Book Reports

After 7 months of dragging the poor thing everywhere and filling it with rather hideous lime green drylighter notations, I can cross The Philosophy of History off my list. I will probably reread the introduction, but I have read the whole thing with much pleasure. I was swept away with the Grand Idea trying to manifest throughout history. I still like the general idea, but as I read through the specifics I quite disagreed and the case Hegel was making rapidly lost credence. He was too eager to back up his own pet definitions and causes. I may read The Phenomenology of the Spirit in order to consider if a more objective pair of eyes were to examine the evidence if better evidence might not be found. There is also the question of whether or not the Grand Idea is a good one. I'd like to think some more on that too. All and all I recommend it.




As if to reassure myself that I can read a book in less than 7 months I blasted through Tunnels in three days. Tunnels drags the reader into a completely unique sub-world with vivid characters and settings. The delicious grittiness is occasionally broken by flowery, floating language, and there are moments when everything feels like a non-sequitur. There is no real story arc or resolution unless you narrow your focus to Will and Chester. Will's commitment to rescue Chester is the only thing that gives the story continence. Not that it needs it. I really didn't care about flaws as I explored such a thrilling world. It was a great return to casual fiction.



Coming Attractions

The day I converted Jane, my sponsor, gave me this book as a gift. I love it too much to read it. I start it over and over, always quitting because it is too delicious. It's time to give in and read it. Hopefully it won't take 7 months.

An Arm Around My Children

This year we put our oldest in school. Schools here are highly respected having been placed in the top 2% of the country by US News and World Report. Putting one into school opened the door to putting the rest in school. Every teacher has impressed us and the resources available are unusually good for such a small school district. There are also two excellent charter schools one offering a Montessori approach and the other an emphasis on the arts. The Protestant schools are not highly regarded, but the Catholic schools have students in Ivy League and other excellent institutions. If we could do whatever we wanted I'd put them all in Catholic schools, but that's not fair to the Protestant half of the family and it's very expensive.
Homeschooling means that my house is always a bit messy. There is always a shortage of clean laundry, and I seldom have time to read something more serious than our history lesson for the day. Sometimes the messy house and lack of personal time become very discouraging. Sending everyone to school is a tempting solution to those problems. I finally just put it on my prayer list where all my most difficult challenges end up. Waiting to hear what God wanted, I kept looking around for what we as a family need.
And the thing we need most? To love and demonstrate love. We can live without clean laundry; we've been doing it for years. The kitchen floor can be a mosaic of spills; it's more interesting that way. But my children can't feel my arm around their shoulders unless I put it there, and as the Lord answered my prayers I became more comfortable with our life and the blessed imperfections it sustains. School is a great idea. I'm all for it, but it isn't the right fit for my younger ones, not yet.

Don't Plath Out

Have the A pox o' lisps narrowed your options to f or F?
Been dancing the Bee Gee Zus too long?
Tired of negotiating foe heaven?
To Ur is human.
Come Hope with me.