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

Whatโ€™s bringing me a bit of joy currentlyโ€ฆ{Day 10}

I saw ๐Ÿ‘€ that Abigail Carroll has new poetry book out (Cup My Days Like Water) I canโ€™t wait to read it. Saving up my book ๐Ÿ’ด for it!

Iโ€™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? ๐Ÿฉท๐Ÿ’œ๐Ÿฉท๐Ÿ’œ

Speaking of color, Iโ€™m wondering if I โ€˜needโ€™ an autumn cardigan in Kristinโ€™s dress color? ๐Ÿงก๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ‘€ I love looking at my imaginary closet on Pinterest. ๐Ÿคฉ๐Ÿคฉ๐Ÿคฉ

I canโ€™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! Iโ€™m really stretching the binding, but Iโ€™m soooo happy with its bursting self! I donโ€™t love Monday start calendars, so thatโ€™s the only downside. Iโ€™m planning on getting the red one for 2025!

This cartoon has been keeping me sane lately! ๐Ÿฅฐโ™ฅ๏ธ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ’”๐ŸŒฟ We are just passing through, friends, and itโ€™s a painful and glorious journey, but precious Jesus is with us every step of the way. ~

Wednesday Wonders {Day 9}

Sticker-ed my new prayer journal! ๐Ÿงก

Listeningโ€ฆ Iโ€™m interested in learning more about communist history and thereโ€™s a readathon on Booktube/Bookstagram in September called RedSeptember. I donโ€™t necessarily follow the prompts etc, but I started early listening to Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang. Fascinating and heart wrenching memoir looking at the cultural revolution in China. Iโ€™m hoping to listen to Animal Farm by George Orwell next.

Readingโ€ฆIโ€™m working hard on Charlotte Mary Yongeโ€™s, Dyvenor Terrace and The Cross by Sigrid Undset. Iโ€™d love to finish them by September! The Kristin Lavransdatter saga is so beautifully written, however the story was heavy! Iโ€™m going to be processing for awhile.

The Cross

Watchingโ€ฆI recently got The Boy and the Heron from the library and hope to watch it soon. Iโ€™m a big fan of Hayao Miyazaki. Iโ€™ve heard itโ€™s a bit dark, so want to preview it without children! ๐Ÿ˜…โ™ฅ๏ธ

Noticingโ€ฆWe saw a โ€˜Vโ€™ of Canada Geese last night! ๐Ÿ˜ญ I noticed a cluster of beautiful brown, amberish colored cones at the tippy tops of our blue spruce trees. Autumn ๐Ÿ‚ is creepy inโ€ฆ๐Ÿงก๐ŸคŽ๐Ÿ–ค

Iโ€™m reading this on kindle, but saw this original illustration online! ๐Ÿ’•

How about you? What are you listening to, reading, watching, and noticing? ๐Ÿ‚๐ŸŒฟ๐Ÿ–ค

Monday Ponderings {Day 7}

โ€œWords are one way we leave tracks in our world, Sol. Maybe one day you will write a book, like Olaus, or Molly Thorn. And people will read it, like Iโ€™ve been reading to you. And they will know that you were here, and a little about what you were like.โ€

Solโ€™s face remained far away. Her cheeks were white and hollow, but her eyes shone a bit, I was fairly sure.

Leif Enger, I Cheerfully Refuse

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‹

Wednesday Wonders {Day 3}

Listeningโ€ฆ Iโ€™ve been loving these playlists! So peaceful and calming.

Readingโ€ฆThis essay from Joy Marie Clarkson and this essay from Carol Hudson! Both have excellent food for thought.

Watchingโ€ฆ I love the peaceful atmosphere of Cathโ€™s vlogs. If you love cozy stationary, journaling, or slow reading reflections, her channel is for you. We donโ€™t perfectly line up in reading tastes, but I enjoy her videos so much.

Noticingโ€ฆthe grasshoppers fleeing the edge of the road as I crunch past on my walk. The golden edge to the weeds and fields.

What are you listening to, reading, watching, or noticing? ๐Ÿฅฐโ™ฅ๏ธ