“No one ever cared for me like Jesus His faithful hand has held me all this way And when I’m old and grey And all my days Are numbered on the earth Let it be known in You alone My joy was found”
We had a great start to our homeschool year this week. I changed our multiple journals that we’ve 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 books…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 it’s working well. I so enjoy reading public library picks with my youngers in spare moments. I’ve worked out a rhythm for working through individual work my youngest to oldest and it’s working wonderfully. We still have some wrinkles to iron out as my 12th grader 😭♥️ is working two days a week this year and we haven’t hit the co ops we are in yet. They start next week! Overall, I’m pleased with the forward motion. How was your week? Bless you as you put your hand to YOUR plow! ♥️✨🌻📚🥰☕️💌🖤
I saw 👀 that Abigail Carroll has new poetry book out (Cup My Days Like Water) I can’t wait to read it. Saving up my book 💴 for it!
I’ve been absolutely loving pink and purple pens lately! I have LePen and Tombow and have been making monochromatic and a mixture of the two colors spreads in my prayer journal/ planner-memory journal. I love these colors SO much, what colors represent your life currently? 🩷💜🩷💜
Speaking of color, I’m wondering if I ‘need’ an autumn cardigan in Kristin’s dress color? 🧡😂👀 I love looking at my imaginary closet on Pinterest. 🤩🤩🤩
I can’t tell you how much my Daily Pocket Moleskine had meant to me this year! Just a teeny place to record my to dos for the day, do a little creativity, and store lots of memories! I’m really stretching the binding, but I’m soooo happy with its bursting self! I don’t love Monday start calendars, so that’s the only downside. I’m planning on getting the red one for 2025!
This cartoon has been keeping me sane lately! 🥰♥️😭💔🌿 We are just passing through, friends, and it’s a painful and glorious journey, but precious Jesus is with us every step of the way. ~
What do I make of all this texture? What does it mean about the kind of world in which I have been set down? The texture of the world, it’s filigree and scrollwork, means that there is the possibility for beauty here, a beauty inexhaustible in its complexity, which opens to my knock, which answers in me a call I do not remember calling, and which trains me to the wild and extravagant nature of the spirit I seek.
Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, p. 140-141
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! 😍♥️🏡🌿🍄📝📚
Today so far I’ve: read my Bible/journaled while sipping black coffee from my lovely 🥰 pastel thrifted woodland creature mug, read some things I’m studying (more about my DIY Women’s Well Refresh later, hopefully), sent a reminder email for our local mom’s homeschool group, listened to Studio Ghibli soundtracks, took a short walk among the cool morning sunshine while listening to Magyk by Angie Sage audiobook (I’m loving it). I took a shower and dug out a comfy sweatshirt because it’s chilly today, I made myself a breakfast of plain yogurt, banana, cashew butter, cinnamon, and oats! I supervised children doing their maths and found sweatshirts for little kids planting the garden with their 15yo sister. I talked about dyeing things with dye made from dandelions and tried to figure out what to cook for meals today since the stove is getting a little TLC. I sent three older ‘kids’ off to various jobs, one having to borrow my van, because a car battery needed jumping. I talked about drawing books, schedules, and What is Poetry? by Michael Rosen with various family members. My 15 yo and I talked about how we can secretly make my hubby’s favorite mint bars for his upcoming birthday. I helped same child find wrapping paper for her gift. I’ve been praying and finalizing the book discussion, Scriptures, and end of year stuff to share with my mom friends tonight at the last meeting, I ended up dumping potatoes in the Instapot for a baked potato bar lunch. I’ve been listening with (thankfully) an amused heart to a recorder being played upstairs. I’ve been putting books on hold to read aloud and for planning our new home learning year. I’ve been digging into this blog for all her WONDERFUL inspiration and resources. I’ve been listening to this and something is stewing in my heart to share in my next article for Sisters of the Wooden Spoon. I’ve been reevaluating my health and my media usage, setting up accountability for both…
And it’s noon, now. 😁♥️ Time to return to this wonderful life I’ve been gifted, lunch, and the Winnie-the-Pooh audiobook, Pictures of HollisWoods, On the Banks of Plum Creek, and narrations. I think I’ll cook some sausage on my pancake griddle 🤣 and put taco soup in the crockpot for dinner.
I share this because I’m just SO grateful for life and I love reading about other women’s days. 😄♥️ Bless your Tuesday. I’d love if you’d share below your day! 😍🌿
A.M. Pine - Hearth Ridge Reflections 