Typing is Medieval

I have a full inch of handwritten pages that must be typed into my manuscript. It's like a good 12 sections, and I am dreading it. I may break several personal rules and haul all the stuff up to my room and type there, but then I wouldn't be able to print things out as I finished which is my major reward for clearing out a big backlog. What I need is a tablet PC with handwriting recognition software. I will stop complaining about the handwriting course I was required to take in college if it means I will be able to write my work into my computer rather than type it.

Teaching Writing by Writing

This year I decided to take a more low key approach and not have a curriculum for each and every subject I hoped they'd make progress in. Composition books have been the work horse for this year's school with the exception of math. My favorite innovation that has come from that is our History essays. Previously we'd used the questions that come in the activity book to review and we ended up eating a lot of M&Ms that way. This year the more writing I could get them to do, the happier I would be, so I started by having them write a summary as soon as I finished reading the daily section from our history book. (We use the Story of the World series and I highly recommend it.) This resulted in spotty essays that usually only involved the last third of our reading. I changed tactics and stopped periodically in the reading and required them to write a sentence. The result was much improved comprehension, sentence structure and paragraphs. Our third has even begun to push herself to write a full page every day. I then check the work and have them make corrections. Writing skills are improving, while the exciting subjects--history and science inspire them and are more thoroughly remembered. I have even seen them consult their books in order to remember some part of history they were thinking over. They have two other composition books. One is for summarizing their daily reading. As the history ideas unfolded, they began to apply what they learned there to this book as well. Taking notes as they read has become common. Science is our other notebook and we use to record our experiments the way professional labs do. We haven't done as many experiments as I'd hoped, but I can see that getting better with time. This has been a very positive change in our writing program. I will probably go back to reviewing the rules of grammar, but for everything else, these real essays are doing a better job.

The Joys of Lent

Planning is one of my joys in life. I suspect if someone asked me to plan my death I'd get right to work not noticing the punch line. I'd lie back in the bed--"Put the lilies over there"-- then I'd graciously expire. It'd be the next thing on my list. Then again there's Jimmy's birth, maybe I wouldn't be so calm after all.
I've got to watch my planning for Lent. I'm a recent convert and I don't have the blessing of practiced discipline. The first year I gave up Starbucks hot chocolate. This sounds small, but only if you are unaware of the scope of my addiction. Last year I gave up sweets in general making a planned exception for a birthday cake. This year I'm.banking on those experiences to help me through a broader program including non-food fasting. I still intend to fast from sweets, but I also want to lessen my use of ready-made food. I may even take a stab at baking my own whole wheat bread. I'm also giving up cable tv. Masterpiece, Ugly Betty, Cake Boss, Project Runway, Eureka, Dr. Who, they will all be replaced with books or The Teaching Company videos. I might make an exception for PBS. If I can get my hands on a St. Joseph's Guide for my breviary I'll do thatfor prayer. I really enjoy it. If the guide is hard to get I might give the rosary another go. Almsgiving the kids and I have found to be a good time to get rid of the unnecessary stuff in our lives. Donating to the food pantry at church is another good thing we do.
It's going to be a great Lent. Less is more.

Precious

I have loved this mosaic since my first visit to St. Mary's. Nowadays when I think of Jesus, this is the image that comes to mind. My oldest made a video of the church and its grounds because she felt it was one of the most beautiful places in Spring Lake. I can't get it to upload, so everyone can see for themselves. One of the saddest parts of Lent is that we give up our mosaic and have to wait for Easter to enjoy it again. I'm so slow at learning all the traditions and procedures, but each one gives me joy. Churches ought to be inspiring.

Big Fat Flirt

Was that you, winking from the flannelgraph?

Yeah, that was me.

Were you the one making every word in that book live for me?

Yeah, didn't think you caught that one.

Did you really make that sunset so lovely that every feeling, every thought begged for you and you alone?

Me alone, eh. Yeah, that was me.

Then where were you when a Horror of darkness came, when the Way contracted squeezing my last breath, when the Water was over my head?
Where were you then!

Knees to my ears, pushing and screaming.