Novelist Katherine Anne Porter wrote, “Human life itself may be almost pure chaos, but the work of the artist-the only thing he’s good for- is to take these handfuls of confusion and disparate things, things that seem to be irreconcilable, and put them together in a frame to give them some kind of shape and meaning.”
I was so inspired Chantel’s DIY Literature Degree that I’ve been thinking about how to incorporate something similar. I’ve been feeling the pull (again) to be purposeful about certain areas of my life. I need some home education, spiritual, and life inspiration! I put together a stack of books to pull from, resources, and habits to especially focus on this summer. I’m sure this will extend far beyond 3 months 😉, but I love sharing in case it encourages/inspires someone else and as a bit of accountability for me. Firstly, here are some of the books. I am going to be dipping into these, and/or finishing, or rereading. My Bible and Fire Bible notes are a biggie as well plus various devotionals I dip into!
~ Formation of Character by Mason (life/ home learning)
~ Learning All the Time by Holt (home learning)
~ Get Your Life Back by John Eldredge ✔️
~ Women by Edith Stein ( spiritual/creativity/life)
~ The Cloud of Witness by various (ongoing)
~Slowing Time and Motherprayer by Mahany (spiritual/life)
~ poetry from different poets (spiritual/life)
~Know and Tell by Glass (home learning) ✔️
~ Real Learning Revisited by Foss (life/home learning) ✔️
~Pilgrim at Tinker Creekby Dillard (nature/life) ✔️
~Jane & Dorothy by Marean Veevers
Some of these are on my Summer ABC list too, which works well!
Our last co op Picture Study artist! Fascinating!
The next area is my health. I’ve been floundering a bit in the program I was in and have gained a lot of weight back. I prayed about it and talked with a few close people and made some modifications. I’ve started back in and am feeling hopeful. I am prioritizing getting outside/walks, drinking water, trying to sleep, journaling, healthy food, and a biggie is limiting social media. I also have to have margin around our busy summer schedule. The key to these things is just a little bit everyday. I know it sounds like a lot, but I’m keeping it VERY simple to set myself up for success. 🙏🏻❤️🔥
Multiplication with Beans
Lastly, I really want to focus on real life relationships. I have a lot of people here at home and around me that I want to pray for and keep in touch with. Soooo, I’m focusing on s-l-o-w media…like penpals, this blog (it takes me a lot of work to post as I’m working from my phone), and an occasional reading wrap up on Booktube (super slow because it’s a lot of work to film and edit)! This means I won’t be around Instagram this summer, and limiting how much Booktube I watch! I have plans to connect with church and local homeschool moms this summer and I’m excited and a good nervous. 😅 I’ve been seeing that I need to break some covid-era dependency on online friends. Not that I’ll forget them entirely, my Victorian Reading friends through Kate Howe’s Patreon are dear to me! 😍 I’m really focusing on reading aloud to my younger kids and dates with my hubby, too.
Recent library picture books that we loved! 🥰
How ‘bout you? How is your summer shaping up? If you could create a DIY degree for yourself, what would it be? I’d love to hear! Chat below! 😍♥️🏡🌿🍄📝📚
I’ve been thinking, praying, and starting to research/plan for our next formal home-learning year. It’s so fun to pull off treasures from the past…ahem, books my older kids loved and share them with my youngers. We had so much fun listening to this old Jim Weiss retelling of a few of the fables plus there’s a few other stories for another day. ♥️
Winter is just about here, friends! ❄️♥️One of my delights this year has been dipping into a fair amount of poetry. Here are some highlights for you to consider adding to your stack for next year…cozy up, grab a hot drink , and read on ☕️. Enjoy!
Mary Oliver’sDevotions ~ I received this as a Christmas gift a few years ago and have been sipping from it here and there. Oliver has such an eye for life-giving details in nature and she asks us questions that go just a bit deeper. I love that about her. As a modern poet, she is definitely a bit more approachable and easier to ease into than some of your classic poets. Not every one of her poems hits for me, but sometimes one line or a word will meet me right where I’m at in that moment. I’m often surprised by her.
Emily Bronte ~ I was extremely surprised how much I loved this dark and brooding poetry. Just like the all the Bronte sister’s fiction, this was sooo atmospheric and because she talks of death frequently, it actually made me contemplate how I’m living life. I found the Everyman’s Library Pocket Poets collection to be a wonderful selection of her poetry and I love the small size of these editions.
William Wordsworth ( and don’t forget Dorothy) ~ I love the poems and writings of this brother and sister duo. William’s beautiful poetry centered in life around The Lake District, Cumbria, England really feeds my soul and my faith. He really grasps the touch of God in nature and it is such a testimony to me. I love his poetic storytelling, too. Dorothy’s journals are so simple, domestic, yet so compelling. They both have that artistic eye. ♥️ I loved sharing Wordsworth with our Charlotte Mason co op homeschool group last term.
Gerald Manly Hopkins ~ Wow. Mr. Hopkin’s use of language and metaphor is so gorgeously layered and rich. I will confess I struggle a bit with his writing richness, but if I have a little patience and read just to enjoy each word, I walk away blessed. His wrestling with faith and art is so relatable and real. He’s one of the hardest poets for me to read, but also one of my favorites.
Robert MacFarlane The Lost Spells ~ I would be remiss to not mention this gorgeously illustrated (Jackie Morris) collection of modern nature poetry. MacFarlane is a lover of Hopkin’s wordsmithing and the homeschool co op and I loved looking at both poets together earlier this year. MacFarlane’s wordsmithing, storytelling, and putting himself into the everyday life of animals and plants is just lovely. He is another poet whose work is perfect for those new to poetry!
Kim Piña ~ this is an online friend that I was blessed to “meet” YEARS ago, through blogging. 💗😍♥️ I love Kim’s word play, almost like a songwriter/compelling poem-rap style, and I love how she asks deeper questions tangled with the daily mundanity of life. Her Instagram account is lovely, too!
Robert Frost, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Sara Teasdale ~ I’m extremely new to these three poets and can’t wait to really sink into their work more in the new year. I was familiar with a few famous poems, but I recently got Mirror of the Heart, a Teasdale collection, Rilke’s Everyman’s Library Pocket Poet collection, and The Poetry of Robert Frost, edited by Edward Connery Latham, and am so excited for new words to drink up.
I also asked for two new poetry collections for Christmas and can’t wait to dive into these more!
I’m nervous about this one, because I saw it on Instagram, but what I’ve read of his poetry, I found compelling and came away with ideas to consider. I’m mostly excited about this collection as I love Kortney’s work and have always been so inspired by her! ♥️
Lastly, I have two poetry nonfiction books that I’d love to get too, just to keep growing and learning about this life-giving art.
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke and What is Poetry? by Michael Rosen ♥️
How about you? Do you read poetry? Who are your favorites? ♥️❄️♥️Happiest Winter Beginnings and Christmas 🎄 to you all, friends!
