Australian Home Education

Many Christmas Carols

Oh Peaceful Day - Sat, 03/12/2011 - 08:45

I have endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.

Their faithful Friend and Servant, C.D.

December, 1843.School Library Journal posted yesterday about some of the new versions of the classic Dickens tale, A Christmas Carol. Zip off and have a read, and then come back, okay?

Remarkable Reads: 'A Christmas Carol'

Right then. Comfy?

They are remarkable reads indeed, are they not? Most of them (four of the five) leave me with a dreadfully sour Scrooge-like disapproving look on my Charlotte Mason face. We have an abridgement - "less threatening to those who tend to avoid the classics". There's a graphic novel collection of classics by well known authors including Mark Twain, O. Henry and Willa Cather as well as Dickens - "Teens won't be able to walk by the spooky cover without picking it up!" There's a version with a twist - Scrooge is a broken hearted teen, and it's set on Valentine's Day. (Wonder what they've done with Tiny Tim's "God bless us, everyone"?) The final offering is a doozy. It's called It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies: A Book of Zombies Christmas Carols. Need I say more? I won't. SLJ say that it's "A great jump-starter for a teen program during the winter break!" Apparently it's hysterical. Bah Humbug!

There is so many versions of this classic Christmas tale that it's impossible to make a list of them all. There are a dozen different movies - including this one, which I do like:



I love this 1910 silent version by Thomas Edison as well:



There are also some wonderful books. I'd like to, if I may, show you three of the versions contained (still) in our Basket of Delights. They are, all three wonderful.

I'll begin with this one:

This unabridged version is one of my favourite Carols because of the divine illustrations by P J Lynch:


The pages open well, the paper is rich and creamy, and it's well bound. The perfect read-aloud version, this one. It's out this year in an affordable paperback version as well.

The next Carol is this one that I posted about last year.



It's Chuck Fischer and Bruce Foster's magnificent pop-up version. It's also unabridged - the whole story is included in five richly illustrated booklets (A sixth provides a bio of Dickens and an interesting essay entitled "The Enduring Appeal of A Christmas Carol"). Jemimah and I poured over this one last year - and no doubt will again this season, but this is probably not the version I'd chose as a read-aloud, at least, not more than once. As an adjunct, though, Foster's paper engineering makes it incredible!

This final Carol is my favourite. You can't imagine how happy I was to discover that it had survived the flood.

It's a tiny - 7x10cm leatherette version with gold edged pages. It's old, I don't know how old, but I doubt that it was ever read.

Here are the illustrated endpapers:

Contented sigh, I just love this dear little book.

Anyhow, those are my three favourite print versions of A Christmas Carol. If I had to add a fourth it would be this one illustrated by Robert Ingpen, but I don't have a copy, and so I haven't talked about it. I like it though.

To me, all of them are better than the SLJ offerings. Ugh.

Which is your favourite version of A Christmas Carol? Do share.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Versatile Blogger Award

Seven Little Australians Plus One - Sat, 03/12/2011 - 05:58

Blossom from North Laurel Home & School has awarded me a Versatile Blogger Award.  Receiving this rather made me smile for a couple of reasons; I discovered Blossom's blog, always delighted to meet my readers:) and I realised I do write a variety of posts, sometimes I worry that I must ramble on and bore my readers with the same 'ole, same 'ole.

Rules for the Versatile Blogger are:

• Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them.
• Tell your readers 7 things about yourself.
• Give this award to 15 recently discovered bloggers.
• Contact those bloggers and let them in on the news.

1. I enjoy writing book reviews, but they take a fair amount of time to write.2. Covering books is a must for me;)3. My swimming technique is not really correct, you know the whole breathing stroke routine. 4. I love gum trees. They really appeal to me, the look, the bark,  they just say 'Australia' to me.5. I've recently found that aprons are a really handy item to use.  They protect my clothing, fancy that!6. Grain free eating is an area that really interests me, one I want to delve into more. Currently I'm reading about wheat and its effect on our bodies.7. Organisation is something I have had to learn as an adult.  I have it slightly 'more together' in my 30s compared to my 20s, on paper at least. 

I'm going to interpret 'recent' as within the last 12 months.


1. Grace in Loving Chaos
2.And the Kitchen Sink
3. Take Up and Read
4. Yellow Pencil Stub
5. Glutenfreebudgetcrunch
6. Pillars of Pine
7.Australian Catholic Families
8. A Peaceful Day
9. Every Bed of Roses
10. Little Men in My Library
11. Creating With Wisdom
12. Sue Elvis Writes
13. Phenomenal Woman
14. Untrodden Paths
15. Benmakesten

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

7 Quick Takes Friday (Vol 102)

Seven Little Australians Plus One - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 19:13

1
It turns out PC has pneumonia!  His second time around.  Fortunately though, we appear to have caught it in the early stages and he is not as bad as previously, but still, not good. Please keep him in your prayers.

2
Well we are calling it quits to our official school year here.  Next week we plan to enjoy  Advent crafts and exams.  Our children tell us they'd like to do exams, they think it might be rather fun, so I'm writing exam questions this weekend.

3
My thoughts have flickered a time or two towards next year's academics.  After reading my friend Linda's plans for next year, I've been considering how to ensure more time with my teens.  I'm contemplating working 3 days only with my younger crew, leaving 2 full days to extend my teens.  Thinking it could work.

4
Talking education, I've been over at the new Australian National Curriculum having a peek around.  Truth to tell I quite like the layout, I don't find it too full of teacherese.  I particularly like the 'Achievement Standard' points (click on Curriculum and then grade, look under subject). What I would like to find is all those points in a bullet form layout or a scope and sequence, like this one for maths. Anyone seen this info for all subjects in a simple list form?

5
It is true, in many ways older children take more emotional energy and time.  Very rewarding though.

6
Did you notice the new tab headings at the top of my page?  I have so longed to do this and thanks to a very talented friend who is clever at blog technology I finally have tabs:)

7
We have our last swimming lesson next week and are very happy with the progress made this term.  Princess loves her squad, and her teacher is most happy with her progress.  Jelly Bean can swim 25m in freestyle and backstroke, Jack Jack has grown in confidence and can easily move across the pool with a  kickboard.

Visit Conversion Diary for more 7 Quick Takes.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Start your AO library

Oh Peaceful Day - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 16:48

Amazon have a special on the wonderful Puffin Classics 16 Book Set. It's a great way to start a library of living books, I reckon! The whole kit and caboodle for A$51.65. (That's just over 50 bucks Australian. Plus postage if you live in Australia. That always hurts a bit. Okay, a lot.)

Anyhow, check it out.

This is what you get:

AO1 Just So Stories by Rudyard Kipling
AO2 The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
AO3 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
AO3 A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
AO4 Black Beauty by Anna Sewell
AO4 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
AO5 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
AO5 King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green
AO5 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
AO5 Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
AO5 Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
AO6 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
AO6 The Call of the Wild by Jack London
AO6 Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
White Fang by Jack London
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

If you live in America you just can't go wrong with that little lot. Just in time for Christmas too. Ho Ho Ho

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Home Education: Lifestyle Choice Not a Religion

Homeschool Australia - Fri, 02/12/2011 - 07:38

by Beverley Paine

Home education - homeschooling, unschooling, radical unschooling, natural learning - is a lifestyle and educational choice not a religion extolling us all to simply believe or have faith or trust that all will be well if we follow the 'right' path as announced by enthusiastic individuals excited by their own experiences.

As a lifestyle, like any other, as parents we are required to actively think and reflect on our actions and decisions and respond accordingly to meet our changing needs and those of our situation, circumstance and environment.

Uncritically following a rigid 'this is the path, do not deviate or else' approach preached by popular or self-appointed gurus leads to disappointment after the initial period of euphoria passes.

Home educators are vulnerable to hard and soft selling techniques proclaiming that if they do this or that they and their children will be better off, experience more success, or more joy in their lives.

Never let someone who does not know you or family intimately tell you that your past or present parenting or educating practices are abusive simply because they do not match that person's idea of 'perfect'.

We are all on parenting journeys, learning all the time, exploring and experimenting, becoming gradually aware as we make many 'mistakes' and get it 'wrong' countless times working to meet our children's and our own needs and those of the community in which we live.

We are all amazing wonderful people working hard and conscientiously doing something that is not appreciated, understood or valued by our peers. Remember that and be strong. Find your own path and what works for you and your children. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' way: there is only learning. 


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Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Boats and Barramundi

Seven Little Australians Plus One - Thu, 01/12/2011 - 21:14

Day 10 - Sunday 28th August
We began Sunday by attending Mass with family:)  It happened to be World Day of Migrants and Refugees, and as many women and children attended in their national dress it was easily apparent how many different nations are represented in Mt Isa.  There were well over 20 different nationalities present that morning.  It was a unique and blessed experience to hear the Mass readings read in a couple of different languages, many nations, One Faith.

Afterwards we headed out to Lake Moondarra, a perfect place for a Sunday picnic.  The Lake was built by Mt Isa mines in 1956 for the mines use, the largest dam in Australia financed by private enterprise. Now it is also the city's water supply.


A popular spot for boaters, it was surprising to see so many boats on the dam, not what we were expecting in an Outback town.  The dam is also a fishers 'paradise', stocked with plenty of Barramundi.  Glancing through the car park another obvious Outback acquisition is 4WDs.  Everybody in Mt Isa had 4WD's, each seemed flasher and equipped with more gadgets than the previous.

The dam was a tranquil spot to picnic and relax. The children tried to swim but the dam was unattractively full of duckweed and duck lice. The cockspurs were unpopular and painful, our children were finding the need for shoewear in Outback Queensland difficult to accept.





Impressive was the amount of bird life, with a variety of 159 species.  We enjoyed lying back and watching the circling kites overhead.





The blokes fired up the 'Barbie', no council gas barbeques here, but an old timber and matches setup.







There were trees to climb so our little ones were happy.







Happy to pose for photos too.






For others the picnic was a chance to relax.





The dam covers an area of 2375 hectares, far more extensive than we could see.







An area that covers both Lake Moondarra and Lake Julius.








After lunch we went for a walk on the top of the wall








and saw yet another angle of the dam and surrounds.













After we left the dam we headed back to town, to the  lookout.  This cool sign, indicates just how far we really were from anywhere.










Smoke stacks always dominating the landscape.





The children then insisted we take Dad to the water park as he had missed out previously.







He enjoyed climbing on the equipment












and trialled all the 'rides'












and declared they were lots of fun.




Of course an experiement wouldn't be complete without including the kiddie equipment.





No wonder he was just 'plumb tuckered' out.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

An inspiring video.

Aussie Coffee Shop - Thu, 01/12/2011 - 18:00

A friend posted this on the Catholic Type One Yahoo Group.



I have always believed that if you look for something good in your situation, you will find something good. If you look for something bad, you will find something bad. This video just confirms it for me.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

1/2 a Basket of Delights

Oh Peaceful Day - Thu, 01/12/2011 - 15:56

The Christmas Books are back in my sidebar, where they belong for the month of December.

Only this year it's sort of false advertising, because this year they show the books that were in the Basket of Delights before the flood, not those that remain. Which is about half.

I no longer have Bush Christmas, Little Grey Rabbit's Christmas, Christmas at Longtime, A Bush Christmas, Father Christmas, The Mysterious Toyshop (terrible sob) or The Christmas Mystery. Lots of other lovely titles are gone as well. Including Jemimah's favourite, which we can't remember the name of and so we can't replace. (Funny, I thought all of our Christmas books were included in that list, but I was wrong. There are many titles that don't appear.) She is upset about that. But not as upset as I am. I was really dreading opening the Christmas boxes this year, but I think the losses from the books are worse that ever I dreamed.

Richele somehow knew how heart wrenching unpacking the Basket of Delights was going to be. A few weeks ago she sent me a beautifully wrapped parcel. You can see what was inside it above. Christmas books and music. I was overwhelmed. I am just so blessed to have friends like Richele. Bloggy friends like you that I've never met. Thank you for caring for me.

Tonight we're playing New Orleans Christmas as we decorate our tree. We'll drink Glögg and eat mince pies and shortbread. We'll unpack the Christmas boxes and discover what we still have and what we don't. It's gonna be really hard, I know that already.

I'm putting the Basket of Delights in my sidebar not as some primitive form of torture, but because that's where it belongs. Some of you might even find some new ones amongst them.

I snuck a few of the missing titles onto my Amazon order yesterday. It just ain't Christmas without Jonathan Toomey. Perhaps eventually I'll replace them all.

And thanks to Richele, this year I even have a couple on new ones to read as well.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

The Aussie AOer

Oh Peaceful Day - Thu, 01/12/2011 - 06:54

To be a successful Ambleside Online user in Australia necessitates a passion for books that is outside the realms of what may be defined as normal well adjusted human behaviour.

Bibliophilism may not yet have its own DSM-IV listing, but it surely must come close to an illness in the lives of a true Australian AOer. The AOer must enter every bookshop she sees. She must organise her travel itinerary around second-hand bookstores and enter every-single-one. She must allow at least an hour - preferably more. The Aussie AOer must be on a first name basis with Abe, and be well acquainted with Amazon and The Book Depository, whilst holding a special affection for her very own Independent Bookseller. She must mourn the closure of Borders as Australia's foremost stockist of American AO type books, and celebrate the glorious rising from the ashes of Reader's Feast. She must allocate a significant portion of the household budget to the ongoing accumulation of books whilst foregoing other less important frivolities, like clothes and food. (Chocolate is a necessity, not a frivolity.)

The Australian AOer must recognise the exciting possibilities offered to her by the advent of the Kindle and the iPad and the whole phenomenon of ebooks realising that finally she may be able to splurge a little on new underwear and shoes for herself and her family; whilst still harbouring an affection for the smell, feel and sound of the printed page and continuing to maintain and add to her large and highly varied paper based collection of children's literature, Australian natural history books, reference tomes, Scripture study guides, pedagogological treatises and Charlotte Mason ephemera. She will recognise that the Australian environment - its humidity and bright sunlight - is toxic to books whilst being highly desirable for children, so if there is room in the home for only one of the two, then it is the children who should sleep outside with the family pet and not the books.

Whilst acknowledging the need to Buy Australia Made, the Antipodean AOer must realise that obtaining the books of the AO booklist in any way, shape or form is her primary objective, and if that means that she must purchase online from an American megastore, or even upload an electronic copy onto her ereader, then well, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

The Aussie AOer will recognise instinctively that the advent of the ebook does not spell the end of literacy as we know it; that reading print off the static screen of a Kindle or iPad is still reading, with the added capacity of being able to increase font size for her developing or emerging young reader. She will understand the distinction between ebooks that you read and book apps that you play with. She will embrace technology, excited about the possibilities of accessibility to out of print books immediately and cheaply, and the portability that the ereader allows. Imagine - all of those deliciously lovely AO books in your handbag when you're waiting at the doctors, or on a trip away.

The Aussie AOer will be forever thankful for sites like Project Gutenberg Australia with their wonderful collection of free ebooks on topics like Australian history and geography, as well as primary sources and Australian Classics. She will look forward to the day that many more Australian books will be available online, but in the meantime will be grateful for the lists at Aussie Book Threads, From Wonder...to Wisdom, and CMandFriends.

Above all, to be a successful Aussie AOer, one must show one's undying appreciation for those intrepid homeschoolers that have gone before - for the AO Advisory, for parents at AmblesideOnline, the lovely community at Aussiehomeschool - and for those wonderful Aussie CM bloggers that share what goes on behind the doors to their homes. Without these lovely people, all those difficult to find AO books would be just a disease - bibliomania, perhaps, instead of a rich, liberal curriculum of the highest literary standards where the whole child is taught to be the best that he can be using great books and great ideas.

Thank you all for helping me to be a successful Australian AOer. I couldn't do it alone.

I'd still have a passion for books though.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

RIP Dad.

Aussie Coffee Shop - Wed, 30/11/2011 - 16:31

Two years ago today, my father passed away. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's for 13 years and while we were greatly saddened to loose him, we were glad that he was at peace.

I have written several blog posts about my dad and how he was a great example for me in living our Catholic faith. You can read them all here. 

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Britain and Her Neighbours - Book IV

Adept Serendipity - Wed, 30/11/2011 - 10:12

Every now and then one picks up a keeper.
I just so happend to pick up one very recently called, 'Britain and Her Neighbours - Book IV'.
She's a 75 year old History school book, and by the looks of it somehow managed to escape being used.
Apart from her hard cover having a crease in it, she's pretty near excellent.

 She covers the years 1066 - 1485.
Things like The Normans, and the Norman Conquest, The crusades, Edward the First, Marco Polo, Dante, The Hundred Years War, The Black Death, The Wars of the Roses, and ending with the Fall of Constantinople.


 There are plenty of black and white lined drawings through out.  Some colour plates are also included as well.  The series is particularly fond of biographical pictures - so you can "see" how each person, building, item looked in his/her/it's time.

 One of the little gems that come hidden in the book are the Test Questions in the back. 
 


 Another little hidden gem is the Timeline in the back of the book too.  (They also have maps as well.)  The Timeline goes over a few pages.

I highly recommend Books IV, V and VI.
Definitely keepers for your bookshelf.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Goodnight Bloggers

Oh Peaceful Day - Tue, 29/11/2011 - 22:09

See you in the morning.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Keeping up appearances

Oh Peaceful Day - Tue, 29/11/2011 - 19:17

I realise that we fail miserably in our responsibility of behaving like homeschoolers.

We have only one child to begin with. That, of course, is probably our biggest failing. Not only that, we immunise her. Against almost everything. We are proponents of mainstream western medicine, and we don't embrace naturopathy, osteopathy, homeopathy, biomesotherapy, Buteyko, Chi nei tsang, kinesiology or ear candling, although my husband does visit a chiropractor occasionally, and we are fond addicts of both remedial and relaxation massage and of incense - not for its aromatherapeutic properties but because it smells nice. I worked for more than ten years for huge multinational pharmaceutical companies, and do not regard them as harbingers of evil.

We eat white rice, white bread, MSG, red meat, dairy products and sugar, although we do prepare most of our foods ourselves and rarely purchase it pre-packaged in a carton, tin or jar. We do not eat them all in the same meal. We drink wine. And champagne. And soft drink. And Diet Coke, full of chemical additives. We all like McDonalds.

We are Sabbath observers. We practice exclusive Psalmody and we sing no hymns. We believe in a young earth. We do not celebrate Christmas or Easter as religious holidays, but Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are all parts of childhood fun. We read about fairytale witches and magic, but not the occult or new age religions. We are very afraid of books like this.





We have a television, and we listen to modern music. And classical, and Kitaro, which some call New Age, but we call nice.

We like Growing Kids God's Way and Garry and Anne Marie Ezzo, but we continually evaluate and refine our parenting methods, depending more on God's grace than on the expertise and ingenuity of others.

Three times I have started the next paragraph, but I think it is too controversial and I think you will un-follow me if I leave it, so I won't.

I will leave you with a photo of our new season's Birkies. Mine, and Jemimah's. Soon hers will be bigger than mine, but so far I win. In this, at least, we look like homeschoolers. In this our behaviour is typical.

There had to be something.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Joan of Arc - part 4

Adept Serendipity - Tue, 29/11/2011 - 12:29

Unfortunately for Joan, her voices, instead of telling her to go forth and conquer some more, told her that she would soon be captured by the English. Joan must have been very scared of what lay ahead. Her voices had never been wrong before. All Joan had left was her good character, courage and God.

On 24th May, 1430 Joan went out to defend Compiegne from the Burgundians, the people from the North of France that supported the King of England. It was in this event that Joan was pulled from her horse and made the prisoner of John of Luxemburg.

Joan was now captured by her enemies.

After 4 long months Joan was sold by John of Luxemburg to the English for a very lot of money.

The King of France did not come to her rescue as one would suppose should have been done. He simply pretended that she hadn’t been captured or in need of help. He lacked courage and conviction. He showed no strength for what was morally right. The king could have led an army to rescue her or even traded other valuable prisoners for her, but he did not. He quietly forgot about her to his royal shame.

Soon it was conspired amongst the English to try her for heresy and witchcraft so that they could legally put her to death. They needed a reason to get rid of her, even if it was fabricated.

The English found a rather helpful man to their cause in Pierre Cauchon.  He was a very ambitious man working in the Church as a Bishop. He was a vivid supporter of the Burgundians. It was this man who would lead the accusations and interrogations. He was hired to a job, and he did it well.
 
The trial soon began in 21st February 1431, and Joan was examined and cross examined again and again for several weeks until 17th March, 1431.  They did not treat her kindly and did everything in their power to trick her into saying things that would work against her case. However, Joan being the good and pious woman that she had grown into did not so easily succumb to their harassment or confusing questions. She was steadfast, and kept herself with honesty, courage and faith. They could find no fault with her answers. This just made them madder and madder and all the more determined to kill her off.

They were so desirous to get her to confess to any of the crimes that they accused her of, anything at all that would make it “alright” to kill her, that they even threatened and delivered torture. Joans strength of character continued to hold her steadfast but with the mistreatment she was beginning to tire.  Eventually they tricked her through her inability to read and write into signing a statement that Joan later recanted on, a statement that she signed under duress and confusion. The fact that she wore male clothing also caused a great stir, and was used against her as one of her crimes. If they had assured her that she would not be in danger of maltreatment from the soldiers she may have very well wore a dress happily.

Finally, the day came when her tormentors grew tired of the whole ordeal and decided that they had had enough. Time was up for the Maid of Orleans and they pronounce her verdict: guilty~!!

Tragically, Joan was taken and burnt at the stake in the market place in Rouen on 30th May, 1431. It is said that she called out to Jesus while the flames devoured her body and many in the market place who gave witness, her enemies, were moved with compassion for her.

Many years later, 24 to be exact, her trial was re-opened in Paris and freshly investigated. This great injustice, which could never truly be undone was then legally reversed, albeit too late for Joan herself.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

May our sons in their youth…

Jessica Letchford - Mon, 28/11/2011 - 17:21

 

A friend asked me a few weeks ago to make up a graphic for this verse she was sharing at a Mum’s night.  I had seen this graphic a few days earlier and just loved the typography so I decided to give it a go!  I love  using Storybook Creator - it works a treat.

Filed under: God; Character, Graphics and typography

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Smart Martha Monday.

Aussie Coffee Shop - Mon, 28/11/2011 - 17:17

On my list last week, I had do a heap of sewing. 
I have traced all the patterns I wanted to, pinned the boys shirts and made two leggings for myself. I did want to get everything cut out but didn't get around to it. 
This week, I am staying of all social networks. I am going to use my internet time to re organise the kitchen. This job is huge. All my cupboards are really disorganised. I am spending a lot of time looking for ingredients when I want to cook because they have become so disorganised. I am making a list tonight and working out where everything should be kept. 
I hope you all have a great week.
Therese. 

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

What's your traveller IQ?

Oh Peaceful Day - Mon, 28/11/2011 - 11:33

The Book Chook posted a link to this frustrating geography challenge this morning.

Here's my result if you want to challenge. Yes, I know - below 100. It is hard!

And I thought geography was my strong suit.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

sleepless nights, anxious thoughts

Warm Love - Mon, 28/11/2011 - 08:26

Another Sleepless Night
I'm turning in my bed
long before the red sun rises.
In these early hours
I'm falling again
into the river of my worries.

When the river runs away
I find a Shelter in Your Name:
JESUS...only Light on the shore,
Only Hope in the Storm.
Jesus, let me fly to Your Side
There I would hide, JESUS.

Hear my anxious Prayer
The beating of my Heart
The pulse and the measure of my unbelief
Speak Your Words to me
before I come apart
Help me BELIEVE in what I cannot see
Before the river runs away
I will call upon Your Name:
JESUS...only Light on the shore
Only Hope in the Storm
Jesus, let me fly to Your Side
There I would hide, Jesus.

Amen.
song by Fernando Ortega

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

Joan of Arc - part 3

Adept Serendipity - Mon, 28/11/2011 - 07:44

After Joan got back to Chinon she began to prepare for the army. The Dauphin offered Joan a sword but she asked that she be given one that was hidden behind a church. At about this time a standard being a banner was made for her with the words: Jesus, Maria, pictures of angels, and the fleur-de-lis on it. Joan was being equipped for her campaign.

Joan started organizing the army. She made the soldiers go to church and keep confession. She sent all the unmarried ladies away so they couldn’t distract the men preparing for war. 

Joan had said in previous conversations that she would save Orleans from the English and be wounded in the battle. Joan also said that the King would be crowned not long after at Reims. The people waited, because soon they would find out if this were true.

The moment had come for Joan to make a start with her campaign, so like all proper people with good character, it is common to ask the offending characters to withdraw, so as to save bloodshed if at all
possible. So Joan dictated and sent a letter to the King of England.

March 22nd, 1429 Joan dutifully requested in a dictated letter, that the King of England return what he had seized. She told him that she was sent by the God of Heaven and was “fully prepared” to make peace, however he must give back what he had taken, and go home. If he didn’t want to meet this simple request then he must be prepared for war.  To the men of arms, she told them to go home also.

As you can imagine, this made the English very mad. They most certainly did not take her seriously, but rather wrote in return that she should go back home to milking the cows where she belonged. To be ordered about by a young girl of no prominent position on matters of war was seriously preposterous!  Of course the English didn’t listen, nor retreat, so Joan had no other option but to attack.
 
The day had come, Joan mounted her horse and led the army towards Orleans. Fortunately for moral, Joan charged all the way into battle with her fellow labourers. Right in the midst of it all, encouraging them to fight on and not retreat. So it wasn’t long before Orleans was once again back in the hands of the French. Soon other villages were recaptured and Joan led the way. Joan, as predicted did suffer a wound to her shoulder, and also as predicted didn’t die from it. Soon the people would see the Dauphin crowned at Reims.

With all the small victories returning the lost villages and towns back to the French, the way to Reims was now basically straightforward. They only had one more town to take back - Troyes. After this they entered Reims.

King Charles VII was crowned on 17th July, 1429 at Reims. Joan stood there holding her banner, happy and triumphant that she had completed her mission. Her obedience to God had bore victorious fruit. France now had a crowned king to sit upon the throne.

The King of France, Charles the VII, having been crowned, but not of strong character decided to sign a truce with the King of England. So not much happened over the winter and after the time allotted for the truce, the month of April came around. So it was back to war as usual.

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education

The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas

Living Without School - Sun, 27/11/2011 - 21:12

"Everybody in the Austin family is excited on the first day of December because every day for twenty-four days they will do something special to prepare for the twenty-fifth day, Christmas Day, the most joyful day in the whole year."

And so begins The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas by Madeleine L'engle.

I read an old copy of this book as child ( it was published in 1964) and the memories of Mother and her Advent preparations, her Advent activities, stayed with me.

When I became a mother myself, I had a vision for Advent already in mind. Preparing as a family for Christmas. Making and pulling out an Advent calendar. Making cookies. Assembling a crèche or nativity scene. Crafts. Cooking. Carols. Books. Music.

And prayers and masses and movies,  in a modern Catholic family twist.

There is a danger, however, that Advent can become yet another time of busy-ness. Of being task oriented. Of endless to do lists.

"Advent, John could tell you, is the name for the four weeks of preparation and thought that lead up to Christmas day."

Preparation and thought. Not necessarily frantic activity and compulsion to do everything that Mrs Austin, Mother in the book, does.

"The kitchen is a big wandery room that turns corners and as kinds of unexpected nooks and crannies. In the dining room end a fire is crackling merrily, and the smell of applewood mingles with the smell of pancakes and maple syrup, and hot chocolate with marshmallows."

In our current house, our kitchen opens onto our dining area, it is light and symmetrical. The teens woke this morning to freshly made pikelets, tea in my variety of cute and fanciful teapots and our basket of Advent books. We lit the first candle in the Advent wreath.

So, yes, I do the Mrs Austin-ish Advent things. Well, some of them. Well, my own version.

But ultimately I know that Advent preparation and thought and prayer should be interior as well as exterior...Holy Mass, the Novena for the Immaculate Conception, the sacrament of penance, the rosary.

Being faithful.

Even if we don't do all the Advent activities, the crafts, the cooking, the books...

We prepare and think and pray.

We find that star, the Light of Christ, in our faithfulness . In His Love.

"One star is brighter and more sparkling than any of the others. 'The Christmas star,' Vicky whispers. Its light seems to shine right down into her heart."

Categories: Australian Home Education, Planet Home Education