spring & summer reading, part 2

I started reading a few passages of Elder Thaddeus' Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives (more in this post) to my children, and just had to re-read it myself. It may very well be a "read every year" book. How many "read every year" books am I allowed before I don't have room for new books? Hmmm... Where was I? Oh, yes. Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives has been such an instrumental book for me because I easily slip back into the habit of worry and this helps bring me back.

I also read The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Spear at my nephew's recommendation. Not my favorite book, but I can see why he (and many others) likes it.

Fit to Burst was timely for me as I was nursing my new baby. It was encouraging and succinct. I thought it was better than Jankovic's first book, Loving the Little Years (although this one's good too), mainly because it was much more applicable to everyone in all areas of life (even though it was directed at mothers). Her articles on motherhood HERE and HERE are excellent! Read them!

I love listening to books on CD while driving. Driving is boring. Books get me through. The Warden by Anthony Trollope read by Simon Vance was great, I've also read Barchester Towers and I want to read all of his books. The End.

Wait, that's not the end. It can't be over without Jane Austen. Persuasion, read by Juliet Stevenson, is wonderful. Her voice and expressions bring the pages to life. I loved her portrayal of Mrs Elton in the 2009 BBC version of Emma.

I also really like Pride and Prejudice read by Nadia May. Thank you, Sarah, (of http://frigatetoutopia.blogspot.com/) for recommending Nadia May!

Read part 1! http://thebowerofbelle.blogspot.com/2014/08/spring-summer-reading-part-1.html

April Reading

Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy
Read for the second time, and knew I needed to read it a third time the moment I finished. Not because it's so hard to understand, but because it is so necessary. I don't usually like introductions, but Victor Watt's introduction was helpful. (Hopefully more on this book after another reading.)

What Matters in Jane Austen? Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved by John Mullan
The title of this book looked promising and I was not disappointed. The author knows his way around Miss Austen's novels, and pointed things out that I had missed. I enjoyed the whole book, but my two favorite chapters are, "What Do the Characters Call Each Other?" and "What Do Characters Read?"

The Luck of the Bodkins by P. G. Wodehouse
With characters named Monty Bodkin, Gertrude Butterwick, Miss Lotus Blossom, and Ikey Llewellyn how could one go wrong? Mr Wodehouse never disappoints and this was no exception. See my favorite quotes from the book HERE.

The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise
I wanted to re-read this before homeschooling next school year. It has many resources that I have found helpful.

What are you reading?

Samurai Jack

"They call me Jack."

If you've followed this blog at all, you've probably picked up on the fact that I am suspect of all things modern, especially those that are directed at children. Keep this in mind when I tell you that the cartoon Samurai Jack is one of the greatest cartoons of all time.

Yes, you heard me correctly, something that appeared on Cartoon Network is actually worth watching. Samurai Jack only ran 4 seasons (52 episodes), so there's not so much that it will take too terribly long to get caught up. This cartoon will most likely be enjoyed by all who can really go in for an old fashioned hero with a magic sword.

Jack fights Aku.

Jack is sent to the future by the evil shape shifter, Aku. Jack is continually trying to "get back to the past to undo the future which is Aku." (Aku is evil, but not super scary.) On Jack's quest to restore "truth and righteousness" he meets some interesting characters, including talking dogs, a red-headed Scotsman (with a machine gun peg leg, bagpipes, and a sword with ancient runes), and Aku himself (in the shape of someone else- beware of trickery!).

When Aku destroyed his village when he was just a boy, making his parents slaves, Jack is left with nothing: no home, no parents or friends. Throughout, Jack is the picture of nobility and honor, caring more about those who are cast down or oppressed by Aku, than his greatest personal desire: getting back to the past. In one episode, he is mere moments away from the time portal that will fulfill his wish of traveling back to the past to undo the evil, but those who have helped him thus far are fighting to the death with the drones of Aku. They tell him go ahead, he has time to make it! But, of course, he doesn't. He saves their bacon, and in the process, gives up his chance.

Young Jack with his father.

One of my favorite episodes is a flashback to Jack's boyhood. The scene is some bullies, they take his ball, he's sad, and his father tells him,

Dry your tears my son, for nothing worth having is easily attained. Sometimes you must fight for what is yours and for what you believe in.

Jack is non-confrontational and is able to get the ball back using his cleverness, but his father's words ring true in every episode.

Samurai Jack and the Scotsman.

This cartoon was my eldest daughter's favorite when she was younger, and she actually dressed up as "a Lady Samurai Jack" for a fall costume party when all the other girls came as Disney princesses. I couldn't have been prouder! My son was also obsessed for a while, brandishing a sword and wearing flip-flops whenever he could. I guess it's time to introduce my youngest daughter to this quiet, dark haired man.

Jack tells one adversary,

[You have] trained to use the darkness of the shadow. I know your art as well, but I have been trained to use the light.

Unlike most cartoons, this one inspires heroism and the desire to do good to others. Is this an exaggeration?  I'd say not.

You may also like:
lullabies
Robin of Sherwood
Sticks in my craw... (Boss)
The little prince and the fox

library art

On a quest to find the perfect artwork for my children's school library (small classical school and tiny library), I came across several zingers. This one is probably my favorite because despite my best efforts I still have a crush on Shakespeare.

And isn't this just so incredibly fun?! And I think, "I could make that!...but not right now."

 

I can't amen this enough!

That John Keats was a true genius. I tell ya.

The next one brings my high school history teacher to mind because he always said it, and all that knew him knew he felt this way in his heart of hearts.

The next one is so true. Some of my very favorite people are dead. Wait...was that socially awkward?

 

Wish I could beat this into the young school children's heads.

But this is the one I ended up going with because it's just so fun, it's not just a quote but a colorful illustration too, it sort of reminds me of our house, and I found it for sale at a reasonable price. Unfortunately, I had to take the latter into consideration.

Books to the ceiling, Books to the sky, My pile of books is a mile high. How I love them! How I need them! I'll have a long beard by the time I read them. 
~ Arnold Lobel

My thoughts exactly, Mr Lobel... well, except for the bit about the beard.

random reading

Here, in no order at all, are some blog posts I've enjoyed lately:

http://www.armenianbiblechurch.org/food%20corner/saturation%20love.htm

http://www.stacymakescents.com/food-is-not-your-god

http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/five-fats-you-must-have-in-your-kitchen/

http://kateelizabethconner.com/ten-things-i-want-to-tell-teenage-girls/

http://www.pinkpeppers.com/2012/03/26/the-magical-technique-to-raising-wonderful-children/

http://frigatetoutopia.blogspot.com/2012/03/first-impressions-of-2011-jane-eyre.html

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/simcha-fisher/prayers-answered-darn-it/

http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol20no1/rogers.html

http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol28no1/emsley.htm

http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/2010/03/why-i-homeschool-and-what-my-approach-is/

http://www.jasna.org/persuasions/on-line/vol29no1/fuller.html

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/simcha-fisher/ten-reasons-there-are-no-women-in-hell

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/NA31Dj01.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203370604577265471922759502.html

http://www.growinghomeblog.com/2012/03/why-im-not-cut-out-to-be-homeschool-mom.html

What about you? What blogs/posts have you read lately?

art: part duo

This is the first ever Octopus Rapunzel. Don't let that thoughtful smile fool you.

art

This is E-man's depiction of Bamboo and Douglas using Expo dry erase markers. Below are the subjects themselves looking very serious for their first portrait. You would too.

business as usual...

This is what's going on in the back of my car on the way to swim.

E: Red Dead Revolver (video game) is really cool.

A: Is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Samurai Jack still your favorite?

E: Nah....

A: E., that means you are growing up. You are getting mature, because Red Dead Revolver is a pretty big game.

N: Samurai Jack fights Aku.

E: Red is a really good shooter.

A: Well, I read a story about a girl who was a really good shooter. Her name is Annie Oakley. She was really real and she went out in the woods and shot deer when she was eight years old! I have the book of it, but I haven't gotten a chance to read it all yet. How old is Red (on Red Dead Revolver)?

E: Um, about 23.

A: When she grew up Annie Oakley married a man who was a really good shot too. She could shoot blindfolded. Can Red shoot blindfolded?

E: Um...

A: E., remember on Tom Sawyer how Huck Finn turned and threw that knife at that tree? He said his father had taught him that. Injun Joe had killed his father.

E: Why did he kill his father?

A, Oh, they have that on a lot of movies. Where the child wants revenge, like on Prince Caspian. Remember when they thought Tom was dead?

E: Yeah! Yeah! And remember on Anne (of Green Gables) how they thought she was dead (He's laughing.). Her boat came back and they were like, “We killed her and she's dead now! Whaaaaaa!” (He's waving his arms to demonstrate.) That was so, so funny! It was the best part of the movie.

N: But did she die?

E: Nah, Dilbert saved her.

A: Gilbert. It's Gilbert. Mom, do we have to put on sunscreen? It's in the evening.

Spirit Of Albion

This is my children's favorite song right now.
It can get pretty loud when we are all singing along in the car!

kids' books

I thought this article was really interesting on books for kids. Check it out. (This magazine puts out some good stuff.) http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=22-06-022-f