โ€ฆgratitudes for todayโ€ฆ{Day 14}

Barn swallows are still here ๐Ÿฅนโ™ฅ๏ธ
Healthy meals โ™ฅ๏ธ๐ŸŒฟ
Summer read alouds winding down- so many lovely books! โ™ฅ๏ธ๐Ÿฅนโœจ
Penpal catching up ๐Ÿ“๐Ÿ–Š๏ธ๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿ“ญ๐Ÿ’Œ๐Ÿ“จ
New homeschooling goodiesโ€ฆa fresh Calendar of Firsts! Keeping track of things we see in nature each day together. ๐Ÿ•ธ๏ธ๐Ÿ•ท๏ธ๐Ÿฆ‰๐ŸŒฒ
Making my own sugar free iced coffee. Froze leftover coffee for my ice cubes so it isnโ€™t watery! โ˜•๏ธ๐ŸงŠ
Trying new planner this year. Iโ€™ve used a Walmart one for 13? years so this may be too much โ€˜fire powerโ€™ ๐Ÿ˜…, but needed to shake everything up! Notice Jimin ๐Ÿ˜œon cover to inspire me to keep going! ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿ’œ
Sneak peek ๐Ÿ‘€ of a few of my favorite summer reads! Many of these are rereads and actually I listened to a lot of these on audiobook this summer, but Iโ€™m ok with them being all-time-and-forever favorites! ๐Ÿ“šโ™ฅ๏ธ
Chicory ๐Ÿฅน๐ŸŒฟmy late summer friend

How about you? What are some blessings shining out? โœจโœจโœจ

Monday Ponderings {Day 13}

Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie for the family ๐Ÿงก๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’š

Nothing is trivial that concerns a child; his foolish-seeming words and ways are pregnant with meaning for the wise. It is in the infinitely little we must study the infinitely great; and the vast possibilities, and the right direction of education, are indicated in the open book of the little childโ€™s thoughts.

Charlotte Mason, Home Education, p. 5

One week here before we start back to formal {home} school! Praying ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป and trusting. ๐Ÿงก๐Ÿ’›๐Ÿ’š

Saturday Examen {Day 12}

Lord you have my heart
And I will search for yours
Jesus take my life and lead me on.

Lord you have my heart
And I will search for yours
Let me be to you a sacrifice.

~ from โ€œLord, You Have My Heartโ€ by Martin Smith

Listen here!

โ™ฅ๏ธโœจ~

On Home Life and Education ๐ŸŒฟ {Day 11}

One of the best things about narration is that it allows children to tell you what they know, rather than being a means of discovering what they do not. Children will make use of their knowledge according to their own needs, interests, and personalities. What each does with the knowledge thus digested will be unique.

~ Karen Glass, Know & Tell, p. 185

Glads at the public library! ๐Ÿ˜

We do need more of God, much more. Little sips between long droughts will not sustain us. We need more of God in our bodies, our souls, our relationships, our work, everywhere in our lives. But when you live in a culture of the incessant upgrade of everything, the sensational, it gives the impression that if youโ€™re going to have a deeper, richer, amazing experience of God, itโ€™s going to have to come in some sensational way.

I have some wonderful news for you: Nope. Not even close.

Life is built on the dailies.

Consider love, friendship, and marriage. Love, friendship, and marriage are not built on skydiving together, trips to Paris, kayaking the Amazon. Theyโ€™re not. Perhaps once in your life you might do something like that, but the fantastic is not your daily. Love, friendship, and marriage are nurtured in the context of simple things like coffee together, hanging out, getting a burrito, holding hands, taking a walk, doing the dishes, reading to one another, or just reading different things while youโ€™re together in the same room. Itโ€™s the little things that build a beautiful life.

John Eldredge, Get Your Life Back, p. 59

Fun recent library bookโ€ฆ

In order to bring this lifestyle of learning into your home, you must look for beauty and new ideas, listen to your childrenโ€™s interests and desires, create memories, look for new habits to develop, and give yourself and your children the grace of time to savor your time at home. Become involved with your children. Look at their hearts. Let them look at yours. Give them your attention. Edith Stein encourages, โ€œThe children in school do not need merely what we have but rather what we are.โ€ ( Essays on Woman, 6)

~ Elizabeth Foss, Real Learning Revisited, p.35

Saturday Examen {Day 5}

The smell coming out of our public library was intoxicating! ๐Ÿ˜โ™ฅ๏ธ

I really enjoy this app and that they make Saturday a time of spiritual reflection over the past week. โ™ฅ๏ธ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป I highly recommend listening (you can listen on their website, too!)

I jotted down their questions this week and found it so refreshing and challenging to honestly pray through them. Itโ€™s sobering to deeply examine oneself in the light of our Lord!

Does the LORD take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD?

Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.

from 1 Samuel 15:22-23 CSB

How was your week? ๐ŸŒฒโ™ฅ๏ธ๐ŸŒฒ

what has inspired me recently ๐ŸŒฟ๐ŸŒป๐ŸŒž {Day 4}

Planning for autumn, deck flowers, and black coffee in my Betsy, Tacy, & Tib mugโ€ฆ
Pulling out my owl vase , a few black-eyed beauties from my weedy flower bedโ€ฆ
Good bye, summer mugsโ€ฆhave a good rest in the cupboardโ€ฆlove all the green ๐ŸŒฟ๐ŸŒฑ๐Ÿชด๐ŸŒฒ๐ŸŒณ
Welcome, Autumn mugsโ€ฆyou feel new & fresh ๐Ÿ๐Ÿ‚๐Ÿ„๐Ÿ„โ€๐ŸŸซ
Butterflies and moths everywhereโ€ฆ๐Ÿฆ‹๐Ÿฆ‹๐Ÿฆ‹
Mysterious and swoony ๐Ÿ’—pathsโ€ฆwhere does it lead?
Restored steam tractors and my hubbyโ€™s sheer delight in this 150 Caseโ€ฆspark show was lovely! I really loved the quiet tinkling noise this tractor makes. Itโ€™s so peaceful compared to the truck pulls! ๐Ÿ˜… Interesting and inspiring story about the restoration/reproduction of this road locomotive.
Peaches and new library readsโ€ฆ ๐Ÿ’•
Sky & cloudsโ€ฆsuch gifts ๐Ÿฉต๐Ÿค๐Ÿฉต๐Ÿค๐Ÿฉต
This photo. What a brave dad! ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿฅนโ™ฅ๏ธ

How about you? What has been inspiring you? โ™ฅ๏ธ๐Ÿฆ‹

โ€ขsweetnessโ€ข {Day 2}

Lord, you do not withhold your compassion from me. Your constant love and truth will always guard me.

~Ps. 40:11

The Lord will send his faithful love by day; his song will be with me in the night – a prayer to the God of my life.

~Ps. 42:8

What secrets fly out of the earth

when I push the shovel-edge,

when I heave the dirt open?

And if there are no secrets

what is that smell that sweetness rising?

~ Mary Oliver

Monday Ponderings {Day 1}

The times are so unfriendly. Play me something, would you, Rainy?

Leif Enger, I Cheerfully Refuse

{starting my 180 Days Project! More about it as the days come and go! How are you all? Blessings over your week. Donโ€™t forget to โ€˜play a little musicโ€™ against these unfriendly times! ๐Ÿ˜Œโ™ฅ๏ธ}

โ€ขplansโ€ข

One of the greatest things in human life is the ability to make plans. Even if they never come true – the joy of anticipation is irrevocably yours. That way one can live many more than just one life.

Maria Trapp

I found this in an old journal from 2016 surrounded by lots of those very same types of bygone plans. It made me smile. ๐ŸŒฟโ™ฅ๏ธ

Wednesday Wonders ๐ŸŒฟ๐Ÿ’œ๐ŸŒฟ

Listeningโ€ฆ Iโ€™m rereading (listening) to Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury in anticipation of facilitating discussions in our co op High School Literature class. Iโ€™m excited to see what the kids think of this one! ๐Ÿ˜„โ™ฅ๏ธ๐ŸŒฟ

Readingโ€ฆsome Voxer friends and I are beginning the third book in Kristin Lavransdatter tale, an epic Norwegian fictional story following one womanโ€™s life during medieval times. Fascinating, beautifully written, but a torturous story in some respects. It will definitely be a favorite of the year for all the religious and moral questions it raises, the immersive setting, and gorgeous nature passages. The story itself is heartbreaking. ๐Ÿ’” Iโ€™m so enjoying reading it with a few other ladies and discussing. Iโ€™m also continuing on with my Pilgrim at Tinker Creek reread.

Watchingโ€ฆ Iโ€™m on a bit of a YouTube detox, but I hope to watch some Booktube soon. Iโ€™m especially looking forward to this one! Jenna dives deep into what she reads. FYI: havenโ€™t watched yet so canโ€™t vouch for content! ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‰

Noticingโ€ฆ the way that light glints off things. Little pockets of beauty everywhere.

What are you listening to, reading, watching, or noticing? ๐ŸŒฟโ™ฅ๏ธ๐ŸŒฟ๐Ÿ’œ๐ŸŒฟโ™ฅ๏ธ๐ŸŒฟ