I’m often asked: “How do you keep the kids away from the stoves? The altar? The candles?” I don’t have an answer, because I don’t keep them away. We live in one large room, one tiny house; and my children run free within it. They know the stoves are hot, they’ve always known, because in…
Month: January 2018
Monday Reflections: Planning
I love my bullet journal. It’s pretty and functional and entirely my own. I’ve never done well with conventional planners: they’re all thrilling and helpful for a while, until I find The Thing That Doesn’t Fit – my homeschooling schedule or meal planning, fasting days or whatever.. there is always something missing from the average…
Stylish and Oh-So-Ethical
Right now, my wardrobe is neither. It’s a messy bundle of thrift-store finds (ethical!..somewhat stylish) and discount purchases from big box stores (bleh). It hasn’t been updated – really and intentionally updated – in a long time. This year, the ‘Intentional’ year, I want my wardrobe to be both ethical and stylish. I’m planning a…
Homeschooling Notes: Fairy Tales
“Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” – C.S. Lewis They’re essential. Fairy tales are at the heart of our homeschool. We read them, play them, tell them, and fill our imaginations with their rich colors. Fairy tales are formative here. Not just the ones everyone knows either, while we…
7QTs: Introductions
1. The Basics: Wife, mother, Catholic, etc.. I’m 34, which sounds old to me but feels young. Every now and then I’m overwhelmed with the realization that eternity is just a day closer and I feel my immortality deeply. It’s a pretty beautiful age, really. I’m a fan of Kierkegaard, Rilke, all of the Desert…
Tea for CoughsÂ
Mr. Tenderness caught a rough cough this week. Tuesday and Wednesday saw him sad and sick – trying to run around the house like his usual, crazy self – but ending up nestled on thd big bed, looking at “The Happy Man and His Dump Truck ” and “Orange, Pear, Apple, Bear” while sipping homemade…
Off-Grid Whole 30
So I assumed I’d never do another whole 30 after my failed attempt to complete one in 2016. I mean, no beans? We eat beans all the time. And no rice?! Rice is pretty much the backbone of our meals. It’s seems like such an expensive way to eat, honestly. And I really couldn’t afford…
January Schooling
It doesn’t feel like January today. The stoves are burning low and the rain is pouring down, washing away feet of snow in a day. It’s warm enough to be out without a jacket, except that the rain is chilly and soaking. We’re all indoors today. Even the goats refuse to step out of their…
Monday Reflections: Countercultural?
I’m reading one of my favorite of Rilke’s journals again. In it, he begs us to “be for a single day unfashionable and you will see how much eternity you have within you.” Being unfashionable, out of step with the culture, is isolating. Our world is full of pseudo fulfillments – things to buy and…
New Year: 2018
The calendar year is new and fresh and full of anticipatory dreams out here in the snow-filled woods. We weathered our first big storm of the year, but not of the season, yesterday; and today we’re trudging through feet of fresh snow in heavy shoes – carrying in wood to pile around the stove, hauling…
Y is For Home! 