It's been a strange week in Lake Woebegon. No, wait-- it's been a strange week in blog-world.
First, my whole blog disappears, leaving just a few lines of code. Where did it go? Should I suspect the furry, four-legged creature who dozes on my keyboard of accidentally deleting it? Or just the cyber-gremlins...
Anyway, I finally got it back by changing templates. Don't ask me what that had to do with anything, but it worked! I've lost all my custom links and feeds, but I'll put those back eventually. And somehow, my last post got put up 3 times and two of them refuse to be deleted.
Who knows? At least the blog is back!
Friday, July 28, 2006
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Summer Reading
Summer is supposed to be a relaxed time of the year. I always picture myself in a hammock in the shade, with a good book and a glass of fresh lemonade.
I live in the mid-Atlantic, though, so you can scratch the fresh lemonade (haven't seen a decent lemon in years), and the hammock would have to be shared with every mosquito in the neighborhood that felt up to wading through the humidity to get there. But there are always books.
So while I haven't had time for a lot of reading this summer I'm enjoying a few books. I always have several going at once- one for mornings, one for evenings, one for snatched afternoon moments, one for... well, you get the idea. So here's what I'm reading this summer:
-CS Lewis- The Weight of Glory
-Dante- Divine Comedy: Inferno
-Nicholas Kilmer- A House in Normandy
-Boswell- Life of Johnson
-Augustine- Confessions
-Suze Orman- 9 Steps to Financial Freedom
-Edgar Lee Masters- Spoon River Anthology
-Alexandra Stoddard- Creating a Beautiful Home
Each is enjoyable when read at the right time of day. Spoon River Anthology is one of those juicy books- you taste it a bit at a time, then keep going back for more. Anything by CS Lewis also qualifies as a juicy book (a term coined by one of my boys in reference to Johnny Tremaine and Mere Christianity).
When I hear people say they have no time to read, I'm reminded of Henry David Thoreau, who said, "Read not the Times, but read the eternities." While I do read the newspaper each day, and listen to NPR when I'm in the car, I don't spend a lot of time with current events. I'd rather be learning from the greatest minds of the ages!
So, what are you reading?
Zeitgeist Literature: Self-Directed, College-Prep, Literature-Based English for Homeschoolers - coming soon!
I live in the mid-Atlantic, though, so you can scratch the fresh lemonade (haven't seen a decent lemon in years), and the hammock would have to be shared with every mosquito in the neighborhood that felt up to wading through the humidity to get there. But there are always books.
So while I haven't had time for a lot of reading this summer I'm enjoying a few books. I always have several going at once- one for mornings, one for evenings, one for snatched afternoon moments, one for... well, you get the idea. So here's what I'm reading this summer:
-CS Lewis- The Weight of Glory
-Dante- Divine Comedy: Inferno
-Nicholas Kilmer- A House in Normandy
-Boswell- Life of Johnson
-Augustine- Confessions
-Suze Orman- 9 Steps to Financial Freedom
-Edgar Lee Masters- Spoon River Anthology
-Alexandra Stoddard- Creating a Beautiful Home
Each is enjoyable when read at the right time of day. Spoon River Anthology is one of those juicy books- you taste it a bit at a time, then keep going back for more. Anything by CS Lewis also qualifies as a juicy book (a term coined by one of my boys in reference to Johnny Tremaine and Mere Christianity).
When I hear people say they have no time to read, I'm reminded of Henry David Thoreau, who said, "Read not the Times, but read the eternities." While I do read the newspaper each day, and listen to NPR when I'm in the car, I don't spend a lot of time with current events. I'd rather be learning from the greatest minds of the ages!
So, what are you reading?
Zeitgeist Literature: Self-Directed, College-Prep, Literature-Based English for Homeschoolers - coming soon!
Thursday, July 06, 2006
SAT Essay Workshop Next Week!
There is still time to get ready for fall SAT essays! Come to a Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshop where you'll learn:
# A simple three-step process for writing essays on any subject.
# A quick formula for making the best use of limited time.
# How to find your thesis within the essay question.
# How to use your personal frame of reference to develop a thesis for almost any essay question.
# How to organize thoughts and information for maximum impact.
# How to quickly evaluate and improve your essay.
# Techniques that will work for all the essays you need to write!
Registrations will be accepted at the door for the Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshop at the Dulles Expo Center in Northern Virginia on July 13! You can read more about it on the The Beat-the-Clock page of my website. If you can't make it next Thursday, sign up for my e-newsletter, and you'll be able to plan for the next workshop when it happens.
The Northern Virginia Conference will offer several unusual exhibitors and events, including the Lukeion Project (offering live, online classes in Greece and Rome), the National Gallery of Art and many other Northern-Virginia-specific resources including co-ops, music, and sports instructors, plus a special 'Learn to Draw' workshop for students and parents by Barry Stebbing. In addition to the Beat-the-Clock workshop on Thursday, I will be speaking on "Evaluating Student Writing" on Friday, and on "Paying for College" on Saturday. Look for me in Booth 220!
# A simple three-step process for writing essays on any subject.
# A quick formula for making the best use of limited time.
# How to find your thesis within the essay question.
# How to use your personal frame of reference to develop a thesis for almost any essay question.
# How to organize thoughts and information for maximum impact.
# How to quickly evaluate and improve your essay.
# Techniques that will work for all the essays you need to write!
Registrations will be accepted at the door for the Beat-the-Clock Essay Workshop at the Dulles Expo Center in Northern Virginia on July 13! You can read more about it on the The Beat-the-Clock page of my website. If you can't make it next Thursday, sign up for my e-newsletter, and you'll be able to plan for the next workshop when it happens.
The Northern Virginia Conference will offer several unusual exhibitors and events, including the Lukeion Project (offering live, online classes in Greece and Rome), the National Gallery of Art and many other Northern-Virginia-specific resources including co-ops, music, and sports instructors, plus a special 'Learn to Draw' workshop for students and parents by Barry Stebbing. In addition to the Beat-the-Clock workshop on Thursday, I will be speaking on "Evaluating Student Writing" on Friday, and on "Paying for College" on Saturday. Look for me in Booth 220!
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Death of a Culture
I've been reading an excellent, thought-provoking book by H.R. Rookmaaker called Modern Art and the Death of a Culture. It ties in nicely with the reality/mirage issues I've been thinking about.
Because art, like literature, reflects the culture in which it is created, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of both product and culture. Rookmaaker, a scholar, jazz critic, and friend of Francis Shaeffer, begins with a discussion of "The Message in the Medium," then traces the history of philosophy and art through the early 1970's. He finishes by clearly outlining the role of faith in the appreciation and creation of art.
If you've ever wondered, as I have, what happened to art after the 1600's or so, Rookmaaker's book is a must-read. I'm going back and re-reading his explanation of the role of the Enlightenment and the influence of Gnosticism and mysticism in the church's response to art-- it is absolutely clear.
This was the turning point I've wondered about for years-- the point at which a generally holistic view of the Christian life was exchanged for a view that created false partitions between what is spiritual and everything else. As Rookmaaker states, "faith is not just a matter of 'religion', of the soul, with its salvation in heaven, but a salvation of the whole person, a way of life and thought affecting all aspects of human life."
This is one truth that is essential to living a life that is focused on the things that matter. Once we understand that life itself-- the everyday routine as well as creation and the arts and sciences-- is a gift from God, we are free to do the thing that is most important for life in the here and now. Mothers may focus joyously on loving their husbands and their children; students may concentrate on their studies; and it can all be to the glory and praise of God.
There is much, much more in Modern Art and the Death of a Culture-- just read it!
Here are a couple more quotes:
From under the subheading "Painting is more than art alone:" "...in the course of Western European history painting has very often been much more than just decoration or something that people enjoy looking at...And this was not only because of its subject-matter, but more often than not simply because it made visible a particular view on life and the world, expressed deeply-felt values and truths, through the way the theme and the subject matter were handled" (Rookmaaker 18).
"Men and women... long for true and real reality, true, real life, the fullness of humanity-- and the freedom that should go with it. But they have lost it, and continue not to find it so long as they stick to the basic principles of the Enlightenment, of which the first and the last is that man wants to be autonomous, and does not want to acknowledge God..." (Rookmaaker 208).
And speaking of the death of a culture, be sure to check out the interesting blog post on The Public School Experiment at Gena Suarez's Home Where They Belong blog. Interesting!
Because art, like literature, reflects the culture in which it is created, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of both product and culture. Rookmaaker, a scholar, jazz critic, and friend of Francis Shaeffer, begins with a discussion of "The Message in the Medium," then traces the history of philosophy and art through the early 1970's. He finishes by clearly outlining the role of faith in the appreciation and creation of art.
If you've ever wondered, as I have, what happened to art after the 1600's or so, Rookmaaker's book is a must-read. I'm going back and re-reading his explanation of the role of the Enlightenment and the influence of Gnosticism and mysticism in the church's response to art-- it is absolutely clear.
This was the turning point I've wondered about for years-- the point at which a generally holistic view of the Christian life was exchanged for a view that created false partitions between what is spiritual and everything else. As Rookmaaker states, "faith is not just a matter of 'religion', of the soul, with its salvation in heaven, but a salvation of the whole person, a way of life and thought affecting all aspects of human life."
This is one truth that is essential to living a life that is focused on the things that matter. Once we understand that life itself-- the everyday routine as well as creation and the arts and sciences-- is a gift from God, we are free to do the thing that is most important for life in the here and now. Mothers may focus joyously on loving their husbands and their children; students may concentrate on their studies; and it can all be to the glory and praise of God.
There is much, much more in Modern Art and the Death of a Culture-- just read it!
Here are a couple more quotes:
From under the subheading "Painting is more than art alone:" "...in the course of Western European history painting has very often been much more than just decoration or something that people enjoy looking at...And this was not only because of its subject-matter, but more often than not simply because it made visible a particular view on life and the world, expressed deeply-felt values and truths, through the way the theme and the subject matter were handled" (Rookmaaker 18).
"Men and women... long for true and real reality, true, real life, the fullness of humanity-- and the freedom that should go with it. But they have lost it, and continue not to find it so long as they stick to the basic principles of the Enlightenment, of which the first and the last is that man wants to be autonomous, and does not want to acknowledge God..." (Rookmaaker 208).
And speaking of the death of a culture, be sure to check out the interesting blog post on The Public School Experiment at Gena Suarez's Home Where They Belong blog. Interesting!
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