Mother Culturing: Second Quarter 2023
What we need is a habit of taking our minds out of what one is tempted to call “the domestic rag-bag” of perplexities, and giving it a good airing in something which keeps it “growing”… Is there, then, not need for more “Mother Culture”?
“MOTHER CULTURE” PARENTS’ REVIEW – VOLUME 3
Blindfolded and alone I stand
With unknown thresholds on each hand;
The darkness deepens as I grope,
Afraid to fear, afraid to hope:
Yet this one thing I learn to know
Each day more surely as I go,
That doors are opened, ways are made,
Burdens are lifted or are laid,
By some great law unseen and still,
Unfathomed purpose to fulfil,
“Not as I will.”
Blindfolded and alone I wait;
Loss seems too bitter, gain too late;
Two heavy burdens in the load
And too few helpers on the road;
And joy is weak and grief is strong,
And years and days so long, so long:
Yet this one thing I learn to know
Each day more surely as I go,
That I am glad the good and ill
By changeless law are ordered still,
“Not as I will.”
“Not as I will”: the sound grows sweet
Each time my lips the words repeat.
“Not as I will”: the darkness feels
More safe than light when this thought steals
Like whispered voice to calm and bless
All unrest and all loneliness.
“Not as I will,” because the One
Who loved us first and best has gone
Before us on the road, and still
For us must all his love fulfil,
“Not as we will.”
~ “Not as I Will” by Helent Hunt Jackson ~
Summer at last! With all the cold and rain we got earlier this quarter, I am thankful that the warm months have finally arrived. I’m also thankful for the outrageous verdancy we’ve been gifted with this year, even if it meant a more extended winter and cool, wet spring. No longer being under drought restrictions is entirely worth all of the inclement weather.
It was a quiet quarter until late May/early June, which is typical for this time of year. In April, we managed to get in a few hikes with some new friends, which is always a good thing, especially as our homeschool nature group ended in April and didn’t pick up again until June.
In May, we went for a wildflower walk at a local state park and continued with our lessons. I decided again this year to skip our last Sabbath week so we could finish in time for the horse camp the kids attend in the summer, so this was a longer stretch for us. We did take a few days off here and there, which helped. We also captured a frog from a field near our house, and B made a lovely little home for him in our aquarium. He has been living on baby grasshoppers from our yard and randomly croaking for us ever since. B also brought our telescope up from the basement, and we spent a few evenings (when it wasn’t raining) studying the craters of the moon.
June started extremely busy with a talk on mother culture I gave at a local retreat (at which I got to meet Donna-Jean Breckenridge!), then a week of the kids’ horse camp (at which I was a volunteer this year), followed by a performance for friends and family that Saturday. I also decided when we got home to get my starts and seeds into the garden finally. The following week we did our exams, our nature group started up again for the summer, we had our Azure Standard pickup, and I was part of an IG live for Charlotte Mason homeschoolers.
Since then, we’ve been taking it more leisurely. We’re still doing a few school things through the summer (math and a few readings), but I’m also planning many hikes and events with our nature group. We might also try to get a camping trip or two in…we’ll see.
And now a review of the quarter!
Read (or Finished Reading)
For Me
The Wright Brothers by David McCullough. My friend Dawn mentioned this a few years ago at the Charlotte Mason Educational Retreat, so I picked it up when I saw it in the library book sale room a year or two ago. As with all McCullough books, it’s well-researched and reads in almost a conversational tone. I read this for the Read Your Bookshelf Challenge (“a book where the cover or spine is in a complementary color from your January book”).
My Ántonia by Willa Cather. In some ways, I felt like I was reading about my great-grandmother, Mary, in this book. She left Bohemia in 1889 at the age of nine, and her family settled in Minnesota. I kept wondering if her experience was similar to Ántonia’s. At any rate, this was such a melancholy book, and I was honestly afraid for the ending, but so glad it turned out the way it did. I read this for the Tea and Ink Society Classics Reading Challenge (“a book with the character’s name in the title”).
Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes. This was entirely predictable and a little cheesy, but a good light read with a positive message. I read this for the Beyond the Bookends 2023 Reading Challenge (“a historical romance”).
Rooted in Wonder: Nurturing Your Family’s Faith Through God’s Creation by Eryn Lynum. Eryn sent me a copy of her new book when I hosted a giveaway on Instagram in March. This is extremely inspiring and offers so many reasons why being out in nature is so very important, not only for our kids but also for their parents!
Night on the Galactic Railroad and Other Stories from Ihatov by Kenji Miyazawa. I originally read this just for the short story Night on the Galactic Railroad but ended up liking The Nighthawk Star and Signal & Signal-less more than that one. As Galactic Railroad is his most popular story, I wonder if a lot is lost in translation. I read this for the Tea and Ink Society Classics Reading Challenge (“a classic Japanese novel or short story collection”).
How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Heroic Role From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe by Thomas Cahill. I have owned this book probably since 2000 or 2001 when I was living on my own, did not have a computer, and read a LOT of books. I kept trying to read it but never got far into it until this year, when it coincided beautifully with what I was reading with my son for sixth grade. It actually begins with the end of the Roman Empire, but knowing what it took to get to that point is helpful. I really enjoyed it and his insight into world history and specifically how Christianity looked in Ireland compared to other places. I read this for the Read Your Bookshelf Challenge (“a book that is in a different genre than your March book”).
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell. I have decided that I am a Maggie O’Farrell fan, so now I look specifically for her books at the library. This was also about art, and the setting is the Italian Renaissance (one of my favorite periods in art history), so I had to read it. I enjoyed looking up all the characters and reading about their lives as I read the book. I enjoyed the ending of this one, as it wasn’t what I expected. I read this for the Beyond the Bookends 2023 Reading Challenge (“a book set in Italy” – technically, this is the July prompt, but I gave up on reading the book themes for the months they were assigned when it took me five months to read How the Irish Saved Civilization).
A Reasoned Patriotism by Dawn Duran. Dawn surprised me with an autographed copy of this in the mail one day, and autographed books written by friends are always a happy surprise! She goes into detail, inspired by Charlotte Mason, why patriotism isn’t a mindless activity but should be well-thought-out (or reasoned) and intentionally practiced. She also offers an extensive Appendix with many different resources. If you are looking for reasons and ways to foster patriotism in your family, I highly recommend it!
For the Kids
A Whale of the Wild by Roseanne Parry. We read another of Parry’s books, A Wolf Called Wander, last year, and my kids loved them both. If you enjoy animal-themed books along the lines of Jean Craighead George’s Thirteen Moons series, I highly recommend these books.
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge. This was strange but definitely something I would’ve enjoyed as a young girl. Both kids liked it.
Happy Little Family by Rebecca Caudill. They also liked this one.
Rabbit Hill by Robert Lawson. I really enjoyed his illustrations and the overall moral of this story. I want to be the New People when I grow up. Both kids liked this one.
Along Came a Dog by Meindert DeJong. DeJong is such a good storyteller, and this was so creative. The kids and I have enjoyed both of the books we’ve read by him.
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor. This was published in 1976, and I’ve heard it referenced throughout my life, so when I picked it up from the library book sale room for B, I assumed I had already read it. However, as I was pre-reading it, I realized this was the first time I had made my way through it. So well-written and, I think, offers a powerful representation of racism in the early part of the 20th century. I only let my 12yo son read this now, but will definitely be offering it to my daughter in a few years.
Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park. Another book picked up randomly in the library book sale room. C loves the Little House books, so I knew she would also enjoy this one. The scene in which the man grabs Hanna was pretty intense, but my 9yo daughter did enjoy this book.
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman. I do remember reading this one as a kid and really liking it. After re-reading it, I’m not sure why it stuck with me so much as a kid, but both of my kids also enjoyed it.
By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I finally finished this one with C after slowly making our way through it before bed at night. It’s been fun to re-read these with her, as it’s probably been about 30 years since I read them the first time.
Pocahontas and the Strangers by Clyde Robert Bulla. I usually really like Bulla’s books, but this one was not my favorite. Both kids said they liked this one, though.
Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Gray. So good! This was such a pleasant surprise as I’ve never heard of this book before. An excellent story and moral. Both kids enjoyed this one.
The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson. I read this to B before bed at night, and parts of it were very confusing. I think the overall story was good, and it was neat to run into different parts (War of the Roses) and characters from history (Richard III), but I did not enjoy it as much as Stevenson’s other books. B liked it.
Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry. Another good surprise. I feel like I read a lot of books as a kid, but there are so many that I missed out on! The cannibal parts were a little intense, but no more than in Robinson Crusoe in fourth grade, so I gave this to my 12yo son. He enjoys survival books, and it has a great moral, so this was a hit.
The Story of King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle. We finally finished this one, which we began reading in fifth grade. I had wanted to finish it last summer, but B wasn’t interested, so we left the last few chapters unread. When I was planning for his upcoming Year 7, this book is listed in the Pre-7 list on AO as a “prerequisite” for Year 7. So we read the last few chapters before bed at night.
Read about how I find books to read to my kids here!
For School
You can read more about these in my Year 6 recap post.
Richard Halliburton’s Book of Marvels: the Orient by Richard Halliburton.
The Sea Around Us: A Special Edition for Young Readers by Rachel Carson and Anne White.
The Storybook of Science by Jean Henri Fabre.
The First Book of Electricity by Sam and Beryl Epstein.
The Odyssey for Boys and Girls by Alfred Church.
The Story of the Romans by Helene Guerber.
Galileo and the Magic Numbers by Sidney Rosen.
The Story of David Livingstone by Vautier Golding.
Augustus Caesar’s World by Genevieve Foster.
You can read more about these in my Year 3 recap post, which I hope to have up soon!
Marco Polo: His Travels and Adventures by George Makepeace Towle.
The Secrets of the Woods by William Long.
The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan.
Currently
I am currently reading Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See (which I got from a Goodreads giveaway!), The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis, Nourishing Broth: An Old-Fashioned Remedy for the Modern World by Sally Fallon Morell, A Chicken’s Guide to Talking Turkey with Your Kids About Sex by Kevin Lehman, and The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God by Dallas Willard for my morning reading time.
For C, I am pre-reading A Gathering of Days: A New England Girl’s Journal, 1830-1832 by Joan W. Blos and reading to her before bed The Little Mermaid and Other Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen. For B, I am pre-reading The Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers and reading to him before bed The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Made
I mentioned last quarter that my goal for this quarter was to pressure can something, and I succeeded! Of course, I only canned one little jar of carrots, but it’s still a start, and now I feel confident about canning in the future. I hope to take advantage of produce sales from Azure Standard, or even just being able to buy produce from them in bulk, later in the year and put up quite a few things for us.
I also purged and organized a lot this quarter. I know this isn’t really “making” anything other than making our home a nicer place to be. I linked to The Minimal Mom last quarter, and I continue to find her videos very inspiring and motivational to go around my house and purge.
I think my make goal for the third quarter will be to sew something….or maybe finish one of these embroidery kits that have been neglected for a while.
Enjoyed
Hikes! We are getting out for hikes again! We do them sporadically throughout the school year, depending on what our workload is, but summer is the time that I always hope to be more intentional about them. We’ve gone on one so far (we made it to the trailhead last week but then had to abandon when lightning arrived at the trailhead at the same time, though we did manage to get in a geocache) since our school year and horse camp officially ended. I am so thankful that we’re able to do them this year, as last summer had us sitting at home most of the time due to health problems I was having. Sadly, we only have our free pass from the library to Alltrails+ through next week (the library is no longer offering this), so we’ll have to see how we get along with the free version as this app has become so helpful when we’re on the trail.
Quantum Health Super Lysine Cold Stick. When I get too much sun on my face, I get horrible cold sores all over my top lip. This happened at the end of April after we met up with some friends for a picnic, and I pretty much just hid in my house for a week until it cleared up because it was so bad. The regular lysine ointment did help clear it up relatively quickly, but I wanted to be proactive going forward, especially as I know we’ll be spending a lot of time outside this summer, so this lip balm now lives permanently in my pocket, and so far I haven’t gotten any more.
Wingspan. My husband asked our daughter what she thought I might like for Mother’s Day, and she mentioned that I’ve been wanting this for a while. I was so happy when I opened that gift, and it has quickly become our family’s favorite Friday night game. Learning the first time can be a little complicated, but this YouTube video helped us understand it better.
Konjac Sponge. I usually take a shower later in the day just because it works out better for our schedule, but I like to wash my face in the morning. This sponge is convenient because I don’t need to use any cleanser with it. I get it wet, exfoliate my face with it, spray on my toner, apply my serum, and finish with my moisturizer (and sunscreen if we’re going to be outside for a while). Later, when I take a shower, I use a cleanser, then follow the same routine but replace the moisturizer with facial oil mixed with a drop or two of frankincense and lavender EOs. It’s a simple way to pamper myself a little on a daily basis.
Masontops Multi Top. Due to my daughter’s egg-white allergy, I usually make our salad dressings from scratch and store them in mason jars. These tops are perfect for pouring. (I also really like their veg ferment kit!)
On the Blog
Tintoretto Picture Study Aid and Art Prints for Homeschool Art Appreciation – The only Venetian artist currently offered in my shop!
25 Artists from the 1900s to Include in Your Picture Study Time – So far, this is the most popular post from this series.
How to Find Books to Enrich Your Homeschool Studies – How I find books to add as free reads (and sometimes required reading) related to our lessons.
45 National Park Service Junior Ranger Programs in the Southwest Region (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX) – Continuing on with my series of where to find Junior Ranger programs!
Antoine Watteau Picture Study Aid and Art Prints for Homeschool Art Appreciation – I refreshed this Picture Study Aid, and it’s available in the shop again!
25 Artists from the 1500s to Include in Your Picture Study Time – Continuing back in time, here are another 25 artists to consider for picture study!
Free Printable Calendar for Homeschoolers (updated for 2023-2024)! – This is one of my favorites of the free downloads I offer, and I updated it for the new school year!
Georges Seurat Picture Study Aid and Art Prints for Homeschool Art Appreciation – I enjoyed writing this one as it gave me a greater appreciation for his art.
25 Artists from the 1400s to Include in Your Picture Study Time – The 1900s post in this series was probably the most popular, but the 1400s are my favorite.
12 Things to See in the Natural World this Summer (+ a free printable!) – A list of things from Dallas Lore Sharp’s Summer to keep your eye out for as you spend time in nature this summer.
Our Charlotte Mason Homeschool Sixth Grade Year: A Recap – This recap means I now have a seventh grader!
New in the Shop
Bird Sightings
So many birds this quarter, for which I am thankful! I think all the rain we’ve been getting has much to do with it. Early on, of the birds we don’t get very often, we saw a few lazuli buntings, western bluebirds, a western tanager, and one random oriole, which we’ve never had visit before and sadly didn’t stick around long enough for me to get a picture or identify which specific kind it was (though I’m pretty sure it was a Baltimore).
Our regular house finches, mountain and black-capped chickadees, Eurasian collared doves, scrub-jays, American and lesser goldfinches, broad-tailed hummingbirds, and the occasional downy and hairy woodpeckers have been joined at the feeders by a lone mourning dove who really likes our tray feeder. In the yard, the juncos left us in early May, and the towhees did stick around for quite a while in late spring but have now headed to other areas to have babies. We still get a few chipping sparrows, though, and they’ve also been visiting our tray feeder.
We also had a great horned owl we think nesting in a tree in our neighbor’s yard. We spent an afternoon observing it trying to roost on their roof while magpies, scrub-jays, crows, a Cooper’s hawk, and finally, one huge raven dive-bombed it. Not exactly a warm welcome to the neighborhood.
At the boxes, we had several mountain bluebirds and tree swallows check them out, but none stayed, so they are empty again this year. I think the lack of trees in our yard (we had to cut down several in the last few years) is deterring them, which is sad. The tree swallows do still visit often, though, and like to eat the bugs in the air over our yard.
Happy summer!
