I read this delightful book years ago. As this summer began, I realized that my babies are growing older. Sean is 14 and now a freshman in high school. He wanted so much to try out a brick and mortar school. Becky turned 12. I sadly came to the conclusion that my reading out loud days are drawing to a close. That is a gut wrenching realization for me. Sharing books out loud with my family has been one of the most beautiful joys of motherhood for me. So as a sort of swan song, I wanted to read stories of happy families. So many great stories center on families. In the past we loved the Moffats, All of Kind Family, the Little House books. This year we took a long time reading The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. When we finished up that, I searched my brain for a good follow up and lighted on Cheaper by the Dozen.
This is a warm memoir of a family written by two of the grown children, two out of a dozen. The book ends (spoiler alert!) in 1924 at the very sob-inducing death of their father. The book is really about their remarkable parents, especially their father, who was one of kind, full of energy, humor, love and vision. The really great thing about this book is that it is of the old fashioned feminist variety; first wave feminism vs. second wave. The mother was very much involved in the family business of motion study and efficiency. Mr. Gilbreth, the dad, even called her Boss. Really they had a wonderful marriage where they were truly partners, both having the highest, loving respect for each other. Dad wanted all his children, girls included to go to college. After the father's death, the mother steps into his shoes and keeps their business running. But in spite of seeing his wife as his equal, dad still is gallant towards her. He is a gentleman and is nervous about his daughters in the new fangled era of the 20s with bobbed hair and short skirts that have come into fashion. He knows what men are and that he needs to protect his daughters from their selfish desires. And this respect for his wife and his ambitions for his daughters (as well as sons) does nothing to diminish his and hers absolute pride and joy in having twelve children. Children are blessings. That is all. No matter how troublesome, humor and love get them through everything.
One of the funniest scenes is when a representative from a fairly new organization called Planned Parenthood shows up. Boy do they have fun with that one!
While this book is clean and wholesome, some of the references or innuendo confused Becky. So I do think it might be better for a child slightly older than 12. Sean got it all, I'm pretty sure.
A wonderful book. I was happy to revisit it and share it with my youngest two kids. Sob. I think it might be the last book read aloud to more than one child. I will probably still read aloud to Becky at times, but Sean is off going to high school now. . . .I just don't think there will be a good opportunity again to read to both.
For more book reviews, go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Book 40
This book is completely absorbing. Rebecca Skloot, the author, writes very well. In fact, I picked this book up after reading The Forgotten Founding Father and I have to say, Skloot's ability to write really outshone the previous author's plodding, contrived writing style. Skloot jumps back and forth telling a tale of science and medicine, the ravages of racial prejudice, questions of ethics and how she went about reporting all this, and it is seamless. Every character, all real people, just leaps off the page. You really feel you know them.
Henrietta Lacks was a poor black woman, a tobacco farmer from a tiny town in Virginia. The family then moved to Baltimore during World War II to work in the steel mill at Sparrow Point. She grew up incredibly poor and ignorant but with zest for life. She had five children but died of cervical cancer while only 40. Her doctor, without telling her, took some of her cancer cells and tried to grow them in the lab at Johns Hopkins. This was something that science was trying to do back in the 1950s (or earlier) but had met with no success. But Henrietta's cells, which came to be know as HeLa, grew in the lab. They grew amazingly. The HeLa cell line is grown all over the world still. There are billions more cells now than were ever contained in Henrietta herself. These cells helped test the polio vaccine, they are responsible for successful research on cancer, advances in genetics, cloning, etc. They've been an incredible boon to the advancement of medicine. But Henrietta died a horrible death from her cervical cancer. Her children were motherless with a father who couldn't cope and worked two jobs. They were raised for a time by a cruel and viscous woman who beat and tortured them. The oldest son got into the military at age 16 by lying about his age. He married a good hearted woman who rescued the younger children from evil Ethel. But the damage was done. Damage was always being done because of the fact that they were Black and poor and ignorant. Life was already stacked against them but the evil foster mother made it worse, much worse.
The books tells the story of Henrietta's children and their plight. The one we especially come to love is Deborah, so wounded, so determined, so frightened, so full of faith.
It's a really complicated story but Skloot makes it all tie together in an amazing package. People who want to wax nostalgic about the 1950s when everything was good, should read this book. Reading this book reiterated my belief that every age has its own hallmark evils going on. We just swap one form for another.
The author is trying to undo some of the evil. She helped to found The Henrietta Lacks Foundation.
I highly, highly recommend this book. For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Henrietta Lacks was a poor black woman, a tobacco farmer from a tiny town in Virginia. The family then moved to Baltimore during World War II to work in the steel mill at Sparrow Point. She grew up incredibly poor and ignorant but with zest for life. She had five children but died of cervical cancer while only 40. Her doctor, without telling her, took some of her cancer cells and tried to grow them in the lab at Johns Hopkins. This was something that science was trying to do back in the 1950s (or earlier) but had met with no success. But Henrietta's cells, which came to be know as HeLa, grew in the lab. They grew amazingly. The HeLa cell line is grown all over the world still. There are billions more cells now than were ever contained in Henrietta herself. These cells helped test the polio vaccine, they are responsible for successful research on cancer, advances in genetics, cloning, etc. They've been an incredible boon to the advancement of medicine. But Henrietta died a horrible death from her cervical cancer. Her children were motherless with a father who couldn't cope and worked two jobs. They were raised for a time by a cruel and viscous woman who beat and tortured them. The oldest son got into the military at age 16 by lying about his age. He married a good hearted woman who rescued the younger children from evil Ethel. But the damage was done. Damage was always being done because of the fact that they were Black and poor and ignorant. Life was already stacked against them but the evil foster mother made it worse, much worse.
The books tells the story of Henrietta's children and their plight. The one we especially come to love is Deborah, so wounded, so determined, so frightened, so full of faith.
It's a really complicated story but Skloot makes it all tie together in an amazing package. People who want to wax nostalgic about the 1950s when everything was good, should read this book. Reading this book reiterated my belief that every age has its own hallmark evils going on. We just swap one form for another.
The author is trying to undo some of the evil. She helped to found The Henrietta Lacks Foundation.
I highly, highly recommend this book. For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Rambling Insomnia Driven Thoughts
The clock is chiming 4:00 a.m. There is so much worry and heart ache in the world. It is hard to sleep. My big decision is should I give in and drink some coffee or should I try to go back to sleep. The dog is keeping me company.
I heard the details of my nephew's suicide. So very disturbing. So much hopelessness and such a sordid, waste of life. Poor baby. He must have been so unhappy. I wish I had known him better. I wish I could have given him something that would have inspired him. He's left such a huge hole in his family's heart. They loved him the best they could but it wasn't enough. Not for him. Depression is the inability to be grateful. How could he leave those people who loved him so, so much?
My neck is hurting. I am really worried about it. I think have arthritis or something in it. I need to go to the doctor's where they'll probably have me get an MRI or something.
I am worrying about Joshua. His first night at college. When Rick left him last night, he said Josh was standing all by himself at a party. Josh hates parties. They are the worst for him. I know he was probably so tongue tied. His shyness was probably building to the point where he can barely get the words out if someone should happen to talk to him. He probably wanted to escape but there was no escape. He's stuck there. I hope he's sleeping now. I hope things work out with his roommates. Soldier on, Josh! He needs a steep learning curve right now. Painful but good for him.
Yesterday afternoon, after picking up Sean from high school, I went in and cleaned the boys' room. Wow, was it bad. I didn't finish cleaning it really. But I did tidy quite a bit and dust and vacuum. There is a mountain of laundry to be done and then clothing to be sorted through. They seemed to have outgrown a lot of clothes. I need to declutter Josh's dresser top and one corner of the room still. And the closet, oy vey. That's a whole nother task right there.
I wish I was more on top of housekeeping. It would have been nice to raise my kids in less clutter and chaos. It would have helped us all, I think.
I hope Josh is alright.
I'm on a list of Catholic moms and so many are having troubles with their older children right now. They were praying Blessed Mother Teresa's emergency Memorare Novena:
Hannah's boyfriend, Peter, has moved out. Well, not quite all the way. But he's moved mostly out to a house right up the street from my parents old house, the graveyard where they are buried, where my sister lives and where the suicide took place. It's just a coincidence that the house he and his housemates rented happened to be in my old stomping grounds. So he's having his first night in a new place too. I haven't seen his house, but Hannah says it is really cute. We are lending him a car because he's got no way to get to work. It is tough starting out in this world with no money!
Sean did not like his first day at high school. He only knew one kid who isn't in any classes with him, though he did get to eat lunch with him. He met all his teachers who either asked ice breaker questions that Sean hates (he hates anything contrived like that) or the teachers came off as really strict and mean. He managed however to turn it in to funny stories to regale us all with.
Will is trying to get in as much time with his buddies, Johnny and Josh K. before they all leave for their respective colleges. Berklee starts later than most of the others so he'll be stuck home for a week after everybody else is gone. I think that always makes him lonely and restless. Poor Will has a cold he just can't shake. I hope he is over it completely before he goes.
I am thinking of really reducing facebook time. I love chatting with the ladies but I find I get too upset reading all the weird horrible news all the time. I really need to focus more on raising my youngest two kids, on being there for the older ones, on keeping house, on prayer, on the actually important things in life.
Clock just chimed 4:30. I am making coffee.
I heard the details of my nephew's suicide. So very disturbing. So much hopelessness and such a sordid, waste of life. Poor baby. He must have been so unhappy. I wish I had known him better. I wish I could have given him something that would have inspired him. He's left such a huge hole in his family's heart. They loved him the best they could but it wasn't enough. Not for him. Depression is the inability to be grateful. How could he leave those people who loved him so, so much?
My neck is hurting. I am really worried about it. I think have arthritis or something in it. I need to go to the doctor's where they'll probably have me get an MRI or something.
I am worrying about Joshua. His first night at college. When Rick left him last night, he said Josh was standing all by himself at a party. Josh hates parties. They are the worst for him. I know he was probably so tongue tied. His shyness was probably building to the point where he can barely get the words out if someone should happen to talk to him. He probably wanted to escape but there was no escape. He's stuck there. I hope he's sleeping now. I hope things work out with his roommates. Soldier on, Josh! He needs a steep learning curve right now. Painful but good for him.
Yesterday afternoon, after picking up Sean from high school, I went in and cleaned the boys' room. Wow, was it bad. I didn't finish cleaning it really. But I did tidy quite a bit and dust and vacuum. There is a mountain of laundry to be done and then clothing to be sorted through. They seemed to have outgrown a lot of clothes. I need to declutter Josh's dresser top and one corner of the room still. And the closet, oy vey. That's a whole nother task right there.
I wish I was more on top of housekeeping. It would have been nice to raise my kids in less clutter and chaos. It would have helped us all, I think.
I hope Josh is alright.
I'm on a list of Catholic moms and so many are having troubles with their older children right now. They were praying Blessed Mother Teresa's emergency Memorare Novena:
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.
Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
Hannah's boyfriend, Peter, has moved out. Well, not quite all the way. But he's moved mostly out to a house right up the street from my parents old house, the graveyard where they are buried, where my sister lives and where the suicide took place. It's just a coincidence that the house he and his housemates rented happened to be in my old stomping grounds. So he's having his first night in a new place too. I haven't seen his house, but Hannah says it is really cute. We are lending him a car because he's got no way to get to work. It is tough starting out in this world with no money!
Sean did not like his first day at high school. He only knew one kid who isn't in any classes with him, though he did get to eat lunch with him. He met all his teachers who either asked ice breaker questions that Sean hates (he hates anything contrived like that) or the teachers came off as really strict and mean. He managed however to turn it in to funny stories to regale us all with.
Will is trying to get in as much time with his buddies, Johnny and Josh K. before they all leave for their respective colleges. Berklee starts later than most of the others so he'll be stuck home for a week after everybody else is gone. I think that always makes him lonely and restless. Poor Will has a cold he just can't shake. I hope he is over it completely before he goes.
I am thinking of really reducing facebook time. I love chatting with the ladies but I find I get too upset reading all the weird horrible news all the time. I really need to focus more on raising my youngest two kids, on being there for the older ones, on keeping house, on prayer, on the actually important things in life.
Clock just chimed 4:30. I am making coffee.
Friday, August 23, 2013
It's Been Quite a Week
This week has been a roller coaster kind of week.
It began with us finishing up shopping and other things to get Josh ready to go to Christendom and Sean ready to go to O'Connell high school.
I also was frantically working on the syllabus and lesson plans for Aquinas Learning.
Plus some thing is the matter with my neck. Maybe a pinched nerve? Anyway, I have pain, discomfort and headaches at times. Makes it hard to sit at the computer for very long.
On Wednesday around 4:00 we got some horrible news. My nephew committed suicide. I think he was about 35 years old. It's a terrible situation. Prayers for his parents, his sister and her husband and kids (he shot himself in their basement while they were home) and his other two siblings as well are all absolutely devastated. We are all in shock still. The police are taking a long time with the autopsy so everybody's in limbo, just waiting for them to state cause of death and release the body so we can bury him. It is so very, very tragic.
Then today, Friday was the big day for school for us homeschoolers. Sean went to his first day of brick and mortar high school. I dropped him off at 7:30 this morning. And now Josh is started to pack up to move to Christendom. His dad is taking him. They are leaving here around 11:00. Move in begins at 1:30 p.m.
Big changes.
It began with us finishing up shopping and other things to get Josh ready to go to Christendom and Sean ready to go to O'Connell high school.
I also was frantically working on the syllabus and lesson plans for Aquinas Learning.
Plus some thing is the matter with my neck. Maybe a pinched nerve? Anyway, I have pain, discomfort and headaches at times. Makes it hard to sit at the computer for very long.
On Wednesday around 4:00 we got some horrible news. My nephew committed suicide. I think he was about 35 years old. It's a terrible situation. Prayers for his parents, his sister and her husband and kids (he shot himself in their basement while they were home) and his other two siblings as well are all absolutely devastated. We are all in shock still. The police are taking a long time with the autopsy so everybody's in limbo, just waiting for them to state cause of death and release the body so we can bury him. It is so very, very tragic.
Then today, Friday was the big day for school for us homeschoolers. Sean went to his first day of brick and mortar high school. I dropped him off at 7:30 this morning. And now Josh is started to pack up to move to Christendom. His dad is taking him. They are leaving here around 11:00. Move in begins at 1:30 p.m.
Big changes.
Saturday, August 17, 2013
We're home! I'm feeling nesty.
We got home a couple of hours ago. I, the nervous driver, drove the whole way. I'm very proud of myself. Miraculously there was no traffic! Rick was so tired. He spent most of the vacation working on this huge settlement deal, which finally closed on Friday. He's very happy about it but he thought that he'd be able to take it easy after our week at the beach was over, but no there's something BIG happening on 8/27, so he'll have to keep going. He's tired. It kind of put a damper on the vacation, plus Granddad and his lady friend are getting older and Steve seems more unhealthy so it find kinda like being in a old folks home to me. I do think the kids had a good time. They stayed up very late playing games and watching movies. They spent some time swimming in the ocean and at the pool. They liked being able to walk down to the little town center/boardwalk and hang out and watch shows and stuff. As we were driving away this morning Becky said she wanted to come back for two weeks next summer!
Anyway, I got home and I am in a very nesting mood. I want to clean and cook wholesome foods and make things pretty and comfy-cozy.
This week really needs to be dedicated to getting Josh and Sean all set for their first day of school this coming Friday. So that will take precedence. Lots of clothes shopping! But I also want to:
1) Clean back porch so we can use it this fall. I never did clean it this spring and it is has been so rainy this summer we've only eaten out there a couple of times.
2. Make a lot of chicken broth. My IBS has been really acting up this summer and I think I should try eating homemade, preservative-free, healthy fare. So the first step is to make lots of chicken broth and I can sip every day.
3. I want to try two recipes this week. The first sounds like a yummy, quick breakfast and this one for homemade mayonnaise. I have been looking for a recipe that is easy and doesn't require a food processor. I want to stay away from all that soybean oil every single mayonnaise contains.
4. Keep up with laundry and regular housekeeping chores.
Right now I am going grocery shopping!
Anyway, I got home and I am in a very nesting mood. I want to clean and cook wholesome foods and make things pretty and comfy-cozy.
This week really needs to be dedicated to getting Josh and Sean all set for their first day of school this coming Friday. So that will take precedence. Lots of clothes shopping! But I also want to:
1) Clean back porch so we can use it this fall. I never did clean it this spring and it is has been so rainy this summer we've only eaten out there a couple of times.
2. Make a lot of chicken broth. My IBS has been really acting up this summer and I think I should try eating homemade, preservative-free, healthy fare. So the first step is to make lots of chicken broth and I can sip every day.
3. I want to try two recipes this week. The first sounds like a yummy, quick breakfast and this one for homemade mayonnaise. I have been looking for a recipe that is easy and doesn't require a food processor. I want to stay away from all that soybean oil every single mayonnaise contains.
4. Keep up with laundry and regular housekeeping chores.
Right now I am going grocery shopping!
Thursday, August 15, 2013
The Scent of Water - Book 39
The Scent of Water by Elizabeth Goudge is a lovely, quiet book. Jenn suggested it to me when I was searching for a light read for our beach trip. If you click the link, you'll notice she's reading it too). It is light in that it is full of love, warmth and beauty but it is a profound book too. Goudge is a wonderful writer, though her style is so lush and almost a little too overwrought for me, though not quite. Somehow she manages to stay just short of going overboard to my tastes! I looked the author up on wikipedia and someone described it as 'ecstatic sentimentality' which I think is a little unfair. She is emotional and every observation reflects a rich inner life that is full of feeling and meaning as the characters go about the very ordinary and small daily duties and gestures. Goudge loves to create plush atmospheres of roses and lilies, imposing, gnarled old trees, ancient ruins of abbeys and manors with intricate carvings and details. She does description very well.
The story is about a middled aged, successful career woman, competent and attractive, who suddenly leaves her busy life in London and moves to the country, seemingly on a whim. She has inherited a lovely old house from her cousin, who she was named for, and who she only met once in her childhood, but the memory of the meeting was indelibly impressed on her mind. Slowly, she gets to know all the characters of the little village (including her deceased cousin via the diaries she finds when exploring the house) and the tragedies and joys of their lives from Mr. Hepplewaite, the nouveau riche 'lord' of the manor, to the last bodger in England.
But the story is really about the inner spiritual lives of several of the characters and how Mary's arrival in the village seems to bring healing to them, as well as to herself. The village is recovering from the devastation of World War II and trying to hide from the Brave New World it created. There are many layers of symbolism in this book, from frequent references to 'the scent of water,' a quote from the book of Job, to the history behind the ruins of the old Cistercian Abbey, to a particular carving on the church wall and many others. Many themes are interwoven, mostly spiritual, like our relationship with God, the meaning of life, the healing power of love, what obedience really is. The book sort of opens and closes with Christmas and the meaning of the Nativity.
There's a lot to this story. I could write much, much more. I wish nowadays there were more books like this, fiction that has a profound Christian message and yet is well written, profoundly moving and gives the reader a lot to think about. Something that is fun about this book is that the main character, Mary Lindsey, likes to read Jane Austen. I, however, disagreed with her characterization of Fanny from Mansfield Park!
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
The story is about a middled aged, successful career woman, competent and attractive, who suddenly leaves her busy life in London and moves to the country, seemingly on a whim. She has inherited a lovely old house from her cousin, who she was named for, and who she only met once in her childhood, but the memory of the meeting was indelibly impressed on her mind. Slowly, she gets to know all the characters of the little village (including her deceased cousin via the diaries she finds when exploring the house) and the tragedies and joys of their lives from Mr. Hepplewaite, the nouveau riche 'lord' of the manor, to the last bodger in England.
But the story is really about the inner spiritual lives of several of the characters and how Mary's arrival in the village seems to bring healing to them, as well as to herself. The village is recovering from the devastation of World War II and trying to hide from the Brave New World it created. There are many layers of symbolism in this book, from frequent references to 'the scent of water,' a quote from the book of Job, to the history behind the ruins of the old Cistercian Abbey, to a particular carving on the church wall and many others. Many themes are interwoven, mostly spiritual, like our relationship with God, the meaning of life, the healing power of love, what obedience really is. The book sort of opens and closes with Christmas and the meaning of the Nativity.
There's a lot to this story. I could write much, much more. I wish nowadays there were more books like this, fiction that has a profound Christian message and yet is well written, profoundly moving and gives the reader a lot to think about. Something that is fun about this book is that the main character, Mary Lindsey, likes to read Jane Austen. I, however, disagreed with her characterization of Fanny from Mansfield Park!
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Beach Diary
(UPDATE) Heh, heh. This was a draft that I didn't mean to publish yet. I guess I hit publish instead of save! I was suffering from a headache and wasn't quite on top of things. Oh well!)
Saturday: left home about 11:00 a.m. Ran into traffic at the Bay bridge and then later in DE at Millsboro. Got here before 5. Granddad and Peggy arrived within 10 minutes. Unpacked and then left to go visit Noel at her house in Berlin. Had a very nice visit with her and Jim. They have a nice house. Rick took everyone out to dinner which I missed because I was at Noel's. I ate boardwalk fries and was satisfied with that.
Sunday: got up and went grocery shopping. Got everyone up in time and then walked to noon mass. Saw Alden's family on the street waving at us! They are vacationing here too! Ate a delicious salad with lump crabmeat for lunch. Sat out on beach in late afternoon. Very damp and cloudy but beach is beautiful and breezy. Rick grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner. On the boardwalk they had a Beatles band playing. Fun.
Monday: got up early and took a nice walk on the beach. Later walked around trying to find the place where they sell passes to the pools at Sea Colony. Couldn't find it so came home and got in a car to look. Turns out it was just one block farther than I had walked. Rick worked most of the day. I went to grocery store again to get things for Grandad's birthday. Rick burned chicken After dinner, Rick and I took a walk on the board walk and saw that they were playing Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs on a huge screen on the beach. We came home and made Josh take Becky up to see it. Joe and Sean had gone to the beach. Sean loves the water. Becky is rereading a lot of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.
Tuesday: woke up with a headache so didn't get to beach. Getting annoyed at my poor in laws who spend the entire time watching TV 24/7. I can't stand it. Made pancakes and bacon for everyone. Cleaned up a bit. Rick worked almost all day. I tried to read and nap with little success. Alden and his sister Olivia came over. Josh, Sean, Joe and Alden played Life all afternoon. Becky entertained Olivia. I was getting pretty bored. Waited for Hannah, Will, Peter and Johnnie to show up. They got here around 5:30. Suddenly, things didn't seem so dull. Rick got crabs and shrimp and I cooked corn. We had a big feast with Rick showing all the kids the proper way to eat crabs. After dinner Rick and I took another walk and went and ate ice cream.
Wednesday: I was going to try to go to daily mass but Rick got up early and asked if I wanted to go to breakfast. We had a nice breakfast date. Came home and he started working again. I made eggs for the others. Poor Will woke up with a very sore throat. I think he might have a little fever too. He's just sitting around playing his guitar or on the computer. Hannah and Peter took off on their own. Steve's been very quiet today. I walked to the farmers market and bought some melons, potatoes and tomatoes. We are having left over crabs, sloppy joe's salad and melon for dinner. It was quite chilly this a.m. But we went out on the beach around noon (Becky, Johnnie, Joe and Sean and myself). It was absolutely lovely. Sean, Joe and Johnnie played in the water a long time and went way out so I was a little nervous but they were fine. Becky found another little girl her age equally into gymnastics. They played together on the beach and now want to have their own gymnastics routine at the boardwalk talent show in Friday night. We keep running to people we know from back home. That's why it is crowded here. Everyone from North VA is here!
Saturday: left home about 11:00 a.m. Ran into traffic at the Bay bridge and then later in DE at Millsboro. Got here before 5. Granddad and Peggy arrived within 10 minutes. Unpacked and then left to go visit Noel at her house in Berlin. Had a very nice visit with her and Jim. They have a nice house. Rick took everyone out to dinner which I missed because I was at Noel's. I ate boardwalk fries and was satisfied with that.
Sunday: got up and went grocery shopping. Got everyone up in time and then walked to noon mass. Saw Alden's family on the street waving at us! They are vacationing here too! Ate a delicious salad with lump crabmeat for lunch. Sat out on beach in late afternoon. Very damp and cloudy but beach is beautiful and breezy. Rick grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner. On the boardwalk they had a Beatles band playing. Fun.
Monday: got up early and took a nice walk on the beach. Later walked around trying to find the place where they sell passes to the pools at Sea Colony. Couldn't find it so came home and got in a car to look. Turns out it was just one block farther than I had walked. Rick worked most of the day. I went to grocery store again to get things for Grandad's birthday. Rick burned chicken After dinner, Rick and I took a walk on the board walk and saw that they were playing Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs on a huge screen on the beach. We came home and made Josh take Becky up to see it. Joe and Sean had gone to the beach. Sean loves the water. Becky is rereading a lot of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.
Tuesday: woke up with a headache so didn't get to beach. Getting annoyed at my poor in laws who spend the entire time watching TV 24/7. I can't stand it. Made pancakes and bacon for everyone. Cleaned up a bit. Rick worked almost all day. I tried to read and nap with little success. Alden and his sister Olivia came over. Josh, Sean, Joe and Alden played Life all afternoon. Becky entertained Olivia. I was getting pretty bored. Waited for Hannah, Will, Peter and Johnnie to show up. They got here around 5:30. Suddenly, things didn't seem so dull. Rick got crabs and shrimp and I cooked corn. We had a big feast with Rick showing all the kids the proper way to eat crabs. After dinner Rick and I took another walk and went and ate ice cream.
Wednesday: I was going to try to go to daily mass but Rick got up early and asked if I wanted to go to breakfast. We had a nice breakfast date. Came home and he started working again. I made eggs for the others. Poor Will woke up with a very sore throat. I think he might have a little fever too. He's just sitting around playing his guitar or on the computer. Hannah and Peter took off on their own. Steve's been very quiet today. I walked to the farmers market and bought some melons, potatoes and tomatoes. We are having left over crabs, sloppy joe's salad and melon for dinner. It was quite chilly this a.m. But we went out on the beach around noon (Becky, Johnnie, Joe and Sean and myself). It was absolutely lovely. Sean, Joe and Johnnie played in the water a long time and went way out so I was a little nervous but they were fine. Becky found another little girl her age equally into gymnastics. They played together on the beach and now want to have their own gymnastics routine at the boardwalk talent show in Friday night. We keep running to people we know from back home. That's why it is crowded here. Everyone from North VA is here!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
The Forgotten Founding Father - Book 38
(NOTE: I am at the beach right now in a house with a bad router. Forgive me if I don't link the book to Amazon. You'll have to look it up yourself!)
It took me a long time to get through this book. The Forgotten Founding Father; Noah Webster's Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture by Joshus Kendall was both intriguing and annoying. The history of Noah Webster and his contributions to America was interesting, what was annoying was the author's cheap, amateurish and anachronistic constant psychoanalysis of Webster. Really at times I laughed out loud at the silliness of the author's insistence on stretching or twisting things so as to show Webster having some kind of psychological issue. At other times, I just had to put the book down for a while until I could get over my irritation. What kept me going was a real interest in the life of this remarkable man. And to Kendall's credit, he is very thorough in systematically leading the reader through Webster's whole life and explaining his connections to many of the great people of the day.
When I first started reading the book, I was so put off by the amateur psychoanalysis that I looked up the book at Amazon and was amazed to find that so many people gave it a good review. The author constantly tries to paint Webster as neurotic or, I don't know. something! Maybe he was somewhat neurotic. Aren't we all? But he kept trying to paint Webster as a loser, crackpot and obviously, Webster was not. For instance, the author belittles Webster's penchant for collecting data on the sizes of towns he visited during his long tours where Webster was promoting his Blue-back speller. He laughs at Webster's OCD tendencies to record the weather. Has this author read so little history that he doesn't know that back in those days people often journaled about the weather? Did he not know that in the age of the Enlightenment, many educated men collected data? It was the age of cataloging and organizing information. I guess any meteorologist or statistician has OCD! Another way that Kendall would exaggerate things: he'd describe Webster in a way that didn't fit with the facts. After pages and pages where we hear about all the letters that Webster is writing to various friends and family, Kendall calls Webster a loner. Then just a few pages later he brings up the fact that Webster is happily married and with seven children. Doesn't sound like a loner to me! Or another time, Kendall, when talking about the success of Webster's dictionary, says that finally he's made a comeback after twenty five years of a being a persona non grata in his own country. Yet Kendall has just told us all about the past 25 yesrs when Webster was a state representative, helped to found Amherst college, and got unsolicited funding from the Supreme Court justice John Jay. Is that how a persona non grata is treated? I don't think so! Webster had fallen out of favor with some people. But that is not the same as being a persona non grata in one's own country!
It is ironic that Webster himself was all about clarity in language and being very accurate in defining words, because while reading this book, I often found myself wondering over the word choices of his biographer! It was jarring that the author has to try so hard to conform Webster to his own seemingly pre-conceived notions and couldn't just write about him. How he had ups and downs in life. How he could be cranky. How he changed his political beliefs as he aged (nobody does that, do they?) without having this silly box he (the author) was determined to wrestle every fact into.
I did feel I learned a lot in this book. The author is thorough and it was very interesting to see famous people like George Washington and Ben Franklin from a different perspective. Webster was connected to so many different people in one way or another. I own an old copy of my grandmother's Blue-back Speller from 1919. And I have always loved a good dictionary, so when I saw the title of this book, I knew I wanted to read it. I am glad I did, in spite of Joshua Kendall's very annoying faults.
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
It took me a long time to get through this book. The Forgotten Founding Father; Noah Webster's Obsession and the Creation of an American Culture by Joshus Kendall was both intriguing and annoying. The history of Noah Webster and his contributions to America was interesting, what was annoying was the author's cheap, amateurish and anachronistic constant psychoanalysis of Webster. Really at times I laughed out loud at the silliness of the author's insistence on stretching or twisting things so as to show Webster having some kind of psychological issue. At other times, I just had to put the book down for a while until I could get over my irritation. What kept me going was a real interest in the life of this remarkable man. And to Kendall's credit, he is very thorough in systematically leading the reader through Webster's whole life and explaining his connections to many of the great people of the day.
When I first started reading the book, I was so put off by the amateur psychoanalysis that I looked up the book at Amazon and was amazed to find that so many people gave it a good review. The author constantly tries to paint Webster as neurotic or, I don't know. something! Maybe he was somewhat neurotic. Aren't we all? But he kept trying to paint Webster as a loser, crackpot and obviously, Webster was not. For instance, the author belittles Webster's penchant for collecting data on the sizes of towns he visited during his long tours where Webster was promoting his Blue-back speller. He laughs at Webster's OCD tendencies to record the weather. Has this author read so little history that he doesn't know that back in those days people often journaled about the weather? Did he not know that in the age of the Enlightenment, many educated men collected data? It was the age of cataloging and organizing information. I guess any meteorologist or statistician has OCD! Another way that Kendall would exaggerate things: he'd describe Webster in a way that didn't fit with the facts. After pages and pages where we hear about all the letters that Webster is writing to various friends and family, Kendall calls Webster a loner. Then just a few pages later he brings up the fact that Webster is happily married and with seven children. Doesn't sound like a loner to me! Or another time, Kendall, when talking about the success of Webster's dictionary, says that finally he's made a comeback after twenty five years of a being a persona non grata in his own country. Yet Kendall has just told us all about the past 25 yesrs when Webster was a state representative, helped to found Amherst college, and got unsolicited funding from the Supreme Court justice John Jay. Is that how a persona non grata is treated? I don't think so! Webster had fallen out of favor with some people. But that is not the same as being a persona non grata in one's own country!
It is ironic that Webster himself was all about clarity in language and being very accurate in defining words, because while reading this book, I often found myself wondering over the word choices of his biographer! It was jarring that the author has to try so hard to conform Webster to his own seemingly pre-conceived notions and couldn't just write about him. How he had ups and downs in life. How he could be cranky. How he changed his political beliefs as he aged (nobody does that, do they?) without having this silly box he (the author) was determined to wrestle every fact into.
I did feel I learned a lot in this book. The author is thorough and it was very interesting to see famous people like George Washington and Ben Franklin from a different perspective. Webster was connected to so many different people in one way or another. I own an old copy of my grandmother's Blue-back Speller from 1919. And I have always loved a good dictionary, so when I saw the title of this book, I knew I wanted to read it. I am glad I did, in spite of Joshua Kendall's very annoying faults.
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Becky's Curriculum for 7th Grade
This week I've been in a bit of a homeschool nesting mood. You know, where you suddenly get the urge to clean out your bookshelves so you can move in the books you'll be using in the upcoming academic year? You start thinking about what kind of notebooks to use and where is the best place for the electric pencil sharpener? That sort of thing. I actually ordered a couple of last minute books for Becky. Here's the lowdown:
Math:
We're going with Saxon again. I don't even know if this is the best way to each Becky but she is insistent. All my kids have at one point or another asked for Saxon. They like it even if it is dull and busywork-y at times. Becky especially needs lots of repetition. She does not retain mathy things well. The other day she asked Rick to help her with multiplying fractions. She couldn't remember step one. Rick was trying to prod her and she said: Dad! I have learned this already 6 or 7 times! I don't know why but I can never remember it! The problem is math bores her deeply. You can see her struggling to keep her eyes from glazing over. But she insists that Saxon is for her because she saw all her older siblings doing Saxon and she wants to follow in their footsteps. But thank God, we have a math tutor! Yes, I will no longer be teaching the math directly. Our lovely, fun, creative math tutor will be doing that job! There is hope for Becky! the bad thing is I couldn't find my Saxon 7/6 textbook. I tried to borrow someone else's but they only had the 3rd edition and darn it, I have the solutions and tests/quizzes for the 4th. So I just broke down and ordered new textbook from Seton. Luckily it is paperback and only $32.
Science:
I don't usually focus on science much at all. And Becky isn't a science person either, though it's better than math. This is the one subject I am predicting will fall off the radar screen at some point during the year. However, I am eternally hopeful and darn it, this is my last homeschooling child. You'd think I'd be able to stick to it for just one kid, right???? Anyway, I plan to use Seton's 7th grade science book. It isn't overwhelming, it is pretty well written and it jives with a certain blogger's science program. If you haven't visited LaPazFarm you are in for a treat. Theresa is a former science teacher and she's all about making science a pillar of her homeschool. She's creative and she knows her stuff. I plan to tag along with her. I got the A Really Short History of Nearly Everything and it is a great book. So dear Lord, help me stick with science this year!
History:
We'll be using the Catholic Textbook Project's A Light to the Nation; The History of Christian Civilization, Part 1. We are following the syllabus that Aquinas Learning is doing. So hopefully, Becky will be taught history one day a week at Aquinas Learning and then we'll follow up with reading and homework during the rest of the week. I think our Aquinas Learning Center is planning on a couple of field trips. We want to go to the Medieval Times show as a group and we also plan to visit the Franciscan Monastery in Washington D.C. I hope to supplement at home with maybe a movie or two and maybe some crafts. Oh also we are going to visit the tower on the Shrine of the National Basilica on 9/9. I think learning about church architecture is a good tie in with our history studies. In addition to the textbook I think Becky also has to read St. Margaret Clitherow; The Pearl of York. Not sure if there are other supplementary readings out there that I've missed.
Geography:
Becky likes Geography. This is a separate subject in the K-6 program of Aquinas Learning and it was always one of Becky's favorites. At the 7th grade level though it gets completely wrapped into History. So I thought I'd continue with it a bit as a separate subject too. I have this wonderful old map skills curriculum that I bought from a teacher's store (which has since gone out of business, sob) a long time ago. Hannah and Will did this program, but it then got buried away where old curriculum goes to collect dust. I just unearthed when I was looking for the Saxon 7/6 textbook and I thought, wow, this will be perfect for Becky. It is a really cute program that teaches a lot of practical stuff. The older kids enjoyed and I think Becky will too.
Cursive:
I don't know why, but my kids still need to practice their cursive well into high school. We just don't take to it! Actually, Rick never did take to it and still prints. Hannah resisted it mightily but realized in college it really helped with speeding up note taking. All the boys rejected it eventually. But with Becky I am determined to continue to force her to practice it. I was looking around at programs for older kids and decided on Seton's. What's great about it is that it ties in with geography because the copy work you do is all about various geographical facts. Because she likes learning that kind of thing, I think it will soften the blow! I don't like the way the Seton handwriting books are bound though, so I plan to take it to Staples and get the binding cut off and changed to a spiral wire binding at the top of the page.
English:
I will be teaching this class at Aquinas Learning. We are going to use The Lost Tools of Writing which is a great program based on the classical study of rhetoric but beautifully simplified for us modern folks. Should be a good year for writing. Some of the writing will be tied to the literature we read. The line up of books for this year:
The Children of Odin by Padriac Colum
Beowulf retold by Ian Serraillier
The Son of Charlemagne by Barbara Willard
A Proud Taste of Scarlet and Miniver by E.L. Konigsburg
Lay Siege to Heaven by Louis de Wohl
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by J.R.R. Tolkien
Henry V by Shakespeare
Stories from Dante by Mary MacGregor
Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle
Latin:
Becky will be taking the Intro to Latin course with Aquinas Learning. The base text is Wheelock's but a high school Latin teacher wrote her own adaptive workbook to go with the first half of the text. Plus, she teaches the children directly via video lessons that we access through the Aquinas Learning course site. So it really makes Latin easy to teach at home. I'm looking forward to really delving into Latin with Becky this year. We've kind of skirted around it for years so she only really knows a little bit here and there. It will be satisfying to get into the meat of it!
Logic:
Becky will be using the text The Discovery of Deduction put out my one of my favorite resources Classical Academic Press. I'm looking forward to relearning all this alongside her. I took Logic way back in college and barely got a C. I tried to study it with Hannah and William and simply couldn't keep up. Now's my chance! This will be taught during the one day a week Aquinas Learning co-op day. We'll follow up with homework during the rest of the week.
Catechism:
I have to register Becky as a homeschooler in our parish. She's officially on the Confirmation track. The Aquinas Learning catechism for this year looks great. I think we will get some deep learning in.
As for extracurricular stuff, Becky decided she did not like being on the competitive team at gymnastics. The coaches were mean and she felt inferior to the other girls which made all the intensive practicing really uncomfortable. She shed a lot of tears. We decided that this was supposed to be FUN and not something that made her miserable. So I plan to sign her up at another gymnastics place that has a class for older girls but isn't part of being a competitive team. That class meets on Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons. She's supposed to go twice a week.
I am trying to set up a graphite drawing class for Becky. I need to get a couple more students to get a class going. The teacher was Becky's AL mentor last year for the 4th-6th grade class. She's an awesome artist! Becky likes art but her previous art class was much more focused on projects and was just getting, well, too boring. It is pretty much the same thing every year and she's done it for 3 years now. This class will really focus on the skill of learning to draw realistically.
I also am hoping to sign Becky up for guitar and voice lessons. This may happen on Tuesday mornings which I don't really like because I wanted mornings set aside for academics, but it can't be helped. So we'll have to work around that. The teacher though is the musical director for a very popular and beloved community theater. I think Becky has her eye on being in one of the performances at some point, maybe next summer.
Lastly, Becky is now a Pioneer in her American Heritage Girls troop. This troop is fantastic. I am going to be a co-leader but thank God there are two other leaders as well.
So Becky will be busy, busy, busy. The hard part will be disciplining ourselves to buckle down and do our work. Becky will resist mightily at first, however, she loves to be busy and with the exception of math (and science somewhat) she loves learning. We just have to get over the initial hump of getting into a routine. I told her since she was my last homeschool that I was determined she would be the best educated 7th grader ever! She kind of liked that idea!
The house is going to be weird this year. Sean will be going to high school. I know I'll have to be up to get him launched each day. He'll be gone the bulk of the day so it will just be me and Becky rattling around the house. Hannah will be home but she's going to school full time in the evenings and hopefully working part-time during the day as well as studying like crazy for all those evening classes. So really we don't know when we'll actually see her. Josh and Will will be off at their respective colleges. So it is good that we'll be busy. We really function much better that way.
This took a long time to write! And this was a day I decided I'd stay off the computer!
Math:
We're going with Saxon again. I don't even know if this is the best way to each Becky but she is insistent. All my kids have at one point or another asked for Saxon. They like it even if it is dull and busywork-y at times. Becky especially needs lots of repetition. She does not retain mathy things well. The other day she asked Rick to help her with multiplying fractions. She couldn't remember step one. Rick was trying to prod her and she said: Dad! I have learned this already 6 or 7 times! I don't know why but I can never remember it! The problem is math bores her deeply. You can see her struggling to keep her eyes from glazing over. But she insists that Saxon is for her because she saw all her older siblings doing Saxon and she wants to follow in their footsteps. But thank God, we have a math tutor! Yes, I will no longer be teaching the math directly. Our lovely, fun, creative math tutor will be doing that job! There is hope for Becky! the bad thing is I couldn't find my Saxon 7/6 textbook. I tried to borrow someone else's but they only had the 3rd edition and darn it, I have the solutions and tests/quizzes for the 4th. So I just broke down and ordered new textbook from Seton. Luckily it is paperback and only $32.
Science:
I don't usually focus on science much at all. And Becky isn't a science person either, though it's better than math. This is the one subject I am predicting will fall off the radar screen at some point during the year. However, I am eternally hopeful and darn it, this is my last homeschooling child. You'd think I'd be able to stick to it for just one kid, right???? Anyway, I plan to use Seton's 7th grade science book. It isn't overwhelming, it is pretty well written and it jives with a certain blogger's science program. If you haven't visited LaPazFarm you are in for a treat. Theresa is a former science teacher and she's all about making science a pillar of her homeschool. She's creative and she knows her stuff. I plan to tag along with her. I got the A Really Short History of Nearly Everything and it is a great book. So dear Lord, help me stick with science this year!
History:
We'll be using the Catholic Textbook Project's A Light to the Nation; The History of Christian Civilization, Part 1. We are following the syllabus that Aquinas Learning is doing. So hopefully, Becky will be taught history one day a week at Aquinas Learning and then we'll follow up with reading and homework during the rest of the week. I think our Aquinas Learning Center is planning on a couple of field trips. We want to go to the Medieval Times show as a group and we also plan to visit the Franciscan Monastery in Washington D.C. I hope to supplement at home with maybe a movie or two and maybe some crafts. Oh also we are going to visit the tower on the Shrine of the National Basilica on 9/9. I think learning about church architecture is a good tie in with our history studies. In addition to the textbook I think Becky also has to read St. Margaret Clitherow; The Pearl of York. Not sure if there are other supplementary readings out there that I've missed.
Geography:
Becky likes Geography. This is a separate subject in the K-6 program of Aquinas Learning and it was always one of Becky's favorites. At the 7th grade level though it gets completely wrapped into History. So I thought I'd continue with it a bit as a separate subject too. I have this wonderful old map skills curriculum that I bought from a teacher's store (which has since gone out of business, sob) a long time ago. Hannah and Will did this program, but it then got buried away where old curriculum goes to collect dust. I just unearthed when I was looking for the Saxon 7/6 textbook and I thought, wow, this will be perfect for Becky. It is a really cute program that teaches a lot of practical stuff. The older kids enjoyed and I think Becky will too.
Cursive:
I don't know why, but my kids still need to practice their cursive well into high school. We just don't take to it! Actually, Rick never did take to it and still prints. Hannah resisted it mightily but realized in college it really helped with speeding up note taking. All the boys rejected it eventually. But with Becky I am determined to continue to force her to practice it. I was looking around at programs for older kids and decided on Seton's. What's great about it is that it ties in with geography because the copy work you do is all about various geographical facts. Because she likes learning that kind of thing, I think it will soften the blow! I don't like the way the Seton handwriting books are bound though, so I plan to take it to Staples and get the binding cut off and changed to a spiral wire binding at the top of the page.
English:
I will be teaching this class at Aquinas Learning. We are going to use The Lost Tools of Writing which is a great program based on the classical study of rhetoric but beautifully simplified for us modern folks. Should be a good year for writing. Some of the writing will be tied to the literature we read. The line up of books for this year:
The Children of Odin by Padriac Colum
Beowulf retold by Ian Serraillier
The Son of Charlemagne by Barbara Willard
A Proud Taste of Scarlet and Miniver by E.L. Konigsburg
Lay Siege to Heaven by Louis de Wohl
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by J.R.R. Tolkien
Henry V by Shakespeare
Stories from Dante by Mary MacGregor
Otto of the Silver Hand by Howard Pyle
Latin:
Becky will be taking the Intro to Latin course with Aquinas Learning. The base text is Wheelock's but a high school Latin teacher wrote her own adaptive workbook to go with the first half of the text. Plus, she teaches the children directly via video lessons that we access through the Aquinas Learning course site. So it really makes Latin easy to teach at home. I'm looking forward to really delving into Latin with Becky this year. We've kind of skirted around it for years so she only really knows a little bit here and there. It will be satisfying to get into the meat of it!
Logic:
Becky will be using the text The Discovery of Deduction put out my one of my favorite resources Classical Academic Press. I'm looking forward to relearning all this alongside her. I took Logic way back in college and barely got a C. I tried to study it with Hannah and William and simply couldn't keep up. Now's my chance! This will be taught during the one day a week Aquinas Learning co-op day. We'll follow up with homework during the rest of the week.
Catechism:
I have to register Becky as a homeschooler in our parish. She's officially on the Confirmation track. The Aquinas Learning catechism for this year looks great. I think we will get some deep learning in.
As for extracurricular stuff, Becky decided she did not like being on the competitive team at gymnastics. The coaches were mean and she felt inferior to the other girls which made all the intensive practicing really uncomfortable. She shed a lot of tears. We decided that this was supposed to be FUN and not something that made her miserable. So I plan to sign her up at another gymnastics place that has a class for older girls but isn't part of being a competitive team. That class meets on Wednesday nights and Saturday afternoons. She's supposed to go twice a week.
I am trying to set up a graphite drawing class for Becky. I need to get a couple more students to get a class going. The teacher was Becky's AL mentor last year for the 4th-6th grade class. She's an awesome artist! Becky likes art but her previous art class was much more focused on projects and was just getting, well, too boring. It is pretty much the same thing every year and she's done it for 3 years now. This class will really focus on the skill of learning to draw realistically.
I also am hoping to sign Becky up for guitar and voice lessons. This may happen on Tuesday mornings which I don't really like because I wanted mornings set aside for academics, but it can't be helped. So we'll have to work around that. The teacher though is the musical director for a very popular and beloved community theater. I think Becky has her eye on being in one of the performances at some point, maybe next summer.
Lastly, Becky is now a Pioneer in her American Heritage Girls troop. This troop is fantastic. I am going to be a co-leader but thank God there are two other leaders as well.
So Becky will be busy, busy, busy. The hard part will be disciplining ourselves to buckle down and do our work. Becky will resist mightily at first, however, she loves to be busy and with the exception of math (and science somewhat) she loves learning. We just have to get over the initial hump of getting into a routine. I told her since she was my last homeschool that I was determined she would be the best educated 7th grader ever! She kind of liked that idea!
The house is going to be weird this year. Sean will be going to high school. I know I'll have to be up to get him launched each day. He'll be gone the bulk of the day so it will just be me and Becky rattling around the house. Hannah will be home but she's going to school full time in the evenings and hopefully working part-time during the day as well as studying like crazy for all those evening classes. So really we don't know when we'll actually see her. Josh and Will will be off at their respective colleges. So it is good that we'll be busy. We really function much better that way.
This took a long time to write! And this was a day I decided I'd stay off the computer!
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Escape from Camp 14 - Book 37
Harrowing would be an apt adjective for this book. Grim and horrifying would be two other words to use. Escape from Camp 14 is the story of Shin In Geun, a child born and raised in a North Korean prison camp and the only known prisoner to successfully escape and make his way to freedom. His father's crime was to be the brother of someone who had defected to South Korea. In North Korea if someone in your family commits a crime the whole family gets punished to the third generation, so that means you can be born into a prison camp because of something your grandfather or great uncle did. Shin is the product of his parents' 'reward marriage.' The only way to get married is if you are being rewarded for something, then the guards get to pick out a bride for you and for a few nights a year you get to have conjugal relations. Everyone in the camp is rewarded for 'snitching.' Shin was raised to snitch, seeing his parents as only competitors for food. In the prison camps you don't live much past your forties anyway because everyone is essentially a slave given subsistence amounts of food. Hunger was an always present thing to Shin. Brutality was just part of life. Guards had the power of life and death over you and at any moment you could be beaten to death or shot. Torture was also part of life.
How Shin managed to survive such an inhumane place, and then astonishingly escape, and get to freedom eventually, is a really gripping, heart-wrenching story. He is currently living in South Korea helping with human rights causes. It has taken him years to emotionally and psychologically recover enough to really be able to function at a basic level. He continues to try to heal and has chosen to dedicate his life to trying to help those he left behind.
This is a bleak glimpse into the cruel and evil darkness that humans are so very capable of. It's terrifying but something everyone should be aware of. Pray for North Korea. If you want to help out in a more practical way check out Liberty in North Korea.
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
How Shin managed to survive such an inhumane place, and then astonishingly escape, and get to freedom eventually, is a really gripping, heart-wrenching story. He is currently living in South Korea helping with human rights causes. It has taken him years to emotionally and psychologically recover enough to really be able to function at a basic level. He continues to try to heal and has chosen to dedicate his life to trying to help those he left behind.
This is a bleak glimpse into the cruel and evil darkness that humans are so very capable of. It's terrifying but something everyone should be aware of. Pray for North Korea. If you want to help out in a more practical way check out Liberty in North Korea.
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Good News - 8/6/13
I just started reading a wonderful gem of a book for my morning prayer. It is The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, translated by Ronald Knox. I have heard about this book all my life but have finally gotten around to reading it. Wow, is all I can say! I think, for me, this will rank right up there with Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales and The Secret Diary of Elisabeth LeSeur in terms of practical heart to heart, profound advice on how to grow in devotion. I can't take in language that is too mystical or lofty. I am just not that smart, but these books are written to regular everyday people and they really resonate with me.
Here's what I read today:
Good stuff! It is hard to believe this was written back in the 15th century. It is so fresh. I am sure that has something to do with Knox's translation, but also it is a good reminder of how humans are all essentially the same no matter the age or place. Wisdom transcends time!
Here's what I read today:
As for knowledge, it comes natural to all of us to want it; but what can knowledge do for us, without the fear of God? Give me a plain, unpretentious farm-hand, content to serve God; there is more to be made of him than of some conceited University professor who forgets that he has a soul to save, because he is so busy watching the stars. To know yourself - that means feeling your own worthlessness, losing all taste for human praise. If my knowledge embraced the whole of creation, what good would it do me in God's sight? It is by my actions that he will judge me.
Good stuff! It is hard to believe this was written back in the 15th century. It is so fresh. I am sure that has something to do with Knox's translation, but also it is a good reminder of how humans are all essentially the same no matter the age or place. Wisdom transcends time!
Monday, August 5, 2013
The Art of Freedom - Book 36
The Art of Freedom; Teaching Humanities to the Poor by Earl Shorris is sort of his memoir about how his humanities brainchild was conceived and grew into an international program. I had never heard of Shorris before but apparently I was just ignorant! He passed away last year. He was a respected teacher and author who spent the last 17 years of his life promoting his Clemente program which originally was a year long humanities course taught to the poor. The idea for the program began from a conversation Shorris had with a woman prison inmate in New York. She said that what the poor really needed to get a head in life was 'the moral life of downtown.' By this she meant the ability to appreciate plays, classical music and art museums. Shorris agreed with her. To him the humanities are truly freeing; they reflect the true humanity of man and by studying philosophy, literature, history and art history, the students learn to think for themselves; their horizons are broadened so that they can negotiate the obstacles and vagaries of life in a much more intellectual way. Free men make better citizens. He believed democracy can only truly flourish if people are educated in the humanities.
Shorris wrote about the actual Clemente curriculum in his book Riches for the Poor. I think that I would have understood The Art of Freedom better if I had read this book first. Art of Freedom is really about Shorris' challenges in promoting the program. It started in New York then moved to different places in the U.S. and Canada, including Native Americans in Oklahoma, and Native Alaskans as well as to Muslims in the Sudan, Mayans and Aztecs in Mexico, the poor in Australia (including the Aborigines) and Seoul, South Korea. I didn't understand a lot of the details. It was a glimpse into the world of academia fund raising. I didn't even know there were such things as Humanities Councils and the like where people meet and seriously discuss things like offering free humanities courses to the poor. Shorris lists a lot of names of people he met and became friends with. At times, The Art of Freedom almost reads like a long acknowledgement section of book. He's busy thanking the many people who helped get this program up and running in various communities around the world. While I found the inner workings of academia mildly interesting I found the glimpses into the different cultures a lot more fascinating.
Shorris had this wonderful way of holding together two distinct threads in constant tension with each other: one is the idea of the classics of Western Civilization and how rich and profoundly important they are. The other is the value of non-Western culture. I really appreciated his ability to love both! I always thought the traditional classical way went a little overboard in that it completely ignores humanity outside its own tradition. For instance my daughter just graduated from the University of Dallas where she was steeped in Aristotle and Aquinas, which is all very wonderful, but she does feel ignorant about the rest of the world. On the other hand, the promotion of multiculturalism to the point where anything smacking of 'dead, white males' is immediately condemned goes too far the other way and in fact amounts to academics scorning the very shoulders they stand on. There has to be a happy medium out there somewhere! Mr Shorris seemed to have found a way to marry the two in a just and balanced way. His life is devoted to the classics of Western Civilization but he also is fascinated with all types of culture and has a real love for people of all races and creeds.
The other really interesting thing about this book were the testimonials from the students themselves. Students who had grown up marginalized, as drug abusers, homeless and really, what we would consider the dregs of society, but they longed to pick themselves up. They longed to be rescued and to have some part in rescuing themselves. Somehow they found out about the Clemente program, applied, were interviewed and then enrolled. And for many of them, it was an absolutely life changing experience. Wouldn't you know? Turns out the poor are people too who think and question, who crave beauty and knowledge. They want to discuss Socrates and Plato, read and understand Shakespeare, learn to appreciate art and have a greater understanding of history. Some of these testimonials are amazing and very moving.
This book gave me a lot of hope. There are many, many good people out there and there are many ways that we can help our fellow brothers and sisters. Earl Shorris is a real hero in my view.
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Shorris wrote about the actual Clemente curriculum in his book Riches for the Poor. I think that I would have understood The Art of Freedom better if I had read this book first. Art of Freedom is really about Shorris' challenges in promoting the program. It started in New York then moved to different places in the U.S. and Canada, including Native Americans in Oklahoma, and Native Alaskans as well as to Muslims in the Sudan, Mayans and Aztecs in Mexico, the poor in Australia (including the Aborigines) and Seoul, South Korea. I didn't understand a lot of the details. It was a glimpse into the world of academia fund raising. I didn't even know there were such things as Humanities Councils and the like where people meet and seriously discuss things like offering free humanities courses to the poor. Shorris lists a lot of names of people he met and became friends with. At times, The Art of Freedom almost reads like a long acknowledgement section of book. He's busy thanking the many people who helped get this program up and running in various communities around the world. While I found the inner workings of academia mildly interesting I found the glimpses into the different cultures a lot more fascinating.
Shorris had this wonderful way of holding together two distinct threads in constant tension with each other: one is the idea of the classics of Western Civilization and how rich and profoundly important they are. The other is the value of non-Western culture. I really appreciated his ability to love both! I always thought the traditional classical way went a little overboard in that it completely ignores humanity outside its own tradition. For instance my daughter just graduated from the University of Dallas where she was steeped in Aristotle and Aquinas, which is all very wonderful, but she does feel ignorant about the rest of the world. On the other hand, the promotion of multiculturalism to the point where anything smacking of 'dead, white males' is immediately condemned goes too far the other way and in fact amounts to academics scorning the very shoulders they stand on. There has to be a happy medium out there somewhere! Mr Shorris seemed to have found a way to marry the two in a just and balanced way. His life is devoted to the classics of Western Civilization but he also is fascinated with all types of culture and has a real love for people of all races and creeds.
The other really interesting thing about this book were the testimonials from the students themselves. Students who had grown up marginalized, as drug abusers, homeless and really, what we would consider the dregs of society, but they longed to pick themselves up. They longed to be rescued and to have some part in rescuing themselves. Somehow they found out about the Clemente program, applied, were interviewed and then enrolled. And for many of them, it was an absolutely life changing experience. Wouldn't you know? Turns out the poor are people too who think and question, who crave beauty and knowledge. They want to discuss Socrates and Plato, read and understand Shakespeare, learn to appreciate art and have a greater understanding of history. Some of these testimonials are amazing and very moving.
This book gave me a lot of hope. There are many, many good people out there and there are many ways that we can help our fellow brothers and sisters. Earl Shorris is a real hero in my view.
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Weekly Plans - 8/4/13
Life has really thrown me off my blogging stride these past couple of weeks. I haven't blogged my 52 Books because I haven't managed to finish the 4 books I am reading at present! I haven't even posted in the Intentional Disciples Group Read for two weeks! Not quite sure how that happened. . . . anyway, I've been taking a look at my schedule for next year and if it includes getting Sean to high school by 7:45, that means we'll be getting up much earlier than we ever have before and I won't have time in the morning like I usually do to blog and get on line. I'm thinking this is a good thing. I might really reduce my blogging/internet surfing a lot come August/September.
This weekend I got to visit with my sisters Lisa and Sharon for a bit Saturday morning. It was so nice to catch up with them. Today after Mass, Becky and I are going to see a local community theater perform Bye, Bye, Birdie. I've never seen that particular musical. The music director also teaches guitar and voice and we are going to meet her because we are hoping Becky can take lessons from her.
Also today, Josh needs to watch two more lectures in The American Identity, read more Frederick Douglass and mow the lawn. The weather is supposed to turn nice. Yesterday it was very rainy and cool. Today, dry, nice temperature and sunny! Sean needs to listen to one or two cds for To Kill A Mockingbird. I think he's enjoying the story.
Monday - In the a.m. I hope to clean up the front hall and living room. In the afternoon, I have my doctor's appt to check on my stitches, and at the same time Will needs to be picked up at the airport. Hannah will probably spend a good portion of the day doing homework/studying for her class on Tuesday. Josh needs to continue with his academic stuff, as does Sean. Also, the Solara needs to go to the shop.
Tuesday - personal trainer at 10:30. I'm dreading that after a week off! I also am supposed to meet with the new RE Director at Church but don't know when. I need to take Josh shopping. Haven't done that yet. Hannah has her class. Will will be back. Josh should probably finish up anything he hasn't yet. He needs to write his 5 paragraph essay. Sean continues with To Kill a Mockingbird. Becky is a free as a bird this week! I do want to tackle bathrooms that day. (Trying to get house clean before vacation).
Wednesday - Josh has 9:15 doctor's appt for his check up. Get doctor to fill out papers and then send along to Christendom. I want to really tackle the house, vacuuming, dusting and washing floors. I want everybody to pitch in. CLC in the evening.
Thursday - Clean bedrooms, perhaps more shopping for Josh.
Friday - laundry in prep for the beach. Tidying basement would be a good idea. Personal trainer at 5:00 p.m. Getting everything packed up and ready. Peter is staying to housesit. He doesn't want to give up working. At some point this week Rick will be back in San Francisco and won't be home until late Friday night, possibly.
Saturday off to the beach with some combination of my offspring!
I need to try to finish up Cheaper by the Dozen before vacation. I've been reading it off and on now for several weeks to Sean and Becky.
This weekend I got to visit with my sisters Lisa and Sharon for a bit Saturday morning. It was so nice to catch up with them. Today after Mass, Becky and I are going to see a local community theater perform Bye, Bye, Birdie. I've never seen that particular musical. The music director also teaches guitar and voice and we are going to meet her because we are hoping Becky can take lessons from her.
Also today, Josh needs to watch two more lectures in The American Identity, read more Frederick Douglass and mow the lawn. The weather is supposed to turn nice. Yesterday it was very rainy and cool. Today, dry, nice temperature and sunny! Sean needs to listen to one or two cds for To Kill A Mockingbird. I think he's enjoying the story.
Monday - In the a.m. I hope to clean up the front hall and living room. In the afternoon, I have my doctor's appt to check on my stitches, and at the same time Will needs to be picked up at the airport. Hannah will probably spend a good portion of the day doing homework/studying for her class on Tuesday. Josh needs to continue with his academic stuff, as does Sean. Also, the Solara needs to go to the shop.
Tuesday - personal trainer at 10:30. I'm dreading that after a week off! I also am supposed to meet with the new RE Director at Church but don't know when. I need to take Josh shopping. Haven't done that yet. Hannah has her class. Will will be back. Josh should probably finish up anything he hasn't yet. He needs to write his 5 paragraph essay. Sean continues with To Kill a Mockingbird. Becky is a free as a bird this week! I do want to tackle bathrooms that day. (Trying to get house clean before vacation).
Wednesday - Josh has 9:15 doctor's appt for his check up. Get doctor to fill out papers and then send along to Christendom. I want to really tackle the house, vacuuming, dusting and washing floors. I want everybody to pitch in. CLC in the evening.
Thursday - Clean bedrooms, perhaps more shopping for Josh.
Friday - laundry in prep for the beach. Tidying basement would be a good idea. Personal trainer at 5:00 p.m. Getting everything packed up and ready. Peter is staying to housesit. He doesn't want to give up working. At some point this week Rick will be back in San Francisco and won't be home until late Friday night, possibly.
Saturday off to the beach with some combination of my offspring!
I need to try to finish up Cheaper by the Dozen before vacation. I've been reading it off and on now for several weeks to Sean and Becky.
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