Entries from August 1, 2010 - September 1, 2010
A little Light Reading: Skyler’s Reading List
Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 12:00AM Skyler is homeschooled. School for her starts Monday. All her older siblings went to public high school. I was not overly impressed with their educational experience. Skyler was invited to join a homeschool co-op when she was in 7th grade. She has developed a great circle of friends from this group of kids. This group of moms is determined to give their kids an excellent education. I helped with the co-op last year and am doing some teaching this year. Below is Skyler’s reading list for history and British lit. It is an impressive reading list for high school.
The Church History (Eusebius), Confessions (St. Augustine), The Hobbit (Tolkien), The Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien), On the Incarnation (Athanasius), The Creeds, The Nine Tailors (Dorothy Sayers), The Dragon and the Raven (G. A. Henty), The Ecclesiastical History (Bede),The Rule of St. Benedict, The Gospel of John, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood ,Beowulf, The Song of Roland(Howard Pyle) A Midsummer Night's Dream (Shakespeare) , The History of the Kings of Britain(George of Monmouth), Winning his Spurs, The Two Towers (Tolkien), Macbeth (Shakespeare, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Henry V (Shakespeare), Richard III (Shakespeare), The Divine Comedy: Inferno (Dante), The Canterbury Tales (Chaucer), Ephesians, The Return of the King (Tolkien) and last but not least The Bondage of the Will (Luther).
When does your child start school?
Since I am Waxing Poetical
Friday, August 6, 2010 at 12:00AM Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in His hand
Who saith "A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!"
by Robert Browning
I have this poem framed in my bedroom. A friend made it for me 22 years ago. We had been married for about 5 years and Browning's poem captured for me all the hopes and dreams of the life we were building together.
Fast forward 22 years (time does go faster than one can realize) after my mother-in-law died, I read this poem from a whole different angle. Then it was the first few lines that entranced me. Now the last line still captures for me the hope and adventure of life:
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!"
Do you have a favorite poem?
Death And Taxes
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 12:00AM My mother-in-law died last month. She was 84 and in failing health. I think Dylan Thomas had it all wrong when he wrote of his father, a man in his 80s, formerly a giant of a man now in failing health:
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
I have never seen someone die before. I am so glad she did go gentle into the night. Rage would not have helped, nor would it have returned her health. It would have wasted those preciouse few hours when her mind was clear and she could interact with her husband and her boys. I always liked Thomas' poem until I watched someone elderly and in failing health die.
Have you ever been at the death bed of a loved one?
mother in law dies, watching a loved on die in death Parenting Semi-Adults: Shel Can Bring A Smile To Any Situation
Monday, August 2, 2010 at 12:00AM While looking for an image to post with The Fling, I came accross a Shel Silverstein poem. I used to read his poems to the kids mostly for my pleasure. Enjoy!
His underwear is hanging on the lamp.
His raincoat is there in the overstuffed chair,
And the chair is becoming quite mucky and damp.
His workbook is wedged in the window,
His sweater's been thrown on the floor.
His scarf and one ski are beneath the TV,
And his pants have been carelessly hung on the door.
His books are all jammed in the closet,
His vest has been left in the hall.
A lizard named Ed is asleep in his bed,
And his smelly old sock has been stuck to the wall.
Whosever room this is should be ashamed!
Donald or Robert or Willie or--
Huh? You say it's mine? Oh, dear,
I knew it looked familiar!
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