For Today
Looking out my window…cooler, breezy, and sunny today!
I am thinking…this category is hard! 😛
I am thankful…for hubby’s summer work schedule which allows him to take a half-day off most Fridays. We took the opportunity to go on a short hike the other week.
One of my favorite things…reading outside – love the summery colors of these two current reads. ♥
One of my favorite things…reading outside – love the summery colors of these two current reads. ♥
I am creating…nature journal entries – getting inspiration from The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling this summer. I want to attempt a drawing of this huge (well, the largest one I’ve seen) dragonfly that buzzed around our house the other day (hubby managed to shoo him back outside).
I am wearing…purple tee and denim Capri pants.
I read…finished the fourth volume of Churchill’s A History of the English-Speaking People today!
I am hoping…the sick kiddos are better soon (summer colds, ugh).
I am learning…about the Boer War.
In my kitchen…Trader Joe’s “Puff Dogs” and veggies for an easy supper tonight.
In the school room…learning about Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantasique with Mr. Bernstein.
In my garden…roses! And lots of new mulch for the front garden.
Post Script…Brandy’s Mother Culture posts are always inspiring, and she has a habit tracker this year (although I’m doing my own thing in that regard 😉 ). Hoping to read some great books this summer!
Shared Quote
The last thing we want is to make everywhere else just like our own home. It would not be home unless it were different. C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves
A moment from my day…first ice cream truck treat of the season last week. 🙂
Closing Notes
Planning for 11th grade has begun! Any recommendations for 20th century history and biography?
Hosted by: The Simple Woman
11 Responses to The Simple Woman’s Daybook for June 4, 2018
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Anna, I’m visiting from Simple Woman’s Daybook link up, and I’m glad I landed on your page. It’s been fun clicking to your Castle and Cathedral post, as well as to the Mother Culture link you posted.
I’m a cathedral lover and even have a whole category on my main blog for it. http://virginiaknowles.blogspot.com/search/label/Cathedrals
Thanks for stopping by, Virginia!
20th Century history/biography recommendations – this is off the top of my head, so I am probably forgetting some others.
Biography:
– ‘My Early Life’ by Winston Churchill – although it begins in 1874, it is an excellent introduction to the 1900s and contains the account of his thrilling escape from a POW camp during the Boer War, the first war of the 20th century.
– ‘The Pianist’ by Wladyslaw Szpilman – this is the first hand account on which the Academy Award winning film of the same name is based. Szpilman was a Polish pianist of Jewish descent who survived the Holocaust. A very difficult read, but a very valuable one.
History:
– ‘The Arab Awakening’ by George Antonius – a little known, but invaluable introduction to 20th century Middle Eastern history, published in 1938, it is considered a classic work of history by those who know it. The author was a Lebanese Arab Christian who witnessed and personally met and interviewed many of the principal actors in the Arab Revolt during World War I and the subsequent dividing of the former Ottoman Empire into the modern countries of the Middle East. It can safely be said that the historical documents the book quotes and includes in the appendices hold the key to current events in the Middle East. *Note: There is another book with the same name which is not on the same topic at all, so be sure you have the right author*
Thanks, Sis! 😉 Let me know if you think of any others!
Hi Anna,
I am glad we’re neighbors over at the Simple Woman’s Daybook! I put off reading “Till We Have Faces” for many years, but when I finally read it, it became one of, if not my most, favorite of all Lewis’ books. I hope you will enjoy reading of Orual’s journey into love. What a great combination to read it at the same time as his classic, “The Four Loves.” Blessings to you and your homeschooling!
Thanks, Bettie! I have read or listened to both of them before, and am going a bit deeper with my commonplace journal and taking notes, as well as watching an online discussion class. They are both well-worth repeated readings!
My kids have enjoyed the huge book the 20th Century Day by Day, Testament of Youth (movie), Some of Us Survived, The Road Home, The Hiding Place, Red Scarf Girl, and Albert Marrin’s biographies of Hitler, Stalin, and Mao Tse Tung. Also Marrin’s book America and Vietnam. One ds in particular loved the book Rocket Boys.
Thanks Olivia! I ordered Testament of Youth to pre-read, but it does look pretty long. Was the movie pretty “clean”? I have Marrin’s Stalin bio – I like his books. Did you use just the 20th Century book as a spine, or something else as well?
Testament was long. I listened/read it and sped through the last parts. However, I think the movie was more moving since I had read the book. From what I remember it was pretty clean, of course it was high school kids watching with me.
I guess I did use the DK 20th Century book as a spine :)it’s HUGE. And there was so much other reading …
Visiting from SWDB. So many nice things here.
Although, I might be shunned from this page… but I’ve never read a C.S. Lewis book. But both of my girls love them ~ does that count? : )
Your boys with their ice cream are adorable.
And I’m with you on the husbands summer schedule. My husbands schedule recently entered the semi retirement stage. Most days it’s nice. haha.
Have a great weekend.
Definitely not shunned, but I highly recommend trying one of his books! 🙂 The Chronicles of Narnia would be a great place to start – ostensibly for children, but so rich.
Thanks for reading and commenting!