPG" width="418" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I enjoyed lining one garden with seashells I beach-combed years back. </td></tr>
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One mother teaches her little ones Sol-fa. It is important to her that they are brought up to sing well. An elderly man in church is stricken with A.L.S. Mom, Dad, and the children visit him one or two Saturdays a month. The little ones sing for the man they affectionately call "Grandpa." The tears in his eyes show how touched he is by this gift of friendship. He has no grandchildren of his own to visit him. Your children can carry a tune. It's a joyful noise.<br />
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One family has traveled miles to the Creation Museum. The ark was spectacular. They've also taken physical-geography-walks. Their interest in rocks, fossils, dinosaurs, and land formations never seems to wane. They tell you about their experiences excitedly. You're glad for them. But you can't see your family traveling that far anytime soon with a van that needs frequent engine repair. The Nature Trail at the edge of town is a hike your family enjoys. And some books from the library-discard-sale are proving insightful.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GsXzkefDcmTh9FfL1-dy6gD0oFfMRkKz7kpDYM5MrloQYGU98dZqsQMki6rmutABoMQcqu4eZTPdfFAR46cf9_Jjze2n_xzFm3AwraNI4-5EONJ88y_fbWiqYg_ObBWqROCQn4sMMuM/s1600/e-yoke+sweater+close-up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="809" data-original-width="1200" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3GsXzkefDcmTh9FfL1-dy6gD0oFfMRkKz7kpDYM5MrloQYGU98dZqsQMki6rmutABoMQcqu4eZTPdfFAR46cf9_Jjze2n_xzFm3AwraNI4-5EONJ88y_fbWiqYg_ObBWqROCQn4sMMuM/s400/e-yoke+sweater+close-up.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wooden Buttons The Yarn is Noro silk/cotton with slubs.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><br />Keep Your Focus</b></span></span><br />
While you are finding your feet you can't help see what others are doing. But you can open your eyes wider to what <i>you are</i> accomplishing. Look at what you <i>can</i> do. You are faithful to get up every morning to do it. And if it isn't done as seemingly radiantly, or as grandiose, as others. It doesn't matter. Your gifts, talents, interests <i>are</i> being used in your family. They <i>are</i> radiant. Because no effort, no love, no good work, is invisible to God.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkKgzu4FSxnfIZiDtTCVpecdw6T6fGt0Yy9R7GoGiGuAVf1Z9EZb7BXh0ZJXFQdcmPKTMac-PFB1-hJjXQil_zyTLEOegR03dmPmc9SAGk71v8LM8TXLluAasNu74CQJ3U18-TBdCtGc/s1600/fleabane+daisy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="1200" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkKgzu4FSxnfIZiDtTCVpecdw6T6fGt0Yy9R7GoGiGuAVf1Z9EZb7BXh0ZJXFQdcmPKTMac-PFB1-hJjXQil_zyTLEOegR03dmPmc9SAGk71v8LM8TXLluAasNu74CQJ3U18-TBdCtGc/s400/fleabane+daisy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My fieldguide says this is a Fleabane Daisy. I learned something new.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><b>Part Two</b></span> on this topic is upcoming.<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><b>Well done my friends.</b></span><br />
Karen Andreola<br />
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<br />Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-85907770933796027382017-05-06T13:21:00.002-04:002017-08-27T18:11:38.674-04:00Welcome Home<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><b>Welcome Home</b></span><br />
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<i style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><b>Spider Sparrow </b></i><br />
What are you doing for your Mother Culture? I hope you can snatch some moments to enrich yourself. At the end of the day, in just a few page-turning evenings, I read this sweet story. It pulled at my maternal heart strings. It ministered to my Mother Culture.<br />
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Perhaps you've seen the film, <b>Water Horse</b>, or <b>Babe</b>. Both are based on the children stories by British author, Dick King-Smith. I happened upon a lesser known story of his: <i><b>Spider Sparrow.</b></i> A used-bookshop sits a few doors from where Dean and I eat California Rolls on the occasional lunch date. I can't resist popping in. Of course.<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #e69138;">Spider Sparrow</span></i></b> has a James-Herriot-feel to it with its colloquial dialect and farm folk. It's lambing time in the 1930s. A tiny baby, wrapped in a shawl is deposited, under cover of darkness, at the door of a shepherd's hut. "What's this?" Tom, the shepherd, cradles the baby in his arms before a warm fire. With a beer bottle covered by a nipple, he feeds the scrawny, hungry baby the same milk he happens to be feeding to an orphan lamb that night.<br />
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He's smitten by this tiny one. Molly is smitten, too. Tom and Molly were married 15 years but hadn't been able to have a baby. They would have liked a son of their own. With help from the lord of the manor (and farm boss) Tom and Molly adopt the baby, who, village gossips believe, was abandoned by a young girl who had a fleeting love affair with an American soldier.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQf_WOef_lmWAtjoKpzHBLF0FpcCgCOrjxbn3Pp14tQBD1paUB-z9Tpe367o69zxXoI2G9egg3s7CD2FUV8rY_NZf_AKhM__4YZV4t3itJCEDrHubEpt0RXFT7P3a0oDRPfVrR4lCu1A/s1600/spider+sparrow+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQf_WOef_lmWAtjoKpzHBLF0FpcCgCOrjxbn3Pp14tQBD1paUB-z9Tpe367o69zxXoI2G9egg3s7CD2FUV8rY_NZf_AKhM__4YZV4t3itJCEDrHubEpt0RXFT7P3a0oDRPfVrR4lCu1A/s640/spider+sparrow+2.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="text-align: left;">Tom and Molly eventually notice something strange about this baby. </span></div>
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He doesn't crawl like other babies. At age 2 he gets around, keeping off his knees, on his hands-and-feet in the back garden; thus his nickname Spider. He eventually walks. But he walks funny. He talks funny, too, using a word rather than a sentence, by the time he is school age. Tom and Molly accept him as he is. Spider is docile, curious, and pleasant. And he is "slow." Unable to learn how to read, however, he isn't accepted into the village school. Molly is relieved, really, because most of the children make fun of him. Therefore, he's brought-up entirely at home.</div>
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Although unable to use language fully to express himself, he can mimic the sounds of nature. He imitates the birds and other creatures all around the farm, remarkably well. He doesn't mind being alone with nature. Animals are drawn to him. They are pacified by Spider's simpleness and gentleness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LWP_sGsG4qotUTnYWXOYZlJ9EQ47TrVv3DFqa915RuQkcRuAyYYOWYAonFheFDlG9qEfNGTjqrpI1iWly7x_flEX2-GTpCAwmDGxRkzaOGzWcOOh77CJsX5-iNoLJuEsWm4TU6wemvc/s1600/country-boy-and-his-dog-scare-away-crows-with-a-rattle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LWP_sGsG4qotUTnYWXOYZlJ9EQ47TrVv3DFqa915RuQkcRuAyYYOWYAonFheFDlG9qEfNGTjqrpI1iWly7x_flEX2-GTpCAwmDGxRkzaOGzWcOOh77CJsX5-iNoLJuEsWm4TU6wemvc/s400/country-boy-and-his-dog-scare-away-crows-with-a-rattle.jpg" width="310" /></a>When Spider reaches his teens England is at war. (The author was a soldier in WWII.) But Spider's world is the farm. Its workers (all older than he is) are kind to him. Eventually, he helps out on the farm in a way that is tailor-made for him. <br />
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Because of bits mentioned above, and the light swearing of a gruff farmhand ("bloody . . . ") you might prefer reading the story aloud with trifling omissions. Otherwise, it claims to be for age 10-up.<br />
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No matter what a child's abilities or disabilities, no matter how bright or slow he is, no matter what a child's strengths or weaknesses, a child is a person, created in the image of God. I know you will like <b style="font-style: italic;">Spider Sparrow </b>for your Mother Culture, especially if someone you love and care for is "slow."<br />
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When a Christian reads fiction she can't help wonder whether the main character has ever been imparted a saving knowledge of Christ. In this case Spider is depicted without sin-nature. Although the lord of the manor and his wife attend the parish church no other character in the story does. <br />
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<i><b><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Master Cornhill</span></b></i><br />
All my children read, <b><i>Master Cornhill</i></b> by Eloise Jarvis McGraw during their home-learning years, and were impressed with it. They remember it with fondness. (I've recently verified this.) Although out-of-print for some years (I obtained ours 25 years ago) Sonlight is publishing it I am told. I hadn't read it. Until this year. When I spied our copy on my daughter's shelf (she is homeschooling now) and I borrowed it back.<br />
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Although this historical fiction is filled with authenticated details of London, the year 1666, and The Great Fire of London, it moves swiftly. The details of clothing, buildings, street names, and best-of-all, persons, draw the reader into "being there" like no history textbook can.<br />
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Our sympathies are stirred for Michael who the year before, at age 11, had to leave London and his foster family there, to escape the Great Plague. When he returns he can't seem to find them. Thousands had died or fled the city. Where will he go? What will he do to earn a living at his age?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGq-JT5VNx_ppAT-zUiY8pdiwONICJkFSoiH3w1l_UNEHHBOw1rl3xnylHJdfAG3vcvcSLLbBOXQE6u7k74ruwAD0v57M40lg6N3Y7skI0Q1BKJ0OJIdURAglyPyvSSoj80bSbee_rXbk/s1600/the-great-fire-of-london+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGq-JT5VNx_ppAT-zUiY8pdiwONICJkFSoiH3w1l_UNEHHBOw1rl3xnylHJdfAG3vcvcSLLbBOXQE6u7k74ruwAD0v57M40lg6N3Y7skI0Q1BKJ0OJIdURAglyPyvSSoj80bSbee_rXbk/s640/the-great-fire-of-london+%25281%2529.jpg" width="416" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fire of London by painter Stanhope Alexander Forbes</td></tr>
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Seeking to avoid the dreaded workhouse he agrees to join a minstrel/storyteller who sells scripts. The minstrel gives Michael a few coins a week and a place to sleep, for being part of the audience. All Michael has to do is listen to the storyteller, fascinated. Just like he did the first time he heard the minstrel. It's an easy job. One that gives Michael a roof over his head and food to eat. But not one he is guaranteed to keep long.<br />
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One<i> very minor</i> character drinks too much. This brief scene ushers in the natural consequence of hardship (as it should.) Overall, you and your children will like Michael and his circle of friends (all older than he is.) These friends are caregivers in his life that ease mounting anxiety. How does any civilization survive? When difficulties are met <i>together</i> while kindness is at work.<br />
The print is small, making it probably best for ages 12-14-up.<br />
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<b style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><i>The Chestry Oak</i></b><br />
First published in 1948, <b style="font-style: italic;">The Chestry Oak </b>by Kate Seredy is back in print. The story begins in a royal castle in Hungary at the onset of WWII. The old-way-of-life is described with a kind of dream-like-remembering. When the Nazis occupy the castle, young Michael, prince of the House of Chestry, is given strict orders by his Nanny and his father-the-King, how to conduct himself. These two grown-ups guide young Michael discretely through their new oppressive castle-life. To not frighten him they tell him they are playing a game of pretend.<br />
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Graduating from pony to horse on his birthday is an exciting step-up for Prince Michael. One beautiful black stallion plays an important role during an air raid (when the Americans intervene.) Then, the formal-feel of the first half of the book ends. The war is over. Michael's life changes dramatically.<br />
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I wouldn't be recommending the book if the second half of the story kept to the same strained-feel as the first. When we follow Michael to America a contrast between a life of oppression and one of freedom-from-oppression becomes evident. I read about Michael's new life with relief and rejoicing, grateful I was born in America. Your shoulders will relax, too, when you read about his new life. Therefore, keep reading and you'll be enriched. Age 12-up.<br />
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<b style="color: #0b5394; font-size: x-large;">East,West - Home is Best</b><br />
I've intentionally left out the best parts of these stories. You'll happily discover them for yourself.<br />
All 3 happen to be about orphans who are welcomed into the homes of kind-hearted, <i>seemingly</i> God-fearing people. The caregivers are everyday heroes. A loving home is what is central to everyone's well-being. Adults who persevere through life's difficulties in <b><i>making</i> a home </b>for their loved-ones, will find these stories as touching, or <i>more touching</i>, than the children who read them. They will relate to the care-givers. They will be encouraged to persevere in love, putting kindness to work in the common duties of life.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Giving Thanks for Home</span><br />
I am a Bible-believing Christian. Although I am not Mennonite (my neighbors are Amish) I picked up a book of Mennonite children's prayers. It's been by my bedside this week. Here is one adapted from the <i>Die Ernsthafte Christenpflicht </i>1739, that fits my theme today.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq bluebox">
<div style="text-align: center;">
O God,</div>
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We give thanks for the goodhearted people</div>
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who love us and do good to us and who</div>
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show their mercy and kindness by providing</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
us with food and drink, house and shelter</div>
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when we are in trouble or in need.</div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">End Notes:</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;">Linked to Amazon:</span><br />
<b><i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="0440416647" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="13624c13d00c10b7be615eb244c3e3f2" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Spider Sparrow," href="http://www.amazon.com/Spider-Sparrow-Dick-King-Smith/dp/0440416647/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=charlottem0a5-20&linkId=13624c13d00c10b7be615eb244c3e3f2&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_6396889" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spider Sparrow,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_6396889" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=charlottem0a5-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=13624c13d00c10b7be615eb244c3e3f2&_cb=1493649177338" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /> </i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<i style="font-weight: bold;"><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1887840001" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="1625fedcd89ffcc170f5cb9f45e9b458" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Master Cornhill," href="http://www.amazon.com/Master-Cornhill-Eloise-Jarvis-McGraw/dp/1887840001/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=charlottem0a5-20&linkId=1625fedcd89ffcc170f5cb9f45e9b458&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_1703451" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Master Cornhill,</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_1703451" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=charlottem0a5-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=1625fedcd89ffcc170f5cb9f45e9b458&_cb=1493649194443" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /> </i>and available through Sonlight.<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1930900813" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="a9f156c155562ec3ac26af5c2c00798a" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="The Chesty Oak" href="http://www.amazon.com/Chestry-Oak-Kate-Seredy/dp/1930900813/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=charlottem0a5-20&linkId=a9f156c155562ec3ac26af5c2c00798a&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_8752368" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Chesty Oak</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_8752368" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=charlottem0a5-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a9f156c155562ec3ac26af5c2c00798a&_cb=1493649226236" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" />. </i></b><br />
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<b>This Antique Star Bed Quilt, </b>I discovered<b> </b>on close inspection (through my bifocals) is a genealogy quilt. Inside each star is a faded name penned with a birth date such as "Jacob 1820". I'm partial to this star quilt block. I quilted the mug rug (above) for a long-distance friend. I call it "Midnight Garden."<br />
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Farm paintings are by Agnes Clausen<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Keep up your Mother Culture, ladies.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Thanks for visiting,</span><br />
Karen Andreola<br />
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<br />Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-29335259214872797242017-04-07T19:54:00.001-04:002017-05-06T17:20:02.430-04:00Keen Observer <span style="color: #38761d; font-size: x-large;"><b><span id="goog_1584563539"></span><span id="goog_1584563540"></span>Keen Observer</b></span><br />
I hesitate suggesting one more thing for you to do. Especially near the end of the school year. This suggestion, however, promotes a refreshing change.<br />
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Would you like to take a break from doing the subject of English indoors? How about taking credit for doing English-Outdoors . . . on a beautiful day?<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Description of Place</span><span style="color: #e06666;"> </span></b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ec8YScWX7AwnpXvIwjGkkruLiLPnbYrnEmArZeLmHcNA1JnIisTZDyp_ISe6h0g3OhIorB8GXXknVtj_bARt-FSxCW4NHZj6Idde7nfStHnr67mz9bkJmDZteuVY6gdw7KgHsDOB8LA/s1600/footbridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ec8YScWX7AwnpXvIwjGkkruLiLPnbYrnEmArZeLmHcNA1JnIisTZDyp_ISe6h0g3OhIorB8GXXknVtj_bARt-FSxCW4NHZj6Idde7nfStHnr67mz9bkJmDZteuVY6gdw7KgHsDOB8LA/s640/footbridge.jpg" width="448" /></a>During my winter reading I'd been noticing descriptions of "place." Now in spring it feels good to be walking on the lawn in bare feet again, observing "place" in person. Spring makes me feel like dancing.<br />
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Not long ago I posted a suggestion on Facebook on observing "place." With spring brightening the landscape, living things catch our notice.<br />
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Children are observant. We can refine this natural attribute. We can encourage them to be <i>keen </i>observers, then, require that they describe what they see.<br />
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This is one exercise that goes into making a descriptive writer. A walk downtown would draw forth a description of a different sort than a walk in the country. But both are useful to the keen observer.<br />
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;"><b>Firm Roots in Narration</b></span><span style="color: #e69138;"> </span><br />
Yes, children gain an enormous benefit from narrating good books. They pick up descriptive style, polished grammar, paragraph construction that develops a train-of-thought, etc. from all the reading we do aloud and all the reading they do silently. The benefit of narrating from books is immeasurable. Not only do these strengths show up in the student's writing, they find their way into a student's speaking, countenance, inflections, etc. Narration develops a student's ability to reason, discern, and form opinions. I could go on.<br />
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Here, however, I'm suggesting another form of narration. For this Outdoor-English assignment the child describes what he sees, <i>and</i> hears, smells, feels, or senses in his soul - all <i>and only</i> from what he observes in his surroundings. In <i>Story Starters </i>I explain the use of what is commonly called, "sensory language." With sensory language we paint a picture and sense of "being there" for others. It is one of the warm-up exercises in <i>Story Starters</i> for descriptive writing.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><b>Laura Ingalls Wilder - Her Powers of Observation</b></span><br />
I just finished reading a biography: Donald Zochert's <i>Laura - The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder.</i> About halfway into the book Laura returns to the Big Woods of Wisconsin. Pa's two summers of wheat crops were devoured by grasshoppers. In an interim the Ingalls live with extended family. One of Laura's chores is to bring home her uncle's cows. She loved this chore. It was difficult to separate how much of it was play and how much of it was work. The two merged together amicably.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSbRNYLjT6Xva6NTCf0QUKo26k0trfixYTvtmuTxfbAx5u-oArVbOs5TT9RVxhn18xjJcuNZOtOHEv3XaT-F1ZCUQTJyK3CHo2IGRk69j0U19LhipZahajfyZeQ6wRteBIBAyzqTAMwo/s1600/brick+house+with+blue+wagon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSbRNYLjT6Xva6NTCf0QUKo26k0trfixYTvtmuTxfbAx5u-oArVbOs5TT9RVxhn18xjJcuNZOtOHEv3XaT-F1ZCUQTJyK3CHo2IGRk69j0U19LhipZahajfyZeQ6wRteBIBAyzqTAMwo/s640/brick+house+with+blue+wagon.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the Conestoga wagon in the back? (Landis Valley) </td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq bluebox">
"Bringing home the cows is the childhood memory that oftenest recurs to me," Laura said when she had grown up. "I think it is because the mind of the child is particularly attuned to the beauties of nature and the voices of the wildwood and the impression they made was deep."*1</blockquote>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzAYByqrRt9cUa-Elrr4AB7dGXrPSgch3dQnnTkAO5YMJRirux4stSZPP5g14quZZ-gwx0JgWXB_2hBpBskTq74MMvQmCHB07ILkZZEU7EevDtI2XSeLi3T27n5oGXC8zbH46n6mRO0U/s1600/steer+at+landis+valley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzAYByqrRt9cUa-Elrr4AB7dGXrPSgch3dQnnTkAO5YMJRirux4stSZPP5g14quZZ-gwx0JgWXB_2hBpBskTq74MMvQmCHB07ILkZZEU7EevDtI2XSeLi3T27n5oGXC8zbH46n6mRO0U/s400/steer+at+landis+valley.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An ox (Landis Valley)</td></tr>
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Laura dilly-dallied along the cow paths, unmindful of milking time and being corrected yet-again for her tardiness. While daylight was softening and coming to a close she lingered, gathering wildflowers, wading in the creek, watching the squirrels, listening to the birds twitter as twilight approached.<br />
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When I reached the part where Mary becomes blind as the result of being "very sick" I remembered reading on-line that it is now surmised that Mary's symptoms match those of meningitis.<br />
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After Mary looses her sight Laura becomes even more of an observant child. You see, Pa asks her to be Mary's eyes for her.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq greenbox">
Now that [Laura] must see for Mary as well as for herself. Laura saw everything - the way the wind bent the grass, the way the land rose to meet the sky, the way the sky seemed lit by a strange luminescence.*2</blockquote>
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Mary and Laura sit in the back of the covered wagon on their way west to Silver Lake. Keenly and accurately observing "place" awakens the artistic sense in Laura.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq purplebox">
"Necessity had sharpened her perceptions, and [Laura] struggled for words to express them. When she saw a white horse and a rider and the sun come together where the rim of the prairie touched the sky, she saw more than a man and his horse and the red blazing sun. She saw something wild and free and beautiful. When she tried to tell Mary about it, she felt how poor words were for telling what she had seen. She tried to find the right words, but there were some things which couldn't be fitted into words."*3</blockquote>
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;"><b>An Intelligent Exercise </b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUD5N14h7-izmne-GjK102SgOi-pqgJhQCFKcaUiH6GFrIdg7kkpOvB73RVjW2_s85RCdYs_cIXmmspS6CEv-GGgnZfDe7Pq9BjntMM0uZoNmYI2f7bg-z9ANuTYrIwG5VJuzW8mB8m28/s1600/nature+notebook+violets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUD5N14h7-izmne-GjK102SgOi-pqgJhQCFKcaUiH6GFrIdg7kkpOvB73RVjW2_s85RCdYs_cIXmmspS6CEv-GGgnZfDe7Pq9BjntMM0uZoNmYI2f7bg-z9ANuTYrIwG5VJuzW8mB8m28/s400/nature+notebook+violets.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A daughter's Nature Diary</td></tr>
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To describe our surroundings is a bit more strenuous of an exercise than narrating description painted for us on the pages of a book. We have to come up with a description ourselves (from scratch). What we see in person, we tell in person or on a page.<br />
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Yet years of narrating books gives us the vocabulary (and a wide range of other people's experience) from which to draw.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcAetRlkJV_i5h7BfTJduBJEr5HoGHkRZ4Fp9dQ-XmZ0zLwleRjsM1haEcQU_MoK5Rh75fzOPqMNZPmR7E65pI9ePnikM4luBAQd7-mxz47nWIxtCwlVSX6Cu_Xp-9CQOK6i7R9N1sPA/s1600/violets.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcAetRlkJV_i5h7BfTJduBJEr5HoGHkRZ4Fp9dQ-XmZ0zLwleRjsM1haEcQU_MoK5Rh75fzOPqMNZPmR7E65pI9ePnikM4luBAQd7-mxz47nWIxtCwlVSX6Cu_Xp-9CQOK6i7R9N1sPA/s400/violets.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfsqbmgrKSqHZ5md7DMrSvHnQYwCrNOPFovKzMRI-hQ1dHQXz6AIwfO1c5GKUqihsj7Vdz_W8w8rwdcrtH_q3Ynh0KMEcrYCqOMwLZigSSanDpea7LdUYZx2cdgsq8hv4kUaDlL6wYUU/s1600/hand+washing+machine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUfsqbmgrKSqHZ5md7DMrSvHnQYwCrNOPFovKzMRI-hQ1dHQXz6AIwfO1c5GKUqihsj7Vdz_W8w8rwdcrtH_q3Ynh0KMEcrYCqOMwLZigSSanDpea7LdUYZx2cdgsq8hv4kUaDlL6wYUU/s400/hand+washing+machine.jpg" width="267" /></a>Sketching in a Nature Notebook is a kind of narrating. And yet it cannot describe the <i>sound</i> of geese overhead, the sound of rustling leaves in the treetops, the gurgle of shallow water moving over round rocks in a shallow creek bed, a bumble bee humming rhythmically flower-to-flower, how soft and cool a bed of spongy wet moss <i>feels</i> under the toes, what odor a skunk leaves behind, or what it feels like (afterwards) to be bit by a secretive mosquito.<br />
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"Summer Senses for Country Folk" is a chapter in <i>A Charlotte Mason Companion.</i> It provides pages of examples of the kinds of things to notice in our surroundings.<br />
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The suggestions are quaint. My efforts were to make them inviting, close-to-home and serene. Don't let "quaint" fool you. They are educational exercises none-the-less.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQqjfmEn4aXPh6dQK8RbOlveNFUOSN6rrKcbaS7vz19qb7a9Mr5gb1ofOnbTI_sj7OzQVvWjTaP5J63wuBgOfYF2y7xRDDHrmrzfdfn3YpFxFOKqMocLDEL_St9j5WeDtBwWWT1GbS9w/s1600/chickens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQqjfmEn4aXPh6dQK8RbOlveNFUOSN6rrKcbaS7vz19qb7a9Mr5gb1ofOnbTI_sj7OzQVvWjTaP5J63wuBgOfYF2y7xRDDHrmrzfdfn3YpFxFOKqMocLDEL_St9j5WeDtBwWWT1GbS9w/s640/chickens.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like making pin cushions for gifts. I may keep the yellow chicken. The round ones are oft-used. </td></tr>
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<span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;"><b>Add Onomatopoeia for Some Fun</b></span><br />
Like Laura's mix of play and chores, I hope you and your children will find "observing place" and describing "setting" enjoyable. As spring brings its joyful days of living things, of going bare foot again, hearing tree-frogs chirp, and watching blossoms unfold, let us observe and "tell." Try one or two sentences. This brief description can be copied into a Nature Diary. <i>Story Starters</i> also has instances for the use of onomatopoeia; words that mimic sound such as: atchoo, bang, buzz, caw, clip-clop, cock-a-doodle-do, flutter, hee-haw, hiss, hoot, howl, ker-plunk, meow, peep, rumble, screech, snap, splash, vroom, whip-poor-will, whoosh. Invite your child to invent one of his own.<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: large;"><b>High School </b></span><br />
Describing "place" is a legitimate English lesson, even though it be English-Outdoors for a high school age student. Here's a challenge. Take a description and reform the sentences of prose into verse. Thus the high school student will be making a poem out of what he observes akin to William Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, or John Greenleaf Whittier. I like Whittier's "Barefoot Boy."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBsmEhL1Ntw25PDa4n6FY_fAmwfPa7Lt_GE_o-oEH9hHKwfxOs2lVGl1TYy-jFn25GDpPooMxyyjdbw8Trp7CK1l9bf-K75sghSLXtPxlFH7jbXFHAdzSFbyfyf5FPHpQnwtOCaKLxbo/s1600/2+quilts+by+window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBsmEhL1Ntw25PDa4n6FY_fAmwfPa7Lt_GE_o-oEH9hHKwfxOs2lVGl1TYy-jFn25GDpPooMxyyjdbw8Trp7CK1l9bf-K75sghSLXtPxlFH7jbXFHAdzSFbyfyf5FPHpQnwtOCaKLxbo/s640/2+quilts+by+window.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I added a new scrappy doll quilt to my wall. The pieces in the nine-patches finish at 1 inch. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGfiWAcV3mtAsr7CjJ00SoXFTxyOA_Dl3IqokgMBbWjgWssAKHOaUFz2EO1bT2ENQtvK1O-6hWy9n7i5gDxpgD9GDWRRJeSoopYmwiqjQ78RBPTde_pdn_bokL0QkxGyKjmWoI3ibnL0/s1600/quilt+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGfiWAcV3mtAsr7CjJ00SoXFTxyOA_Dl3IqokgMBbWjgWssAKHOaUFz2EO1bT2ENQtvK1O-6hWy9n7i5gDxpgD9GDWRRJeSoopYmwiqjQ78RBPTde_pdn_bokL0QkxGyKjmWoI3ibnL0/s400/quilt+1.jpg" width="305" /></a>Feel free to share some lines of your child's outdoor observation here in these comments, prose or poetry.<br />
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I also invite you to share a description of your own for keeping up your Mother Culture.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Always happy to hear from you,</span><br />
Karen Andreola<br />
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #45818e;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">E</span>nd Notes</b></span><br />
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Link to my book,<a href="http://momentswithmotherculture.blogspot.com/p/story-starters.html#.WOZa49IrJaQ"> <i><b>Story Starters. </b></i></a><br />
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Link to<a href="http://amzn.to/2oNgltn"> <i>Laura</i> by Donald Zochert</a> on Amazon<br />
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*1, 2 & 3 Donald Zochert, <i>Laura - The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder, </i>Avon Books, 1976, page 132<br />
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<br />Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8612255949290013608.post-74809334284798862322017-02-26T17:13:00.002-05:002017-04-05T10:47:03.554-04:00Glow of Intellectual Life<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: x-large;">Glow of Intellectual Life</span><br />
<span style="color: #e69138;">(an alternative to burn-out)</span><br />
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A little phrase in Miss Charlotte Mason’s writing popped out at me. I thought, <i>here’s a reason to rejoice.</i> I highlighted it in yellow. Later I underlined it in green. The 60 years Miss Mason was in close contact with countless children gave her a keen understanding of how they learn. Combine the right atmosphere, books of literary quality and regular opportunities to digest them, and a child’s face will be radiant with the <i><span style="color: #e69138;"><b>glow of intellectual life.</b></span></i> *1 It is wonderfully true. I’ve seen it work. Have you?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtqVbdqUKU3OY0NrUxlPP0M7w6mKHUp8B694MlKHuMAO4SX7obvU18dlktv16heOVdUL9dE5iS2Gc7HSnaWxChcA2CwqUvxPfbWJ4WygGJU3rf75gSUOWZtZBsOLOw1wYdCt-_nGjSGs/s1600/eloise+purple+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtqVbdqUKU3OY0NrUxlPP0M7w6mKHUp8B694MlKHuMAO4SX7obvU18dlktv16heOVdUL9dE5iS2Gc7HSnaWxChcA2CwqUvxPfbWJ4WygGJU3rf75gSUOWZtZBsOLOw1wYdCt-_nGjSGs/s640/eloise+purple+dress.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Granddaughter wearing Grandma's kitted purple pinafore</div>
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Years ago, I read the lecture that the mystery novelist Dorothy Sayers, delivered during vacation-school in Oxford in 1947. Educators in America today refer to this lecture as being a kind of classical approach. In this lecture, Dorothy Sayers starts out apologizing for not ever having taught children. Her opinion is based on a reasonable historic premise that dates back to the Middle Ages and seems lofty, somewhat stiff, and impressive. Yet, when you get right down to it, her opinion is really supposition – what she assumes (without experiment) to be the best possible way to educate children.<br />
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After being persuaded to follow the advice contained in Dorothy Sayer’s ten-page essay mothers are experiencing burn-out. The children are, too. Mothers who end up writing me claim so, that is. Therefore, when a mother also shares with me that she has decided to turn another leaf, back to the approach and the lady who first inspired her, Charlotte Mason, I always cheer her on. <i><span style="color: #e06666;">Welcome back.</span></i><br />
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News reached my ear again over summer (and recently). Giving the young mother anonymity I am sharing the gist of it. I hope to guide any who are in a similar situation or – quandary.<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Dear Mrs. Andreola,</span><br />
I dropped out of a classical co-op. Because of the thousands of dollars it cost me I stayed in for the year. In hindsight, I could have dropped out sooner. But my son liked the games. My daughter liked seeing her friends. I felt less lonely. Now I’ve lost my friends. Some aren’t returning. They’ve decided home teaching is too stressful and they’re putting their children in the government school. Yikes.<br />
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I should have known better. I read your book, <b><i><a href="http://amzn.to/2mr7cbm">A Charlotte Mason Companion</a></i></b> before I got involved and even started reading Charlotte Mason’s books. I’d like to make new friends. I haven’t found any yet, though, who follow what you describe. In my heart-of-hearts I want to see Miss Mason’s ideas through.<br />
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I guess I gave in to fear. I thought I needed to heap more memory work upon my children’s heads. I was afraid, along with the other moms, that my children wouldn’t do well in college unless they had the superior advantage that only memorization can give – supposedly. All school year we put in the effort. We kept up the memorization, covering and re-covering lists, facts, names and dates. We spent less time with living books, very little time outdoors observing nature, appreciating art and good music. I wish I had never signed up. For all this exhausting effort all I feel is burn-out. <br />
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Thanks for listening. If you could give me some advice I would appreciate it. Feeling alone, Anonymous. <br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">My dear, </span><br />
Anything we do differently than large groups of people can feel lonely. I remember my loneliness. Here’s some good news. You have more of an opportunity today of meeting parents who have chosen the Charlotte Mason approach to education, than I and many of my readers had, 30 years ago. Friends have spread her ideas far and wide.<br />
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A Quilt of Flying Geese - My latest Mother Culture Project </div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Walk by Faith, Not Fear</span><br />
When a mother worries that her children aren’t covering enough—or fast enough - anxiety hangs in the air. Anxiety wears a mother down. It disturbs the atmosphere of learning. It is natural to want children to learn. But love and faith must be stronger than our fears. Without faith it is impossible to create a peaceful, pleasant intellectual atmosphere.<br />
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Fear is a strong motivator. It definitely gets things moving. Like the sting of the whip that quickens the horse, fear motivates the teacher. It is also used to motivate children. It is used in schools today, though more subtly than the Victorians used it, when it was common for a child to receive a caning of his fingers as swift punishment for a blot of ink on the page of his copybook.<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">The Child is a Person</span><br />
A child is not one of Pavlov’s dogs or merely a subject for Skinner’s behavior modification. He is not a memory-machine, either. He is created in the image of God. He has a soul. Education is a spiritual matter. [It is] by knowledge one grows [and] becomes more of a person.*1<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2ef9pEe4KccBhBgn4K02d9Jy6kNVb5yWqVZZD8ZXNxBIJ8UoLhkJdToYwUbAR-9E8JXCJpByzyOhOch_tHFrk5YHTq_NojJzAkfYqj67VsVkS3xFR8K8EEZIyiXjEQ_BTeTq8MgSI4M/s1600/piece+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2ef9pEe4KccBhBgn4K02d9Jy6kNVb5yWqVZZD8ZXNxBIJ8UoLhkJdToYwUbAR-9E8JXCJpByzyOhOch_tHFrk5YHTq_NojJzAkfYqj67VsVkS3xFR8K8EEZIyiXjEQ_BTeTq8MgSI4M/s400/piece+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand-quilting around the leaves</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;">Faith in Something Big -Curiosity</span><br />
To educate by faith it is helpful to understanding that God has endowed our little persons with curiosity. They are born with an appetite for knowledge. It is calming when we stop to consider how large a part curiosity plays in a child’s learning.<br />
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It is not the only feature, but it is capable of doing the lion’s share of the teaching. For instance, throughout the day a 2-year-old can be heard to ask, “Wus tha?” as he points to one object after another, for the pleasure of hearing his mother name the bird at the feeder, the rain on the windowpane, the car in the driveway. His mother is, in a sense, cooperating with curiosity. She is cooperating with the work of the Holy Spirit in the child’s life. <br />
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Miss Mason refers to the Holy Spirit as the Divine Educator.<br />
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Curiosity is so precious, so valuable a player in acquiring knowledge, that it needs to be preserved. You might even say, “pampered.”<br />
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Sadly, this precious feature of childhood is seen as something insignificant. Therefore, it is squashed - as if it were nothing but a pesky bug. How? When an inordinate amount of time is given to memorization. Then, we reap what we sow. “We get a narrow, accurate, somewhat sterile type of mind,” says Miss Mason.*2<br />
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Curiosity cannot thrive when the emphasis is on rote memorization. It withers away. Therefore, with curiosity so withered children are inevitably made to be motivated by:<br />
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• Grades<br />
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• Prizes and Contests<br />
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• Competition<br />
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• Fun and Games<br />
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• Praise and Approval<br />
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• Punishments<br />
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• A Profusion of Quizzes and Tests <br />
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“A school may be working hard, not for love of knowledge, but for love of [grades], our old enemy . . .”*3 The above incentives all motivate the student to work, but his work becomes mechanical. For instance, he will study for an A on a test even if it demands midnight cramming for what he soon forgets.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq bluebox">
“Then, young faces are not serene or joyous but eager, restless, apt to look anxious or worried. The children do not sleep well, and are cross: are sullen or in tears if anything goes wrong, and are generally difficult to manage.”*4</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq greenbox">
“We foresee happy days for children when teachers know no other exciting motive . . . is necessary to produce good work in each individual of however big a class than that of the love of knowledge which is natural to every child.”*5</blockquote>
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Tiny snow drops beside the basement doors. </div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">Expanding Horizons with Ideas</span><br />
Memorization is a tool for learning, yes. But it must never supplant or supersede a life of ideas – especially in the early years of a child’s education. If the child is a person, he must do the work of a person - not a parrot. We owe it to our young people to expand their horizons, to give them new ideas to think about, to lay out for them wide open fields of study.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq yellowbox">
“Astonishing fair things will grow in that garden of mind in which we are invited to sow the seeds of all knowledge.”*6</blockquote>
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Children trained by the Charlotte Mason Method linger with knowledge, for sake of knowing, for the sake of growing - in wisdom and favor with God and man.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQR4pQHWmGoDNIpMZpLzmVIluzvLYjevJex_yXiqODclzIFZhUdbcTkdmmpOhcKSzuBW6fnWLMLEEo_iGDtqLWYiK7ixOf7fomr0ec_NRHUdjeGFhtqqC2u91NBfFBmircCaEVp6XtKgk/s1600/blacksmith+shop+sign.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQR4pQHWmGoDNIpMZpLzmVIluzvLYjevJex_yXiqODclzIFZhUdbcTkdmmpOhcKSzuBW6fnWLMLEEo_iGDtqLWYiK7ixOf7fomr0ec_NRHUdjeGFhtqqC2u91NBfFBmircCaEVp6XtKgk/s640/blacksmith+shop+sign.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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You can place your trust in the following list also. These things will not be new to you. I am reminding you of those things you say you originally held "in your heart-of-hearts."<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Trust in Your Calling</span><br />
The Majesty of Motherhood is a concept that is meant to leave you with a strong impression. You are the queen of your household. The day your little one was placed in your arms was your coronation day. You were crowned with authority from God and are accountable to God. Your duty is to rule with a firm, loving hand while understanding the nature of children. Your children, in return, are to honor and obey, cheerfully.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Trust in Your Children</span><br />
When hunger is satisfied by wholesome intellectual food children will delight in lessons. Then, you will see signs of a reawakened curiosity, and a quiet contentment. Reach for those library books that are nestled in the basket by the sofa. Read about the kinds of things your child has a desire to know. Open your field guide to identify the living things that surround you.<br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Trust in Living Books</span><br />
We are not educated by memorization. Miss Mason says that we are educated by our intimacies. It is important to note that <i>knowledge-made-personal</i> and <i>information-memorized</i> are two different things. The typical schoolbook (especially the memorization of it) with its dry factual treatment of a subject, was one of the first things Charlotte Mason found to be a stumbling block to curiosity. A living book enlivens the child’s mind with ideas.<br />
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Using books of literary quality enables students more brilliantly tell in their own words what an author is sharing. This is the <i>impression-expression</i> of an intellectual life. Rather than note-taking for tests, hearing lectures whereby a teacher’s explanation does the thinking for the child, Miss Mason let the children connect directly with the mind of an author. She says, “Let the lessons be of the right sort and children will learn with delight. . . . The children must do the work for themselves. They must read the given pages [once through] and tell what they have read, they must perform . . . what we may call the act of knowing.*7 <br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Trust in Narration – the Art of Knowing</span><br />
Give memorization a lower seat of important. It is far better to require the child to use his whole mind rather than be wearing down the grove of a narrow part of it. Narration is no “parrot-exercise,”*8 says Miss Mason. To narrate, to tell the passage in one’s own words, takes the place of memorizing names and dates, multiple-choice quizzes, and questionnaires.<br />
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As he forms his narration, a child ponders. He forms a train of thought; he digests, sorts, summarizes, he sequences events, etc., as he reflects upon the reading – without a teacher’s meddling. This “act of knowing,” is a kind of self-education. It is deliciously satisfying. The teacher may highlight the names and dates from something read (once through only). Then, require the student to tell the history (story) passage in his own words - using the names and dates indicated. The student will be using his own mind - with a cohesiveness that makes the names and dates meaningful and memorable. <span style="color: #e06666;">To <i>ponder</i> is better than to <i>parrot.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;">Trust in a Wide Array of Subjects </span><br />
The long hours some are dedicating to memorization (claiming it to be the Charlotte Mason approach) is startling to me. Miss Mason insisted upon a wide curriculum. This wide ground can only be covered by keeping lessons short. With short lessons optimum attention is achieved, especially with what she calls the disciplinary subjects, such as math, spelling and grammar. You’ll have time to transition, to alternate lessons with Bible, poetry, history, fiction, art, folksong, outdoor nature study, recess, chores and life skills like cooking, to keep minds bright (and allow for freedom of movement). It isn’t the number of subjects but their duration that tires the mind (and makes a sedentary body). We did a quick math drill every morning and a review of the same facts before supper. A better memory of facts was the result. Memorizing Scripture (which is the living Word) or poetry (which opens the eyes of imagination) verse by verse takes minutes a day. Scripture and poetry also warm the sympathies. They are not dull, dry facts alone.<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">Trust in the Discipline of Habit</span><br />
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Habit draws us forward to do the “next thing.” Children will readily do what is customary. “I can see how practical good habits are,” one mother shares. “When math is completed, the children always look forward to a mid-morning snack, then to hearing an episode of history. After this refreshment, spelling is tackled automatically, with drawing anticipated next.” During the first months of homeschool this mother made every effort to keep to a regular schedule of short lessons. Now, with less effort, habit carries her children smoothly and pleasantly through their morning schoolwork, more smoothly than at the start of the year. Prizes or punishments are not necessary for a result of work well done.<br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">In Conclusion</span><br />
With the 3 tools of teaching; Atmosphere, Discipline, Life of Ideas, we usher in the blessings of the intellectual life. A calm and contented intellectual glow can be seen on the faces of teacher and children alike. Over-much memorization results in intellectual feebleness – Miss Mason pointed out. Such undue emphasis is unknown in homes where her philosophy is tried.<br />
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I close with Miss Mason’s beautiful words:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq pinkbox">
“The bracing atmosphere of truth and sincerity should be perceived in every school; and here again the common pursuit of knowledge by teacher and class comes to our aid and creates a current of fresh air perceivable even to the chance visitor, who sees the glow of intellectual life and moral health on the faces of teachers and children alike.”*9 </blockquote>
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Children brought up by Miss Mason’s method do enter college and do well. I’ve seen this first-hand and brought this up in an earlier post.<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">Thank you for writing,</span><br />
Karen Andreola<br />
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End Notes from Charlotte Mason’s <i>Philosophy of Education</i><br />
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*1 pg 325<br />
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*2 pg 277<br />
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*3 pg 97<br />
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*4 & 5 pg 98<br />
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*6 pg 277<br />
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*7 pg 99<br />
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*8 pg 273<br />
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*9 pg 97<br />
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Sundry photographs taken at Landis Valley on Dean’s phone this February.<br />
You can write me at karenjandreola@gmail.com<br />
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<br />Karen Andreolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12135239838790568639noreply@blogger.com13