My 5 yo and I have been so enjoying the illustrations of Michael Hague. He is an intriguing artist as his drawings are so charming yet have an element of mystery and creepy deliciousness to them. We are slowly collecting books illustrated by him. Does your family have a favorite illustrator? We have SO many, but Iβm diving deep into a few this year with my younger two children. Itβs such a delight! β₯οΈHappy October, Friends!
The Marble Faun is American, but the right time period. It was a recommendation from Jennifer Brooks, a favorite Booktuber that unexpectedly passed away this year. π Iβm reading a Christina Rossetti poem each day and buddy reading on Voxer Sylviaβs Lovers by Elizabeth Gaskell. I found a Librivox audio version which has different readers for each chapter (not my favorite), but there is difficult colloquial language that the readers are better at than me. Deerbrook is being put on hold so I can buddy read it with an online friend later this year. I have so many Trollope books to choose from, but Iβd love to pick up Barchester Towers sooner than later. This is the group read and I have it on my kindleβ¦I didnβt love-love Lady Audleyβs Secret, but I liked it enough to give another Braddon a try.Nicholas Nickleby by Mr. Dickens I started in September and Iβm listening while following along. Itβs hilarious in the midst of Dickensian misery. π Iβm really enjoying it! Creepy tales from Mrs. Gaskell that Iβve wanted to try! I have these in my Kindle.Chantry House by Charlotte Mary Yonge I started in September and Iβm really enjoying it. I read Dynevor Terrace by Yonge this summer and didnβt love some of the characters portrayal, BUT overall, liked it. A Victorian play is one of the prompts for Victober and I found an audio version of βMrs. Warrenβs Professionβ and his famous βPygmalionβ. Iβm going to give them a try!I just recently heard of The Cloister and the Hearth by Charles Reade. Iβve never heard of this Victorian author.The Coral Island sounds like a fun adventure story. My sonβs Sherlock mug! βοΈ β₯οΈ
Just a βfewβ of the Victorian items Iβm trying or considering readingβ¦itβs part of Victober fun to way overestimate how much one can get to during October! πππ Iβm planning on continuing during November and December, too! The βBERβ months are perfect for classics. ππ€π¦ββ¬ I have piles of lighter, easier reads for inbetween the dense reads. Here are a few more Victorian things Iβm consideringβ¦
βPygmalionβ by George Bernard Shaw
Woman in White by Wilkie Collins audiobook
Orley Farm by Anthony Trollope
My Lady Ludlow by Elizabeth Gaskell
A Dark Nightβs Work by Elizabeth Gaskell
Children of the New Forest by Frederick Merryat
Treasure Island by RLS (reread, possibly listen with my children?)
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne (my children and I are listening to this currently)
Victorian Fairy Tales edited by Michael Newton ( I read a few of these last year! I may read βThe King of the Golden Riverβ and βThe Golden Keyβ with my children.
One of the prompts is a Sherlock Holmes story, but Iβm just planning on watching a Jeremy Brett episode with my 17 yo son. Brett is a fantastic Sherlock!
Is there anything more cozy then journaling and journals? πβ₯οΈ Itβs no secret that Iβm a journal fanatic! We are trying something different this year in our home learning of combining our multiple journals into one. Iβve had the opportunity to journal alongside my children and it has been such an enriching experience. I donβt often share my childrenβs work, as thatβs their own, but donβt mind sharing what Iβve been recording myself. π So much richness! πIβm learning every day right along with my children. I have music lyrics, quotes, drawings, etc in here already! I treasure it. Do you journal?
What you learning or diving deep into? Isnβt life grand? πβ₯οΈππΏππ»
Listeningβ¦Great Pumpkin and Harry Potter Ambient Music. Iβm also enjoying Nicholas Nickleby audiobook while I follow along in the book.
Readingβ¦Iβve begun a lot of my Victorian TBR, Dickens, Gaskell, and Yonge. but Iβve been enjoying light, cozy stories inbetween. Kikiβs Delivery Service, Thimble Summer, and The Language of Spells.
Watchingβ¦Iβm back to watching YouTube/or going on Instagram only on Saturdays. It really helps my focus and sanity during the week. A new favorite YouTuber that I canβt wait to watch more of is CleoPatrick.
Noticingβ¦the main thing Iβve noticed lately is that our Barn Swallows are gone. π₯²β₯οΈ Weβve been seeing a few butterflies still and our temperatures are fluctuating a lot. My son saw a βVβ of geese on Sunday. Weβve been trying to get outdoors more because we know the cold, snowy is coming.
How about you? What have you been reading, listening to, watching, or noticing? πβ₯οΈ
Iβm hoping this week to hunker down into a bit of coziness. Nothing like the end of September, early October, easing into gratitude November, to foster a sense of richness and comfort. These are truly some of my favorite months. My family and I had a wonderful time with our annual apple π orchard visit, as well as our first bonfire π₯ πͺ΅πβπ«ππ. Sigh. π So much to be grateful for! So curl up with a hot cup of tea π« or coffee βοΈ and come chat with me.
We were looking π for the Great Pumpkin π together! ππππΏοΈπβ₯οΈPumpkins are SO delightful, comfy, and cheerful to me! πππChili with cheese π§ β₯οΈπ¦πΎπͺΆLet Victober reading commence! Victorian literature + October = Victober. Lots of info about this event on Booktube or Instagram. I just informally follow prompts etc. π€π€π€π€π€π€
βI am a child of the Earth and heavens. I find myself at once skipping like a schoolgirl full of wonder, and hushed in awe, something like the monks whose vespers follow the unfolding of the holy hours, and the turning of the globe, away from, then toward the sun.
I am humbled by this call to take in the autumnal majesty. To sit beneath the wind-blown boughs, to listen to the acorns plonking on the roof above my head.β
~ Barbara Mahany, from Slowing Time, p.152
I hope youβll join me in your homes, journals, or own online places enjoying the seasonβs gifts! π€ππΏοΈπβπ«ππ€
Sunlight through Pampus Grass β¨My moccasin shoes and crunchy acorns ππLate summer sunrises π Photography, seeking the light β¨β₯οΈNew copies of old favorites πΏGorgeous new stamps!!! I have a few penpals to catch up on! πβ¨β₯οΈππ¬ποΈπHealthy, easy meals πβ₯οΈAlways the stacks patiently waiting πβ₯οΈπJust the lovely, jolly, friendly pumpkins π, so many seasonal βfriendsβ appearing Unexpected delightful moments alone – HP #1 book and movie are my favorite of the whole lot. πͺπ§ββοΈHomeschooling π₯°πβ₯οΈ aka lakeschooling – Iβm so grateful for spending time with my kids Oak leaves, the smell, shape, colors, crunchinessβ¦β₯οΈ
I could go on! Godβs gifts are never-ending. How about you? Anything bringing you joy recently?
βThe Spirit of the LORD spoke through me, his word was on my tongue.β
King David, from 2 Samuel 23:2
Hello, Friends! β₯οΈβοΈπ»I realize Iβve been a bit scarce as we dive into our new home educating year, I hope to get back to my 180 Day Project soon. Hereβs a few shots from our weekβ¦
How was your week? Ours was good, albeit looong! πβ₯οΈβοΈπ»πΏ
Beware of any hesitation to abandon to God. It is the meanest characteristics of our personality that are at work whenever we hesitate, there is some element of self-interest that wonβt submit to God.
βNo one ever cared for me like Jesus His faithful hand has held me all this way And when Iβm old and grey And all my days Are numbered on the earth Let it be known in You alone My joy was foundβ
We had a great start to our homeschool year this week. I changed our multiple journals that weβve used in the past to one (plus a group one) for each of us and that is going very well! We so far are enjoying our booksβ¦the clear favorites of the week are our continuing a summer read of Jane of Lantern Hill by LM Montgomery, By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Around the World in 80 Days audiobook by Jules Verne. I attached some things to meal/tea time and itβs working well. I so enjoy reading public library picks with my youngers in spare moments. Iβve worked out a rhythm for working through individual work my youngest to oldest and itβs working wonderfully. We still have some wrinkles to iron out as my 12th grader πβ₯οΈ is working two days a week this year and we havenβt hit the co ops we are in yet. They start next week! Overall, Iβm pleased with the forward motion. How was your week? Bless you as you put your hand to YOUR plow! β₯οΈβ¨π»ππ₯°βοΈππ€