Archives:

Books & Reading, Educational Philosophy, Other Thoughts
Little House in the Big Pandemic

In Which I Write You a Letter on Day Twelve of Quarantine Hello, friend — It feels simultaneously redundant, obvious, and deeply necessary to begin this note by saying: what strange times we’re living in. I have A Lot of Thoughts. I’ll spare you most of them, but there is one thing on my mind to tell you about. A few days ago, I was scanning headlines when I saw an article about pregnancy during coronavirus. I am pregnant, as Continue Reading…
April 1, 2020
Educational Philosophy, Home Education
The Unconditioned Air: In Which We Once Again Consider Atmosphere

Perhaps the best way to begin a conversation about atmosphere is to talk about what it isn’t. This is, in fact, exactly how Charlotte Mason goes about it: Our motto is, — ‘Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.’ When we say that education is an atmosphere, we do not mean that a child should be isolated in what may be called a ‘child environment’ specially adapted and prepared, but that we should take into account the educational value Continue Reading…
November 20, 2018
Educational Philosophy, Home Education, Other Thoughts
In That Enchanted Place

Along a particular path at our local botanical garden there is a bush that blooms all summer in clear shades of orange and magenta and yellow. Bees throng to it — big, slow bumble bees with tidy yellow bags of pollen on their hind legs. Here, for just a moment, I always catch a glimpse of my former foster son. It never fails — we turn the corner and there he is, five years old again, wearing a striped shirt Continue Reading…
September 25, 2018
Educational Philosophy, Home Education
On Baking a Cake: A Few Thoughts About Atmosphere

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]bout once a week or so, my daughter and I bake a cake. This isn’t something I ever purposed or planned. I’m not a skilled baker, lacking the nicety baked goods seem to require of a person. But somehow, this has become our Special Thing, our ritual. I suppose this might sound like something from an Eloise Wilkin book, but to be honest Eloise Wilkins books can make me feel bad; what sweet, clean, well-appointed lives her families seem to Continue Reading…
August 1, 2018