His thoughts are wandering on forbidden pleasure, to the hindrance of his work; he pulls himself up, and deliberately fixes his attention on those incentives which have most power to make him work, the leisure and pleasure which follow honest labour, the duty which binds him to the fulfilling of his task. His thoughts run […]
A Disciplined Will Read More »
We saw this very unusual looking wasp today at the Niguel Botanical Preserve. The picture is not mine, unfortunately, I didn’t have a camera with me. © Copyright John Ascher, 2006-2010 It was one of those “What on earth is that!?!” sightings. Its thread-like waist was just so unusual, I stopped to get a closer
Isodontia Philadelphica – Grass Carrying Wasp Read More »
This was my first year attending the Childlight Conference. It was an amazing experience and there is much to tell, but for this post, I must tell you some of what Carroll Smith said on Thursday morning in discussing A Framework for a Mason Curriculum. I am hoping they will make the mp3 available immediately
Hello again. I know it has been months since my last post here. I have found posting on my own blogs, as well as maintaining my role as wife, mother, teacher and household manager has kept me up pretty late every night. Most of the time, I just couldn’t seem to manage one more post.
A Different Kind of Graduation Read More »
This is Sobering… A coarsened cultural environment has eliminated the heroic ideals that once inspired young men. Boys, and young men in particular, respond very well to noble purpose but haven’t had much to go on in the past fifty years of our bedraggled history. So many of the young men I see in my
Kristine loaned me a book the other day called Gospel Powered Parenting by William P. Farley. With so many parenting books out there, I’m not one to get overly excited about the latest greatest, but with a title like that and a recommendation from a very well read friend like Kristine, I knew I had
Protecting vs. Attracting Read More »
Nature teaches so gently, so gradually, so persistently, that he is never overdone, but goes on gathering little stores of knowledge about whatever comes before him. ~Charlotte Mason We are blessed to have a Charlotte Mason group here in Southern California. From what I understand, we are a rare breed. I often find myself feeling
This fresco, The Descent of the Holy Spirit, located in the Spanish Chapel attached to the Church of St. Maria Novella, in Florence was loved greatly by Charlotte Mason. It represented to her a great truth, that “God the Holy Spirit is Himself, personally, the Imparter of knowledge, the Instructor of youth, the Inspirer of
The Descent of the Holy Spirit Read More »
Have you ever imagined a world without sticks? The thought had never even crossed my mind, nor my children’s… until today. As our group was leaving one of our favorite nature trails, a worker came out to tell the kids not to take the sticks they were carrying. I believe her exact words were: “If
Have you ever worried about the phantom “holes” in your child’s education? You know, the important lessons, connections and facts that we might miss by not using the nationally sanctioned public school curriculum? I especially worried about these “holes” when I realized my six year old didn’t know the days of the week in the