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By Karen Canon "Yet it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.” –Gandalf in Tolkien's The Return of the King I was scrubbing a toilet the other day, reminded about the futility of much that I do. I cook; I clean. People get hungry, the home gets dirty. Discouragement and defeat whispered in my ear.
But are these really defeats? That I come back to clean and cook is a victory, albeit a very small one. I will not make the cover of ‘Hero Digest’ for such acts. And yet, I think, these minor triumphs in the realm of the mundane are gaining spiritual ground in the Kingdom. I’ve been called to this vocation, tending the home and hearts of my little mission field. Proclaiming the Gospel here, first. Not only by my lips, but by my actions. And these little grains of sand are as much God’s as are the mighty deeds that make the headlines. They are grains of sand by which He builds a kingdom and says to the tides of this world, “This far you may come and no farther." What does this mean for the New Year? In a word, Hope. The mundane is redeemed; repetitive acts that, in the world’s economy, amount to little are significant in God’s eyes. They are valued. They are desired. I can have confidence in the final act even though I don’t see the turning of the action nor its timing. I don’t control the ‘weather’ the future will contain, but I can continue to do what is in me for the succor of these years wherein I am set, uprooting the evil in my heart and in my reach. I can cook and clean, not grudgingly, but thankfully. I can marvel in His Grace and seek to loosen my clutch on it and allow it to slip through my fingers to those around me more readily because His reserves are unlimited. I can claim my heritage of Beauty, Light, and Truth. I can—and I will—firmly set my feet in His Large Room. I want for myself the posture of my friend in the photo above. She has it right. By Karen Canon "What shall we do now, Caroline?" asked Mr. Moore, returning to his seat beside his cousin. Thus begins an episode between Caroline and her cousin, Robert Moore, in Charlotte Brontë’s follow-up novel to Jane Eyre titled Shirley. Brontë’s imagined conversation between Caroline and Moore on the merits of Shakespeare earned this little episode a place in my 2017 commonplace book.
By Karen Canon This is the third in a series of reflections on Marion Berry's I Buy A School, in which she tells of her experiences as headmistress of a PNEU school. ‘Brush End was a small utopian school in the New Forest…’ So starts a chapter in Marion Berry’s memoir, I Buy a School. It was the beginning of a chapter in her life as well, as she joined a former schoolmate to run this idyllic school in southern England. Enrolling elementary-age students, she joyously remarked, “It was an eye-opener for me to see what can be achieved with a group of young children with no pre-conceived ideas about school.” Soon, a ‘Nursery Class’ was added as well for children ages four to six.
By Dawn Rhymer This is the first blog in a series of three on designing your own picture study. In this introductory blog, I will share picture study options for when you do not want to design your own. There are many people out there doing and sharing great work. In the second blog, I will go through the steps I take to design a picture study. In the final blog, I will share how I go about finding my pictures on the internet.
By Karen Canon Recently, I joined my husband in Las Vegas, taking a few days of much-needed respite. Nearly every summer for the past ten years, he has attended a conference in Las Vegas and, from time to time, I am able to join him for a few pre-conference days of R&R. Over the years, we have gotten rather adept at finding things to do away from Las Vegas Boulevard and typical Vegas entertainment.
One of our favorite destinations is Mt. Charleston. Only an hour away by car, the weather at Mt. Charleston is a delightful twenty-plus degrees cooler than Las Vegas. As I write this, for instance, the high in Vegas is 101 degrees while it is a lovely 76 in Mt. Charleston. We decided to spend a day there this past July. My husband is an avid photographer and I like to practice nature journaling, which means that we are ideally suited to hike with one another, neither of us at all minding frequent stops to change a camera lens or whip out a sketch book. Registration is now open for the 2018 Charlotte Mason Educational Retreat. Please, visit the CMER 2018 Website to see our speakers, sessions, schedule, and so much more. This year, we have reserved the entire Hideaway retreat and conference Center. Come and join us! There is a place at the table for you.
By Karen Canon This is the second in a series of reflections on Marion Berry’s I Buy a School, in which she tells of her experiences as Headmistress of a PNEU school. Post #1 - Planning Thoughts In the form of a journal entry, Miss Berry shares a very practical narration tip. I will include the journal entry and the idea that caught my attention. After that, for those interested, I will explore the assumptions I made in interpreting this entry and some background information regarding the lesson she cites. October 22nd 1951. I’m in the gym and the II are busy on a compo about Arthur. Executioners and Tapestry have been asked for on the board. The fire is on for the first time. It all seems so quiet and cosy with the green overalls and bent heads and pens and pencils going like mad, and the rain dripping on the roof. Jane wants to know if she must put a capital in front of Arthur and Hubert every time and that makes Diana wonder about a capital P for Prince. Anne says she’s finished, so I say she’s been too quick, and what about something about Constance his poor mother? Hands up all over the room. Tongue, Punishment, Princess eventually go on the board. Consternation when I say we must stop.” Tip: When needed and appropriate, provide challenging names and spellings on a white board or piece of paper for your student to reference.
Well, our day does not look like is going to be a beautiful Colorado summer day. It is going to be cold and rainy. As we do not have another date to which we can move the park day, we will need to move to another location. If you are planning to attend, please send me a message through Contact Us, and I will send you directions.
Marietta Grover (It is my privilege to introduce my Mom, our first guest blogger in our series Thoughts That Burn. I hope you enjoy reading of the experience of a non-CMer at a Charlotte Mason retreat. -- Dawn) My daughter invited me to accompany her to the Living Education Retreat in Iowa. I was glad to have some mother-daughter time. She flew to Omaha Wednesday night (on an airplane). The following morning, she and I packed up the car with sleeping bags, sheets, towels, and pillows. We also packed snacks in case we got lost in the wilderness that occurs when you leave the interstate highway system. We had enough provisions for a week (better safe than sorry). With all the bases covered, she and I headed up to Milford, Iowa. The trusty navigation system on my phone, got us there in good time. In other words, we didn’t get lost.
We arrived at the Lodge and checked in. We got our folders and badges. My daughter greeted old friends. I didn’t have any of those; but I met people I can call old friends in the future should the occasion arise. If they wear nametags, I will also remember their names. We found our cabin and unloaded the car including the wilderness provisions. We packed those in the refrigerator for the trip home. Fortunately, we both got bottom bunks. At my age, a bottom bunk is a necessity. After arranging our belongings, we headed back to the Lodge to peruse the book sale. My daughter has plans to cover every available wall space in her home with bookshelves and shelves must have good books. One limitation on the number of books to choose on this trip was the baggage weight limit on the plane ride back home. We attended the pre-retreat gathering, where I learned about Charlotte Mason. I had heard her name but hadn’t the need or desire to research her methods. I was able to give a successful elevator presentation to my seat neighbor regarding Charlotte Mason. My takeaway from that session: “Contemplate the personhood of the child you are holding.” My grandchildren are individuals; and I must recall that in my interactions with them. |
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