ABP Challenge, Days 3 & 4

If you are already getting bored with these posts, I understand. I am writing mostly to keep myself on track and with little consideration for my audience. What a selfish blogger.

Yesterday I can't say that I did anything different from what I would normally do on a Sunday. I went to church and took a nap and cooked supper and spent time with my family. But I did avoid doing something I normally do. I skipped watching Fox News Sunday (a weekly ritual in our house). And I have continued to keep the radio dial set to either classical music or the '80's channel and to eschew certain websites. I can't say I have avoided news altogether. It crops up in my Facebook feed and my Google reader. But the few times I have given in and clicked on an article I have been sorry. I'm not ready to think about the world again. Reading all the post-election analysis, blaming, and planning for next time, not to mention the various distressing pieces of news, only leaves me feeling sad and helpless again. Voting is over for now. I am not in a position to do anything about national and world events. Better to continue focusing on those areas in which I actually do have some influence and to spend time on pursuits that are more likely to lead to positive outcomes.

So, this morning I kept my Facebook and blog time short and after reading some Psalms with Luther I took my older son's suggestion to listen to Prokofiev's Ten Pieces for Piano, Op. 12, performed by Canadian pianist Joel Hastings. Here's a YouTube page with all ten pieces for either individual or uninterrupted listening. The music is paired with some beautiful and appropriate artwork. I listened to the set once while looking at the accompanying paintings and then did some calisthenics while listening again. (Yes! Me! Calisthenics!) I think my favorite movements are the fifth (Capriccio) and the seventh (Prelude).

I also spent some time this morning making school checklists for Caitlin and Evan. We are rather relaxed in our approach to homeschooling, but something we have traditionally done is to make each child a weekly checklist to better keep track of what is being done. This fall, with election mania combined with various other distractions, I have not done a good job of planning ahead and printing out the weekly checklists. Today I recommitted to doing so. The PSAT is behind us, and Caitlin is ready to get back to reading classic literature. We started reading Pilgrim's Progress a few weeks ago and jointly decided we didn't want to finish it. (I'm sorry, but it was seriously boring.) So we are going to cheat by reading a summary and move on to C. S. Lewis's Pilgrim's Regress, which looks so much more inviting! After that, I'm thinking Paradise Lost. :-D