Last week I did some piano accompanying for a local school. On Tuesday I went to the school for several hours in the morning. At one point, between rehearsals, the choir director went to her office and returned excitedly, cell phone in hand. "I just got a text from the babysitter! My baby just rolled over for the first time!" She was thrilled, and if she felt any sadness at missing this milestone, she didn't show it.
On Saturday I drove almost two hours to meet the same director and her choirs at a choral festival in a different city. I left at 5:45 in the morning and returned five hours later. The choir director had told me at our Tuesday rehearsal that the school buses would be leaving at 5:15 a.m. and not returning until 9:00 or 10:00 p.m. since after the festival the students would be spending the day at a nearby amusement park. That mommy who missed her baby rolling over on Tuesday spent all of Saturday, her supposed "day off," apart from her baby.
When I had my first child I was teaching high school English. I would usually leave for school at 7:00 a.m. so as to allow myself sufficient time to drive to work (a 30-minute drive) and prepare for the day before students came. Leaving as soon as I was allowed to do so at the end of the day, I would get home at about 4:15. I am thankful that after my baby was born he did not have to spend time in day care or with paid babysitters, as my husband's schedule at the time allowed him to care for the baby several days per week and my mom watched him the other days. That first day I drove away at 7:00 a.m. after six weeks' maternity leave, knowing I would not return for over nine hours, I could hardly drive for the tears. But at least I got to come home after school, and I got my weekends off (albeit with plenty of grading brought home). I can't imagine having to go back to school for evening or weekend events (common for public school music teachers). By God's grace this situation lasted only about six months, as the summer after my first child was born my freelance musician husband received a full-time job offer, whereupon we decided that I would no longer work full-time. From then on I have been a full-time stay-at-home mom/part-time wage-earner. Having experienced what it was like to leave my baby for over 40 hours per week, I have never looked back nor regretted that decision.
To you mommies who are staying home with babies: may God strengthen you for these very hard days, and may He grant many moments to remind you why it's all worth it.
To you mommies who are spending days away from your babies, missing too many moments but doing the best you can with the situation you have been given: may God grant excellent caregivers to watch over your babies while you're away, and may He minimize the time you have to spend apart from your children. As much as possible, babies should be with their mommies. The moments are too quickly gone.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
National Poetry Month, Day 12
A literary technique that is commonly used in both poetry and prose is that of symbolism. A symbol is something that has both literal and figurative meaning. In other words, a symbol is both an actual physical object and something else that it stands for. It is different from a metaphor or simile because it is not a comparison between two things but instead a single thing with multiples levels of meaning. Some symbols are fairly obvious, easy to understand, and common to many writers. For example, the color white is often used to symbolize purity or innocence, while black may represent evil or death. A seed may represent hope, and a tree strength. Below are some things that could be used to represent other things. What might each symbolize?
a clock
the color red
rain
a snake
a cave
a house
Bonus word: a symbol that recurs over and over with the same meaning is an archetype. An archetype is so common to the human experience that we hardly even think of it as a symbol and we almost universally associate the object with its symbolic meaning.
Bonus word: a symbol that recurs over and over with the same meaning is an archetype. An archetype is so common to the human experience that we hardly even think of it as a symbol and we almost universally associate the object with its symbolic meaning.
One of the most famous poems ever written is "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. What is the main symbol in this poem? What does it stand for? Do you think it's an archetype?
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
An interesting piece of trivia about "The Road Not Taken" is that, while readers tend to interpret it as a serious reflection on an important decision, Frost is said to have written it to tease a friend of his, another poet named Stanley Burnshaw who was having a hard time making up his mind about something. Is there anything in the poem that might suggest it is not completely serious?
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
 |
| The Brook in the Woods, Theodore Clement Steele (1889) |
An interesting piece of trivia about "The Road Not Taken" is that, while readers tend to interpret it as a serious reflection on an important decision, Frost is said to have written it to tease a friend of his, another poet named Stanley Burnshaw who was having a hard time making up his mind about something. Is there anything in the poem that might suggest it is not completely serious?
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
April 20
Three years ago on April 20 a bad thing happened. The last two years I was painfully aware of the approach of the date on the calendar. Yesterday I didn't even think about it until about halfway through the day. I write this today to encourage you, if you have recently had an April 20 in your life, to take heart. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but there will come a time when that date on the calendar won't be completely overshadowed by what happened in the past. I'm not saying you will forget. Your April 20 may be a hundred times worse than mine, and the last thing I want to do is make light of anyone's pain. It may be that you haven't had just one April 20 but a series of them in quick succession, and you are wondering when they're going to stop. In that case, I pray God's care and protection of you. I also pray that in time your April 20s, however many of them there are, hurt less and the day comes that you wake up to discover that April 20 came and went and you didn't even realize it because you were too busy enjoying a life that is better than you ever imagined it could be. Until then, be ye glad and trust in the One who took the worst day in history and turned it into the best day there ever was.
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Catching My Breath
It's been a long couple of months. First I was sick for weeks with a cold and cough; then Phillip was. Holy Week and Easter were wonderful but draining for us as a church worker's family. Prior to that I had several intense weeks of accompanying four different schools at solo and choir contest. There were trips back and forth to Nebraska and Missouri to pick up and return college kids. My mom was sick for a while. There was an--um--incident with the car (minor) that necessitated its being in the body shop for several days. Evan received his First Communion! And, oh yeah, there were corporate and personal taxes to do. Plus, I filled in as organist/cantor last weekend (not my comfort zone!) and still managed to write a few more articles along the way. Phew! No wonder we are tired!
Over the last few days I finally feel like I've been able to catch my breath and check a few things off the task list while doing so. I took the dog to the vet, my mom to the podiatrist, and signed Evan up for swimming lessons. I treated the perimeter of the house for ants (a problem we didn't have in Illinois!). I did some online shopping for a certain young man who's about to graduate from college. And I caught up (a little) on the housecleaning. The piles are smaller and neater and the dust isn't a quarter inch thick anymore. Yay!
Another yay is the big news from my son. He has been offered, and has accepted, a full tuition + stipend assistantship to study piano performance as a Master's student at Texas Christian University. TCU is the home of PianoTexas as well as the host for the Van Cliburn international piano competition. Trevor will be studying with Tamas Ungar, professor at TCU and also director of PianoTexas. It is hard to believe my son will be graduating in less than three weeks. We have started looking at housing options in Fort Worth and may have found something. Since Trevor is still in Nebraska at this time, my husband and I may try to drive to Fort Worth this week to look at it. Trevor is a bit unusual in having lived in the dorm all four years of his undergraduate career. I think he is ready for his own apartment now. Wow!
Church news is that our pastor, who had a stroke last month, is progressing well but is still easily exhausted. He is coming to church and putting in a few hours in the office but is not teaching or presiding at worship yet. We are blessed with a pastor emeritus and outstanding elders who are doing a great job of filling in. Other big church news is that we have found a piano to purchase for our sanctuary! It is a 7-foot Baldwin artist grand and should be arriving within a week! (happy dance)
It is raining today, but rain or shine, Phillip and I are going to have our caipirinhas on the patio (luckily it is covered). The temperature is pleasant and we have not had our Sunday patio time in many weeks. Cheers!
Over the last few days I finally feel like I've been able to catch my breath and check a few things off the task list while doing so. I took the dog to the vet, my mom to the podiatrist, and signed Evan up for swimming lessons. I treated the perimeter of the house for ants (a problem we didn't have in Illinois!). I did some online shopping for a certain young man who's about to graduate from college. And I caught up (a little) on the housecleaning. The piles are smaller and neater and the dust isn't a quarter inch thick anymore. Yay!
Another yay is the big news from my son. He has been offered, and has accepted, a full tuition + stipend assistantship to study piano performance as a Master's student at Texas Christian University. TCU is the home of PianoTexas as well as the host for the Van Cliburn international piano competition. Trevor will be studying with Tamas Ungar, professor at TCU and also director of PianoTexas. It is hard to believe my son will be graduating in less than three weeks. We have started looking at housing options in Fort Worth and may have found something. Since Trevor is still in Nebraska at this time, my husband and I may try to drive to Fort Worth this week to look at it. Trevor is a bit unusual in having lived in the dorm all four years of his undergraduate career. I think he is ready for his own apartment now. Wow!
Church news is that our pastor, who had a stroke last month, is progressing well but is still easily exhausted. He is coming to church and putting in a few hours in the office but is not teaching or presiding at worship yet. We are blessed with a pastor emeritus and outstanding elders who are doing a great job of filling in. Other big church news is that we have found a piano to purchase for our sanctuary! It is a 7-foot Baldwin artist grand and should be arriving within a week! (happy dance)
It is raining today, but rain or shine, Phillip and I are going to have our caipirinhas on the patio (luckily it is covered). The temperature is pleasant and we have not had our Sunday patio time in many weeks. Cheers!
 |
| Caipirinha |
Friday, April 17, 2015
National Poetry Month, Day 11
The last lesson contained an example of a quatrain-- a stanza form consisting of four lines that rhyme in some sort of pattern. In an earlier lesson we studied couplets. These are just two of many options for giving structure and form to poetry. But there is also a type of poetry that does not adhere to any formal guidelines. Instead of being organized into regular stanzas and utilizing meter and rhyme, it is "free" from them and so is called free verse. Due to the lack of rhyme and meter, free verse may not even sound much like poetry when it is read aloud. What sets it apart from prose (non-poetical language) is that it still draws on many other poetic techniques such as intensity and conciseness of expression, figurative language, and a greater emphasis on creating an experience for the reader than on communicating information.
Some people think that free verse is a cop-out--that it is a way of making the writing of poetry easier, since the poet doesn't have to make his message fit within a certain framework. It could be argued, however, that the lack of rhyme and meter means that free verse puts other demands on the poet. Because the poem is not unified by rhyme and meter, it is perhaps even more important that it be unified by other poetic elements.
Below are two poems about the grass. One is in free verse, and one is not. Which is which? Which one do you like better?
"Spring Grass" - Carl Sandburg
Spring grass, there is a dance to be danced for you.
Come up, spring grass, if only for young feet.
Come up, spring grass, young feet ask you.
Smell of the young spring grass,
You're a mascot riding on the wind horses.
You came to my nose and spiffed me. This is your lucky year.
Young spring grass just after the winter,
Shoots of the big green whisper of the year,
Come up, if only for young feet.
Come up, young feet ask you.
"The Grass" - Emily Dickinson
And stir all day to pretty Tunes
The Breezes fetch along –
And hold the Sunshine in its lap
And bow to everything –
Some people think that free verse is a cop-out--that it is a way of making the writing of poetry easier, since the poet doesn't have to make his message fit within a certain framework. It could be argued, however, that the lack of rhyme and meter means that free verse puts other demands on the poet. Because the poem is not unified by rhyme and meter, it is perhaps even more important that it be unified by other poetic elements.
Below are two poems about the grass. One is in free verse, and one is not. Which is which? Which one do you like better?
 |
| In the Grass - Berthe Morisot (1841-1895) |
"Spring Grass" - Carl Sandburg
Spring grass, there is a dance to be danced for you.
Come up, spring grass, if only for young feet.
Come up, spring grass, young feet ask you.
Smell of the young spring grass,
You're a mascot riding on the wind horses.
You came to my nose and spiffed me. This is your lucky year.
Young spring grass just after the winter,
Shoots of the big green whisper of the year,
Come up, if only for young feet.
Come up, young feet ask you.
"The Grass" - Emily Dickinson
The Grass so little has to do –
A Sphere of simple Green –
With only Butterflies to brood
And Bees to entertain –
A Sphere of simple Green –
With only Butterflies to brood
And Bees to entertain –
And stir all day to pretty Tunes
The Breezes fetch along –
And hold the Sunshine in its lap
And bow to everything –
And thread the Dews, all night, like Pearls –
And make itself so fine
A Duchess were too common
For such a noticing –
And make itself so fine
A Duchess were too common
For such a noticing –
And even when it dies – to pass
In Odors so divine –
Like Lowly spices, lain to sleep –
Or Spikenards*, perishing –
In Odors so divine –
Like Lowly spices, lain to sleep –
Or Spikenards*, perishing –
And then, in Sovereign Barns to dwell –
And dream the Days away,
The Grass so little has to do
I wish I were a Hay –
And dream the Days away,
The Grass so little has to do
I wish I were a Hay –
* a spikenard is a type of herb
I'm sure you figured out that the first poem is in free verse. But even though it sounds rather speech-like, it is very different from prose. Can you identify some of the ways? How does Sandburg help you to experience the grass? What sense words (imagery) and metaphors can you find? Without rhyme and meter, what is used to give the poem form?
What type of stanza does Dickinson use in her poem? (quatrain) What is the grass compared to? Why do you think certain words are capitalized? Why would the speaker rather be hay than grass?
(Note: My initial plan was to post a simple poetry lesson in observance of National Poetry Month every week day during April. I have already failed in that plan and will probably continue to do so, but I plan to keep posting as frequently as possible in case there is anyone reading and also to keep me on track with the student in my house!)
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
National Poetry Month, Day 10
It's April fifteenth
You know what that means
There's no time for blogging
Or much anything.
I know. It's pretty weak as poetry goes. Blame it on Uncle Sam!
(Be back soon.)
Oh, and the above poem is an example of a quatrain, a 4-line poem (or stanza) with an alternating rhyme scheme.
You know what that means
There's no time for blogging
Or much anything.
I know. It's pretty weak as poetry goes. Blame it on Uncle Sam!
(Be back soon.)
Oh, and the above poem is an example of a quatrain, a 4-line poem (or stanza) with an alternating rhyme scheme.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
LadyLike
My friends wrote a book. I was honored to be given a sneak peek and am here to tell you that you need to buy it, like, now. I will have more to say about LadyLike in the future, but for now, please just trust me (would I steer you wrong?) and go to CPH and place your order. Then go to Facebook and like the LadyLike page (I dare you to say that five times fast). Then add the LadyLike blog to your news feed. Then follow LadyLike on Pinterest. And if you're in the St. Louis area, sign up for this. (Oh, to be in St. Louis this weekend.)
Thank you, Mrs. Curtis and Mrs. Adle for giving so much of yourselves to write this book for us! You're awesome!
Thank you, Mrs. Curtis and Mrs. Adle for giving so much of yourselves to write this book for us! You're awesome!
Brahms
Here is a video of Trevor's performance with the UNL Symphony last month. Much better in every way than mine! There are some nice close-ups on hands and face, too. There is very little that approaches the joy of seeing your child do something not only that he loves but that is a blessing and service to others. Thank you, Glen Korff School of Music for providing my son such a good home away from home the last four years. It has been a wonderful journey for him and those who love him!
National Poetry Month, Day 9
Today let's write some similes and metaphors. Remember, a simile is a stated comparison between two unlike things, and a metaphor is an implied comparison. The example illustrates the difference.
Getting a hug from a friend is like being wrapped in a soft, warm blanket. (simile)
Her hug covered my cold, sad heart in a blanket of warmth and love. (metaphor)
Both expressions compare a hug to a blanket, but the first one comes right out and states it, while the second one only suggests it.
Below are some ideas of things to describe . Pick one or two (or think of your own) and try to write both a simile and a metaphor for each. Start by thinking about the thing you want to describe. What does it look/smell/sound like? How does it make you feel? Then think of what you could compare it to to communicate those things. It may take a few tries to come up with the best combination of words to express what you want. Don't give up! Write down whatever you think of, and then keep adding to it, experimenting, and changing it until you have something that you like. (The most important thing about writing is to just do it. If you wait until you have it perfect in your head before writing it down you'll never get anywhere!)
a happy baby
a baby having a temper tantrum
your pet or another animal
your brother or sister
your house
your bedroom
your best friend
your mom when she's mad at you
your dad when he's proud of you
school
church
your favorite subject
your worst subject
playing outside
running
jumping on a trampoline
swimming
flying in an airplane
playing your favorite video game
singing
playing an instrument
writing
money
your favorite food
a food you hate
Now that you've written some similes and metaphors, look them over. Which one is your favorite? Why?
Getting a hug from a friend is like being wrapped in a soft, warm blanket. (simile)
Her hug covered my cold, sad heart in a blanket of warmth and love. (metaphor)
Both expressions compare a hug to a blanket, but the first one comes right out and states it, while the second one only suggests it.
Below are some ideas of things to describe . Pick one or two (or think of your own) and try to write both a simile and a metaphor for each. Start by thinking about the thing you want to describe. What does it look/smell/sound like? How does it make you feel? Then think of what you could compare it to to communicate those things. It may take a few tries to come up with the best combination of words to express what you want. Don't give up! Write down whatever you think of, and then keep adding to it, experimenting, and changing it until you have something that you like. (The most important thing about writing is to just do it. If you wait until you have it perfect in your head before writing it down you'll never get anywhere!)
a happy baby
a baby having a temper tantrum
your pet or another animal
your brother or sister
your house
your bedroom
your best friend
your mom when she's mad at you
your dad when he's proud of you
school
church
your favorite subject
your worst subject
playing outside
running
jumping on a trampoline
swimming
flying in an airplane
playing your favorite video game
singing
playing an instrument
writing
money
your favorite food
a food you hate
Now that you've written some similes and metaphors, look them over. Which one is your favorite? Why?
Monday, April 13, 2015
National Poetry Month, Day 8
Let's be a metaphor detective today. Read the following short poems and see if you can figure out what the metaphor, or implied comparison, is. What is being compared in each poem?
"Good Night" - Victor Hugo
Good night! Good night!
Far flies the light;
But still God's love
Shall flame above,
Making all bright.
Good night! Good night!
"April Rain Song" - Langston Hughes
Let the rain kiss you.
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.
Let the rain sing you a lullaby.
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk.
The rain makes running pools in the gutter.
The rain plays a little sleep-song on our roof at night.
I love the rain.
"Dandelion" - Hilda Conkling
O little soldier with the golden helmet,
What are you guarding on my lawn?
You with your green gun
And your yellow beard,
Why do you stand so stiff?
There is only the grass to fight!
"Skyscrapers" - Rachel Field
Do skyscrapers ever grow tired
Of holding themselves up high?
Do they ever shiver on frosty nights
With their tops against the sky?
Do they feel lonely sometimes
Because they have grown so tall?
Do they ever wish they could like right down
And never get up at all?
"The Horses of the Sea" - Christina Rossetti
The horses of the sea
Rear a foaming crest,
But the horses of the land
Serve us the best.
The horses of the land
Munch corn and clover,
While the foaming sea-horses
Toss and turn over.
If some of the words in the next poem are a little difficult to understand, look them up in a dictionary or ask for help understanding the ones you don't know.
"There is No Frigate Like a Book" - Emily Dickinson
There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears a human soul!
There is a special type of metaphor known as personification. When you use personification you give human characteristics to things that aren't human in order to describe them more vividly. Are any of the metaphors in the poems above examples of personification?
"Good Night" - Victor Hugo
Good night! Good night!
Far flies the light;
But still God's love
Shall flame above,
Making all bright.
Good night! Good night!
"April Rain Song" - Langston Hughes
Let the rain kiss you.
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.
Let the rain sing you a lullaby.
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk.
The rain makes running pools in the gutter.
The rain plays a little sleep-song on our roof at night.
I love the rain.
"Dandelion" - Hilda Conkling
O little soldier with the golden helmet,
What are you guarding on my lawn?
You with your green gun
And your yellow beard,
Why do you stand so stiff?
There is only the grass to fight!
"Skyscrapers" - Rachel Field
Do skyscrapers ever grow tired
Of holding themselves up high?
Do they ever shiver on frosty nights
With their tops against the sky?
Do they feel lonely sometimes
Because they have grown so tall?
Do they ever wish they could like right down
And never get up at all?
"The Horses of the Sea" - Christina Rossetti
The horses of the sea
Rear a foaming crest,
But the horses of the land
Serve us the best.
The horses of the land
Munch corn and clover,
While the foaming sea-horses
Toss and turn over.
If some of the words in the next poem are a little difficult to understand, look them up in a dictionary or ask for help understanding the ones you don't know.
"There is No Frigate Like a Book" - Emily Dickinson
There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears a human soul!
There is a special type of metaphor known as personification. When you use personification you give human characteristics to things that aren't human in order to describe them more vividly. Are any of the metaphors in the poems above examples of personification?
Sunday, April 12, 2015
The Weekend
I am one post behind in my month of poetry. The weekend got the better of me! Phillip has been out of town and I have been playing Cantor in his absence. So in addition to my regular employment there were extra rehearsals and practicing to fit in. Plus, true to form, I left the taxes for the last minute. I spent much of yesterday on them as well as on several articles I have in the works. This morning there were two services as well as another rehearsal; then it was off to the nursing home where I play a couple of afternoons a month. I am now finally home after a stop at the grocery store, and I think I am DONE for the day. Where is my bartender when I need him? (Sigh. He won't be home until tomorrow.)
Will try to get back on the poetry tomorrow morning!
Thursday, April 9, 2015
National Poetry Month, Day 7
One of the most effective ways to describe something is to compare it to something else. Not only do poets do this, but we do it in real life. Sometimes we state the comparison clearly by saying something is like something else. In that case, the comparison is called a simile. (We might use the word "like" or "as" or we might use a different word, but it's still a simile.) Other times we imply or suggest the comparison rather than state it. In that case, it's called a metaphor. See the example below. Both sentences compare a person's face to the sun (or some other light source), but the first one states the comparison while the second one only implies it.
Her face was shining like the sun. (simile)
Her face shone with joy. (metaphor)
Here's a short poem that is based completely on one metaphor. What two things are being compared?
"The Fog"
Carl Sandburg
It sits looking
Notice that the poem never says that the fog is like a cat or similar to a cat. It says the fog is a cat.
We'll talk more about metaphors and similes tomorrow. Today, try to listen for both and write a few down. You may be surprised to hear we use them all the time!
Her face was shining like the sun. (simile)
Her face shone with joy. (metaphor)
Here's a short poem that is based completely on one metaphor. What two things are being compared?
.JPG) |
| Monet, The Houses of Parliament Series (Effect of Fog) |
"The Fog"
Carl Sandburg
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.
Notice that the poem never says that the fog is like a cat or similar to a cat. It says the fog is a cat.
We'll talk more about metaphors and similes tomorrow. Today, try to listen for both and write a few down. You may be surprised to hear we use them all the time!
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
National Poetry Month, Day 6
One of the most famous uses of imagery in poetry is this poem by William Carlos Williams:
"The Red Wheelbarrow"
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens
The poem paints a vivid but simple scene. People have been studying it for years, wondering what exactly depends on the red wheel barrow. What do you think the answer is? Why do you think the poem has no capital letters and no punctuation?
One popular poetic form that greatly depends on imagery is the haiku.** Maybe you have written one before. A haiku is a three-line poem about nature. It is Japanese in origin. It is simple but presents a powerful image. The first and third lines have five syllables each; the second line has seven syllables. Here is an example of a haiku in the original Japanese:
Furuike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto
by Matsuo Basho***
There are various English translations of this poem. Some translators don't try to maintain the syllables but just focus on trying to translate as closely as possible. For example, here is a translation by Robert Hass:
The old pond--
a frog jumps in,
sound of water.
Other translators attempt to maintain both the content and the syllables. Here is a translation by Dion O'Donnol.
The silent old pond
a mirror of ancient calm,
a frog-leaps-in splash.
Which translation do you like better?
Today, try writing your own haiku. If you would like to write about something besides nature you can do so, but then it is called a senryu. Have fun!
Notes:
*I couldn't find a public domain image of a red wheel barrow but if you look for one you will find zillions because so many artists have been inspired to create one!
**"The Red Wheelbarrow" is not a haiku but is similar in presenting a simple but vivid picture.
***Thank you to Famous Poets and Poems for the original version and translations of "The Old Pond."
_-_IMG_7225.JPG) |
| Farm Girl Feeding Chickens, Julien Dupre* |
"The Red Wheelbarrow"
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens
The poem paints a vivid but simple scene. People have been studying it for years, wondering what exactly depends on the red wheel barrow. What do you think the answer is? Why do you think the poem has no capital letters and no punctuation?
One popular poetic form that greatly depends on imagery is the haiku.** Maybe you have written one before. A haiku is a three-line poem about nature. It is Japanese in origin. It is simple but presents a powerful image. The first and third lines have five syllables each; the second line has seven syllables. Here is an example of a haiku in the original Japanese:
Furuike ya
kawazu tobikomu
mizu no oto
by Matsuo Basho***
There are various English translations of this poem. Some translators don't try to maintain the syllables but just focus on trying to translate as closely as possible. For example, here is a translation by Robert Hass:
The old pond--
a frog jumps in,
sound of water.
Other translators attempt to maintain both the content and the syllables. Here is a translation by Dion O'Donnol.
The silent old pond
a mirror of ancient calm,
a frog-leaps-in splash.
Which translation do you like better?
Today, try writing your own haiku. If you would like to write about something besides nature you can do so, but then it is called a senryu. Have fun!
Notes:
*I couldn't find a public domain image of a red wheel barrow but if you look for one you will find zillions because so many artists have been inspired to create one!
**"The Red Wheelbarrow" is not a haiku but is similar in presenting a simple but vivid picture.
***Thank you to Famous Poets and Poems for the original version and translations of "The Old Pond."
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
"Easter Song"
This is the "Easter Song", by Anne Herring, and arraigned by Phillip Magness. A wonderful beginning to our Easter Celebration. Great job everyone.
Posted by Jolene Dierksen Stevens on Monday, April 6, 2015
National Poetry Month, Day 5
What do you think of when you hear the word "image"? A picture, perhaps? Or maybe a reflection, as when you see your image in the mirror?
In poetry, imagery is not only language that helps to create a picture in your mind but language that appeals to any of the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. Poets use imagery because they don't just want to tell you about something--they want to help you actually experience it as they have.
Here is a poem about Easter by Celia Thaxter. What words help you to see, smell, and hear Easter morning? To what object are the Easter lilies compared?
"On Easter Day"
Easter lilies! Can you hear
What they whisper, low and clear?
In dewy fragrance they unfold
Their splendor sweet, their snow and gold.
Every beauty-breathing bell
News of heaven has to tell.
Listen to their mystic voice,
Hear, oh mortal, and rejoice!
Hark, their soft and heavenly chime!
Christ is risen for all time!
Now let's back up a little. Do you see any alliteration, assonance, or consonance? If so, what words or images seem to be emphasized by the repetition?
Also, did you notice this poem is written in couplets?
Here's another poem with plenty of imagery. What words help you to see, hear, and feel the month of April? Is there any alliteration, assonance or consonance in this poem?
"April" - Sara Teasdale
The roofs are shining from the rain.
The sparrows twitter as they fly,
And with a windy April grace
The little clouds go by.
Yet the back-yards are bare and brown
With only one unchanging tree--
I could not be so sure of Spring
Save that it sings in me.
In poetry, imagery is not only language that helps to create a picture in your mind but language that appeals to any of the five senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. Poets use imagery because they don't just want to tell you about something--they want to help you actually experience it as they have.
Here is a poem about Easter by Celia Thaxter. What words help you to see, smell, and hear Easter morning? To what object are the Easter lilies compared?
"On Easter Day"
Easter lilies! Can you hear
What they whisper, low and clear?
In dewy fragrance they unfold
Their splendor sweet, their snow and gold.
Every beauty-breathing bell
News of heaven has to tell.
Listen to their mystic voice,
Hear, oh mortal, and rejoice!
Hark, their soft and heavenly chime!
Christ is risen for all time!
Now let's back up a little. Do you see any alliteration, assonance, or consonance? If so, what words or images seem to be emphasized by the repetition?
Also, did you notice this poem is written in couplets?
Here's another poem with plenty of imagery. What words help you to see, hear, and feel the month of April? Is there any alliteration, assonance or consonance in this poem?
"April" - Sara Teasdale
The roofs are shining from the rain.
The sparrows twitter as they fly,
And with a windy April grace
The little clouds go by.
Yet the back-yards are bare and brown
With only one unchanging tree--
I could not be so sure of Spring
Save that it sings in me.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
National Poetry Month, Day 4
One of the things that sets poetry apart from prose is the emphasis placed on the sound of the words. Meter and rhyme, which we already discussed, are two aspects of that. Another is alliteration. Alliteration is the repetition of the beginning sounds in a group of words. Tongue twisters are a great example of alliteration:
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
She sells seashells by the seashore.
What is the point of alliteration? Why do poets use it? In poetry, sound effects are used to emphasize or bring attention to the meaning the poet wants to convey. For example,
The slimy, hissing snake slithered sneakily through the grass.
Do you notice all the s's? They help us to imagine the snake even more. We can almost hear it hissing!
Related to alliteration are two other devices: assonance and consonance. They are both like alliteration in that they involve the repetition of sounds, but instead of coming at the beginnings of words the repeated sounds are contained within words. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds, and consonance is the repetition of--you got it!--consonant sounds. Can you find assonance and consonance in the example above? (Assonance: hissing, slithered, sneakily; Consonance: hissing, grass)
Boy, that's a lot of terms. Don't worry if you can't remember them all. Just remember that poetry is meant to be spoken, so poets choose their words not only for what they mean but for how they sound, and one of their most basic tools is repetition.
Try using alliteration, assonance and consonance by writing a tongue twister about yourself or someone you know. It can be pretend or real, serious or silly. Here's one I wrote. What vowel and consonant sounds, both at the beginnings of words and within words, do you see repeated?
Cheryl shared her sherbet with the thirty-three shrill chefs.
Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
She sells seashells by the seashore.
The slimy, hissing snake slithered sneakily through the grass.
Do you notice all the s's? They help us to imagine the snake even more. We can almost hear it hissing!
Related to alliteration are two other devices: assonance and consonance. They are both like alliteration in that they involve the repetition of sounds, but instead of coming at the beginnings of words the repeated sounds are contained within words. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds, and consonance is the repetition of--you got it!--consonant sounds. Can you find assonance and consonance in the example above? (Assonance: hissing, slithered, sneakily; Consonance: hissing, grass)
Boy, that's a lot of terms. Don't worry if you can't remember them all. Just remember that poetry is meant to be spoken, so poets choose their words not only for what they mean but for how they sound, and one of their most basic tools is repetition.
Try using alliteration, assonance and consonance by writing a tongue twister about yourself or someone you know. It can be pretend or real, serious or silly. Here's one I wrote. What vowel and consonant sounds, both at the beginnings of words and within words, do you see repeated?
Cheryl shared her sherbet with the thirty-three shrill chefs.
First Communion
If it were up to me, I would have written the day differently. I would have left out the part about the allergy attack that made the new communicant miserable all day long. I would have written in a mother who remembers to have the First Communion candidate try on the dress shirt he hasn't worn in months to make sure it still fits. I would have scheduled the whole thing at a time when older siblings could be there. I would have sketched a pew full of extended family, grandparents and godparents.
As it was, the communicant was groggy with antihistamine to try to stem the sneezing. The dress shirt was replaced by a polo. Big sister and brother were away at college. The pew was empty save for parents, and since Dad is the organist, much of the time it was just Mom.
Yet on reflection, I think it was better this way. Driving to church last night I was able to talk to Evan about how Holy Communion, like Baptism, is not dependent on how he feels or on anything he or anyone else does. It doesn't matter if he is sunburned from the Easter egg hunt, has been driven to distraction by constant sneezing and itchy, watery eyes, and is sleepy from Benadryl. It doesn't matter what he is wearing or that he has only his mom and dad to celebrate with. What matters is that last night Jesus came to him in the bread of life and the cup of salvation and that for the rest of his life he will be able to sup at the table of the Lord in confidence and hope, knowing that no matter how he "feels" his sins are forgiven and all his debts paid.
It was a beautiful Easter Vigil last night and a glorious Feast of the Resurrection today, and at both services my youngest was next to me, partaking of the Blessed Sacrament. It is a table fellowship that, now begun, has no end. What could possibly be wanting? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
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Saturday, April 4, 2015
The End of an Era
Today at the church Easter egg hunt my youngest didn't look for eggs but instead hid them for others to find. Tonight he will receive his First Communion. My baby is not a baby anymore. But he still is and always will be a child of his Heavenly Father. God bless you, dear Evan, today and always. "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." (1 Cor. 26:11)
 |
| Five years ago today |
Thursday, April 2, 2015
National Poetry Month, Day 3
One of the oldest and simplest poetic forms is the couplet. A couplet is made up of two metrical lines that rhyme and that express a complete idea. The first verse of "Jesus Loves Me" is made up of two couplets.
Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak but He is strong.
Here are a few couplets by famous authors. What do you think they mean?
Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
(William Shakespeare, from Romeo & Juliet)
For all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these: "It might have been!"
(John Greenleaf Whittier, from "Maud Muller")
The world is so full of a number of things
I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.
(Robert Louis Stevenson)
Here are some silly couplets.
The Lord in His wisdom made the fly
And then forgot to tell us why.
(Ogden Nash)
I have the measles and the mumps,
a gash, a rash, and purple bumps.
(Shel Silverstein)
Do you have any Dr. Seuss books? Dr. Seuss wrote almost completely in couplets. Can you think of a couplet from your favorite Dr. Seuss book?
Today, let's try to write a couplet. Pick a person, a food you love or hate, an animal (maybe your pet), or something else, and see if you can write a couplet about it. Maybe you can write more than one!
Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong,
They are weak but He is strong.
Here are a few couplets by famous authors. What do you think they mean?
Good night, good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow
That I shall say good night till it be morrow.
(William Shakespeare, from Romeo & Juliet)
For all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these: "It might have been!"
(John Greenleaf Whittier, from "Maud Muller")
The world is so full of a number of things
I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.
(Robert Louis Stevenson)
Here are some silly couplets.
The Lord in His wisdom made the fly
And then forgot to tell us why.
(Ogden Nash)
I have the measles and the mumps,
a gash, a rash, and purple bumps.
(Shel Silverstein)
Do you have any Dr. Seuss books? Dr. Seuss wrote almost completely in couplets. Can you think of a couplet from your favorite Dr. Seuss book?
Today, let's try to write a couplet. Pick a person, a food you love or hate, an animal (maybe your pet), or something else, and see if you can write a couplet about it. Maybe you can write more than one!
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
National Poetry Month, Day 2
Sometimes people think of poetry as being alien and hard to
understand. But some of the first poems you probably ever heard were simple
nursery rhymes like this one:
Hey, diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
To see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
(Mother Goose)
One of the things
children like about nursery rhymes is their songlike quality. They are easy to
learn and remember because they have rhyme and meter. Rhyme and meter are not
essential to a poem (yesterday’s poem had neither!), but they are two of the
things we most closely associate with poetry.
Rhyme occurs when words
end with similar sounds; meter occurs when the rhythm follows a pattern,
resulting in a regular “beat.” What words rhyme in “Hey, Diddle, Diddle”?
(diddle and fiddle; moon and spoon) Try saying “Hey, Diddle, Diddle” while
stomping on the strong beats and clapping on the weak beats. Can you describe
the pattern? (strong-weak-weak, strong-weak-weak, etc.)
Here’s another nursery
rhyme. What is its beat pattern (meter)? Stomp and clap again to figure it out.
Jack and Jill went up
the hill to fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke
his crown, and Jill came tumbling after.
(strong-weak-strong-weak,
etc.)
Do the last words of the
two lines in “Jack and Jill” rhyme? (Not exactly.) Do they sound a little
alike? (Yes.) This is called slant rhyme. Slant rhyme is also sometimes called near, half, or approximate rhyme.
What are some other
nursery rhymes you remember from when you were younger? I bet you can think of
quite a few! Today, see if you can find an old Mother Goose book on your
bookshelf and read some more just for fun!
Post images courtesy of Project Gutenberg.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
National Poetry Month, Day 1
To begin, let's talk about poetry. What is it? What makes a poem? (Possible answers: intensity and economy of expression, strong appeal to senses, figurative language, rhyme, rhythm, division into lines and stanzas, meant to be read aloud.)
Even if you don't read a lot of poetry, you encounter poetry all the time in real life. Can you think of some places that we often see or hear poems? (Possible answers: Bible, hymns, songs on the radio or television, greeting cards.)
Let's read a poem about poetry.
Is this what you usually think of when you think of poetry? Why or why not? (Answer may be no since there is no rhyme or meter.) What makes this a poem? (Possible answers: it is written in lines rather than paragraph form. It creates a picture in your head. It makes a vivid comparison.)
What is the comparison in this poem? (A poem is compared to a piece of fruit.) According to the poet, how is a poem like a piece of fruit? (You have to "bite" into it with enthusiasm. It is juicy and flavorful.) How is it different? (There is nothing to throw away.) Do you like this poem? Why or why not?
As we continue through our month of poetry, be thinking about what you think makes a good poem. Look for poetry in everyday life. Keep a journal for the month where you write down any thoughts you have about poetry, poems you like, and poems you write. Have fun!
Even if you don't read a lot of poetry, you encounter poetry all the time in real life. Can you think of some places that we often see or hear poems? (Possible answers: Bible, hymns, songs on the radio or television, greeting cards.)Let's read a poem about poetry.
- "How to Eat a Poem" - Eve Merriam
- Don't be polite.
- may run down your chin.
It is ready and ripe now, whenever you are.You do not need a knife or fork or spoon
or plate or napkin or tablecloth.
For there is no core
or stem
or rind
or pit
or seed
or skin
to throw away.
Bite in.
Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice that
Is this what you usually think of when you think of poetry? Why or why not? (Answer may be no since there is no rhyme or meter.) What makes this a poem? (Possible answers: it is written in lines rather than paragraph form. It creates a picture in your head. It makes a vivid comparison.)
What is the comparison in this poem? (A poem is compared to a piece of fruit.) According to the poet, how is a poem like a piece of fruit? (You have to "bite" into it with enthusiasm. It is juicy and flavorful.) How is it different? (There is nothing to throw away.) Do you like this poem? Why or why not?
As we continue through our month of poetry, be thinking about what you think makes a good poem. Look for poetry in everyday life. Keep a journal for the month where you write down any thoughts you have about poetry, poems you like, and poems you write. Have fun!
Monday, March 30, 2015
National Poetry Month
April is National Poetry Month! Thus far I have not done much formal poetry study with my last remaining homeschool student, so now seems as good a time as any to rectify that situation. To that end, we will be observing National Poetry Month here at the Philipp Nicolai Lutheran Academy by doing something poetry-related every weekday during the month of April. My plan is to post each day's activity here for anyone who would like to join in. You are also invited to share your own ideas or report on what you are doing (or have done in the past) in your own home school. I do not intend for this to become a stressful or burdensome process, so the activities will be short, sweet, and--I hope--fun. They will be designed for elementary level children who are not terribly excited about poetry because that is what I have in my house. :-)
I will try to post each day's activity the night before, which means the first post will be tomorrow, March 31. Hope to see you back here then!
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Happy Spring! (with update)
Wow, a month without a post. I don't know if I have ever gone this long. I have been pondering the reasons, and I think there are several. First, I am writing more places these days! Here are a few of my recent posts elsewhere. I am quite pleased with this development, but also regret that it seems to be making it harder to write on my own blog. Time to write is a precious commodity these days, and I must admit that the larger the potential audience for a piece, the higher its priority on my task list. But I also find myself wondering if maybe this blog is moving into the autumn of its life. Everything has its season, and I don't know if Round Unvarnish'd is still going to be telling tales when I'm in my eighties. But who knows? Maybe some day it will no longer be "A Round Unvarnish'd Tale" but "A Much Rounder, Unvarnish'd, Peeling, Cracked and Weathered Tale."
Brahms Second Piano Concerto, Finale from Cheryl on Vimeo.
I have been sick for about two weeks now. Not stay-in-bed sick, but dragging-by-the-end-of-the-day-I'm-behind-on-everything-because-I'm-so-drained sick. It started out as a cold, but the cough is hanging on, and hanging on, and hanging on. I will go to the doctor this week if I don't start seeing improvement.
Our pastor had a stroke. He is only in his mid-forties. Thanks be to God, it was a minor stroke, brought on by things that can be better treated and managed. His family--wife and four sons kindergarten and under--and his congregation are praying many prayers of thanks that he was preserved in life, is recovering well, and will in time be able to return to his call as a shepherd of souls. What a gift is life, always.
In two weeks Evan will take his First Communion at Easter Vigil. I only wish his big sister and brother could be here for the occasion.
Under the heading of "what I've been thinking about," I happened across a video of Monica Lewinsky giving a TED talk on what it's like to be publicly humiliated. It was quite compelling and made me think of the OU student who was videotaped singing a terrible and racist song on a bus. Here's an article expressing the hope that that young man's entire life is ruined because that is what he deserves. I am troubled by the thought that we live in an age where someone can do something admittedly cruel and stupid but even after repenting and apologizing and trying to learn from the mistake be never, ever able to put it behind him (or her) because of how thoroughly documented and public our lives have become. I am not thinking now of Parker Rice--I can't speak to his character or the sincerity of his apology--but of people in general and the problems posed by the permanence of the internet. Even those of us who are not public figures (and so have not sinned in such visible ways) can probably relate to the admonition that "the internet is forever." Most people have posts they wish they hadn't written, comments they wish they hadn't made, pictures they wish they hadn't shared--and how much more dangerous is the terrain for young people who are still in the phase of life where they tend to think they are invulnerable. I am reminded of that picture often shared on Facebook expressing gratitude for having come of age before social media. Oh, to be able to take back that word, that tweet, that . . . whatever. And yet, more often than not, we can't. Because even when the world with its short attention span has moved on and forgotten, and the "sinner" is redeemed and going on talk shows and writing books, there is still the knowledge that the offensive thing remains intact, floating in the cloud, retrievable at any time.
It is a knowledge that makes the forgiveness of sins and the forgetfulness of God all that more astounding.
So, I guess an update is in order. Several weeks ago we enjoyed spring break with Caitlin. Now she is back at school and Trevor is home. Ah, that we could have them both at the same time. But I guess this way, the joy is spread out over a longer period. This past week we went to see Trevor play for the last time with the UNL Symphony. He won the undergraduate concerto competition for strings/piano two years ago when he was a sophomore and again this year as a senior (winning his sophomore year made him ineligible to compete his junior year). Here is a video of his performance on the winners' concert:
Brahms Second Piano Concerto, Finale from Cheryl on Vimeo.
I have been sick for about two weeks now. Not stay-in-bed sick, but dragging-by-the-end-of-the-day-I'm-behind-on-everything-because-I'm-so-drained sick. It started out as a cold, but the cough is hanging on, and hanging on, and hanging on. I will go to the doctor this week if I don't start seeing improvement.
Our pastor had a stroke. He is only in his mid-forties. Thanks be to God, it was a minor stroke, brought on by things that can be better treated and managed. His family--wife and four sons kindergarten and under--and his congregation are praying many prayers of thanks that he was preserved in life, is recovering well, and will in time be able to return to his call as a shepherd of souls. What a gift is life, always.
In two weeks Evan will take his First Communion at Easter Vigil. I only wish his big sister and brother could be here for the occasion.
Under the heading of "what I've been thinking about," I happened across a video of Monica Lewinsky giving a TED talk on what it's like to be publicly humiliated. It was quite compelling and made me think of the OU student who was videotaped singing a terrible and racist song on a bus. Here's an article expressing the hope that that young man's entire life is ruined because that is what he deserves. I am troubled by the thought that we live in an age where someone can do something admittedly cruel and stupid but even after repenting and apologizing and trying to learn from the mistake be never, ever able to put it behind him (or her) because of how thoroughly documented and public our lives have become. I am not thinking now of Parker Rice--I can't speak to his character or the sincerity of his apology--but of people in general and the problems posed by the permanence of the internet. Even those of us who are not public figures (and so have not sinned in such visible ways) can probably relate to the admonition that "the internet is forever." Most people have posts they wish they hadn't written, comments they wish they hadn't made, pictures they wish they hadn't shared--and how much more dangerous is the terrain for young people who are still in the phase of life where they tend to think they are invulnerable. I am reminded of that picture often shared on Facebook expressing gratitude for having come of age before social media. Oh, to be able to take back that word, that tweet, that . . . whatever. And yet, more often than not, we can't. Because even when the world with its short attention span has moved on and forgotten, and the "sinner" is redeemed and going on talk shows and writing books, there is still the knowledge that the offensive thing remains intact, floating in the cloud, retrievable at any time.
It is a knowledge that makes the forgiveness of sins and the forgetfulness of God all that more astounding.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Still Applicable After All These Years
Almost three years ago my daughter drew a picture. It was reflective of some things going on in our family's life at the time, and my husband and I also thought it was just a very cool drawing, so we encouraged her to set up a Cafepress store with it. Today I was very glad to find her store still active because a few days ago one of the mugs slipped out of my hand and broke while I was washing dishes. A replacement is now on the way!
To Caitlin: I know that as an artist you have moved beyond this drawing. I know that as creative people we sometimes look back on our past work with mixed feelings, especially as we mature and grow and our craft improves. But your father and I will always treasure this creation of yours. Thank you for letting us hold on to it, even as you have perhaps moved beyond it. In holding on to it, we are holding on a tiny bit to the 16-year-old girl who drew it. Plus, it is just as useful now as it was back then. ;-)
To Caitlin: I know that as an artist you have moved beyond this drawing. I know that as creative people we sometimes look back on our past work with mixed feelings, especially as we mature and grow and our craft improves. But your father and I will always treasure this creation of yours. Thank you for letting us hold on to it, even as you have perhaps moved beyond it. In holding on to it, we are holding on a tiny bit to the 16-year-old girl who drew it. Plus, it is just as useful now as it was back then. ;-)
The world may never know.
2015 Reading Challenge Progress Report
Out of the original 23--
Three books finished, two in progress.
I think I'm on track. So far.
1. Unbroken, Hillenbrand. Already started.
2. Night, Elie Wiesel
3. The Failure of Sex Education in the Church, Bartlett
4. The Eternal Woman, Gertrud von le Fort - IN PROGRESS
5. The Seven Deadly Virtues, Hemingway et. al.
6. Orthodoxy, Chesterton
7. Studies in Words, C. S. Lewis
8. Glittering Images: A Journey Through Art from Egypt to Star Wars, Camille Paglia
9. My Bright Abyss, Christian Wiman
10. Bondage of the Will, Luther
Children's literature:
11. The Princess and the Goblin, MacDonald
12. The Marvelous Land of Snergs, Wyke-Smith.
Fiction:
13. Looking for Alaska, Green.
14. Les Miserables, Hugo. Backup plan if I hate Les Mis: Anna Karenina,Tolstoy. Backup plan if I hate Anna: nothing.
15. Alas, Babylon, Frank
16. Cry, the Beloved Country, Paton
17. The Martian Chronicles, Bradbury
18. Robinson Crusoe, Defoe
19. Pudd'nhead Wilson, Twain. Or maybe Roughing It. Something by Twain.
20. Lord of the Rings, Tolkien.
Rereads:
21. A Wrinkle in Time, L'Engle.
Unnamed:
23. TOTALLY AWESOME BOOK to which I have been given a pre-publication peek - IN PROGRESS
Three books finished, two in progress.
I think I'm on track. So far.
2. Night, Elie Wiesel
3. The Failure of Sex Education in the Church, Bartlett
4. The Eternal Woman, Gertrud von le Fort - IN PROGRESS
6. Orthodoxy, Chesterton
7. Studies in Words, C. S. Lewis
8. Glittering Images: A Journey Through Art from Egypt to Star Wars, Camille Paglia
9. My Bright Abyss, Christian Wiman
10. Bondage of the Will, Luther
Children's literature:
11. The Princess and the Goblin, MacDonald
12. The Marvelous Land of Snergs, Wyke-Smith.
13. Looking for Alaska, Green.
14. Les Miserables, Hugo. Backup plan if I hate Les Mis: Anna Karenina,Tolstoy. Backup plan if I hate Anna: nothing.
15. Alas, Babylon, Frank
16. Cry, the Beloved Country, Paton
17. The Martian Chronicles, Bradbury
18. Robinson Crusoe, Defoe
19. Pudd'nhead Wilson, Twain. Or maybe Roughing It. Something by Twain.
20. Lord of the Rings, Tolkien.
Rereads:
Unnamed:
23. TOTALLY AWESOME BOOK to which I have been given a pre-publication peek - IN PROGRESS
Monday, February 16, 2015
Snow Day
This is what happens when you're homeschooled and your mom gets a day off from her tutoring job due to the weather. Some Snow Day, huh? Poor Evan. :-)
A few more scenes from our Oklahoma-style Snow Day. (Pretty mild compared to what many of you have experienced this winter, but from what I understand from some local friends who have been out driving today, the roads are quite hazardous. We just don't handle ice and snow here the way y'all do in the North and Midwest!)
Stay warm and be safe, everyone!
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Random Thoughts for a Super Bowl Sunday
I think we'll turn on the game, but I don't know or care that much about it. I think I heard something about leaked balls and deflated commercials? Or maybe it was deflated balls and leaked commercials. Whatever. We'll sit by the fire, listen to the wind, and drink our hot buttered rum while looking at the screen every now and then. I hope all you sports fans enjoy, and I hope everyone's team wins. ;-)
I finished reading Unbroken. Wow. It truly did make the war in the Pacific come alive. What I can't stop thinking about is the fact that this was the story of only one man, one whose personal fame led to his having a book written and a movie made about him, but whose story is only one of tens of thousands of similar ones. I don't know how people who undergo trials such as the one portrayed in the book live to tell about them. The human will to survive is a remarkable thing.
I wondered, when we moved to Oklahoma, if I would miss the snow. I don't. I guess 20 years of it was enough. :-) (Meanwhile, both my college kids are getting a huge dose of it. Enjoy it while you can, my dears!)
My church body, the LCMS, is going through something. Five years ago we elected a new president and many of us were filled with hope that some of the troubling trends of the last few generations would have the brakes put on them. In fact they have. There are wonderful things going on and everywhere signs that doctrinal faithfulness has returned as our prime directive. In spite of that, a few are not satisfied, demanding that everything must be corrected now. I don't understand this mindset from people who would not demand that a troubled parish change overnight. I have not always been Lutheran, and I don't pretend to understand all the history. But I have read and understood enough to know that we are heading in the right direction. I also understand that no human institution is ever going to be perfect. There is no such thing as complete purity when it comes to the practice of sinful human beings. Those who insist on such all-or-nothing purity had better be prepared to sit alone at a very tiny table with a very long spoon. I am content to continue walking together with brothers and sisters in Christ who may be taking smaller or larger steps, perhaps walking with a limp or a crutch, or even being pushed in a wheelchair, as long as we are headed in the same direction and led by a faithful and trustworthy leader. Regarding those who are intentionally trying to cause the confused or weak to stray, I agree that they should not be ignored or downplayed. But I have no reason, at this time, to doubt that those whose vocation it is to address such deceivers are doing so. My calling is to pray for and do my best to encourage them while waiting upon the Lord, who, I know, will guard His church.
Sometime in the near future I will have my ninth article published by The Federalist. I have also had one piece in American Thinker as well as one of my Federalist articles reprinted in the LCMS publication Notes for Life. Sometimes I think maybe I'm going to actually keep wearing this writer's hat. Other times I am terrified that a big gust of wind is going to blow it off any day now and I'll never find it again. But at the moment I am talking with a friend about writing a book and for once it is actually possible to imagine it happening.
Looks like it's about time for the game. The fire is lit and my husband just handed me a warm mug. Guess I better start not watching. Have a great night!
P.S. I just realized that I don't have a tag for "sports" in my category list. Almost 8 years of blogging and no sports. A jock I am not.
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