Seven Quick Takes on Course Announcements, Reading Stuff, An Apology, and MORE!

:: 1 ::

We finished up our first week of swimming lessons, and also our first summer cold. Boo hiss. I hope we’re done. We don’t usually catch summer bugs, so it was a little disheartening to start off with one, but perhaps we have checked that off the list and we can move on now? That’s what I’m wishing for.

:: 2 ::

Did you know there is now a Lite version of The 5 Elements of Classical Homeschooling? This is a fantastic deal. For $37, you can work through all of the introduction and first module of the course — giving it the proverbial test drive. It also comes with a $100 coupon for the full course — so if you love it and want to move on {and I think you will if this is a topic you are interested in}, then you can do it for far less expense.

:: 3 ::

This week’s links collection:

• Why Free Play Is the Best Summer School from The Atlantic
  • I love summer. My children have already played endless hours of street hockey and it’s only Day 5.
• ISLAMICIZATION OF EUROPE, OR CHRISTIANIZATION OF ISLAM? from First Things
  • It would be nice if this were true. I will pray that it is.
• I’m Former NYPD: Here’s Why I Suspect There Was More Than One Shooter In Orlando from Independent Journal
  • I had been wondering about this ever since I watched a SnapChat recording that was taken during the shooting — there is something wrong with the sound — too many bullets being fired for the types of guns they are reporting. Either that, or the type of gun is being misreported. I’m sure there are other alternatives, but something doesn’t make sense to me about the narrative for this. This doesn’t change the fact that this is horrible and so sad, of course.

:: 4 ::

This month in 2012:

I was reading more Wendell Berry, and it was oh so good.

:: 5 ::

We started some new read alouds this week. This is always fun, of course. The first is called The Wonder Clock. I read it aloud when my oldest was about seven, so it seemed appropriate to come full circle and read it again now that my youngest is seven. The title refers to a clock because the preface explains a visit to Father Time’s garret, where said clock is located, and the clock’s hourly displays are some connected to each of the stories. There are twelve stories, of course — one for each hour that strikes. The first story is Bearskin. We own a Bearskin picture book, but I read it aloud again anyhow because that story never gets old.

The second is called Stories from the Old Squire’s Farm. We haven’t read a lot of it yet, but I would say that it is quickly growing on us. It’s quite a thick one — over 400 pages! The stories are true, apparently {or mostly so}, and they are the adventures of six cousins in post-Civil War era Maine, which means it’s still an enchanting time where there are no cars, no mobile devices, and lots more adventure for children.

:: 6 ::

I’m also continuing my process of cleaning the living room, which I already told you is code for reading the books in the piles on the tables in that room. Yesterday, I finished two books: Die Empty, and God at Work. The former is a self-helpy, businessy sort of book. It was good in its own way. Like most books in that genre, there were a few gems that made it worth the time, especially since it was an easy read. God at Work is a Lutheran treatment of the doctrine of vocation. I’m not Lutheran, but it was super helpful as I was thinking through some of the issues in this area — I highly recommend the book if you are thinking about vocation.

:: 7 ::

I have to apologize about AfterCast, my Facebook Live show. Or, it seems, my pretend Facebook Live show. I thank those of you who set aside time in your day to come, and I am so sorry that the technological difficulties made it impossible. In my defense, I even switched houses in case the problem was my wifi! We’re going to try again this coming week, same time, same place. I’m hoping for better results.

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