August was a good mix of work and play.
Read
Quite a variety of books to report this month.
- Whistler by Ann Patchett: not for everyone but I like the way she structured the story and enjoyed reading about family relationships and the way we remember the past (I also had fun spotting autobiographical elements from reading her essays).
- In Vital Harmony by Karen Glass: a contemporary take on Charlotte Mason’s A Philosophy of Education where her principles are clearly arranged and explained.
- The Black Rose by Thomas B. Costain: historical fiction set in the 13th century that made me want to learn more about Roger Bacon, who appears as a peripheral character.
- The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis: a dense little book based on three lectures arguing for natural law and objective values (I found a podcast that helped me understand it; see below).
In addition I read Prince Caspian aloud. Some picture books we enjoyed were Kumak’s River, Goose, No More Water in the Tub, and Heronry.
Do
- Youth Garden Club and library fun day
- Shopping (thrift and grocery) in Brockville
- Smith’s Falls: locks and Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario
- Syracuse Zoo and beach with grandparents
- Start of school!
- Lisbon homecoming parade
- Water slide and bounce house near the splash pad in Ogdensburg
- Watching monarch eggs hatch, caterpillars become chrysalises, and emerge as butterflies
- Beaver Camp!! (Five days of cousins, kayaks, puzzles, games, Aquajump, challenge course, s’mores, and more.)
- Visiting a small church plant in Saranac Lake, then having a picnic, and hiking a little mountain
Eat
For back-to-school I made a meal plan rubric, which I think is helpful for breakfasts, lunches, and snacks; I’m not sure that it’s a big time- or stress-saver for suppers — time will tell. I was glad to find a recipe for make-ahead baked oatmeal (I double it but reduce the milk slightly). Two seasonal recipes we enjoyed were High Protein Chicken Zucchini Corn Bake and Tomato and Corn Pie. I also canned peach salsa.
Listen
This episode of The New Mason Jar podcast has a great pep talk starting at 37:00.
Pints with Jack is a podcast that discusses C.S. Lewis’s works — there are at least 12 episodes about The Abolition of Man alone!
Grow
Sadly the zucchini plants died; I planted more and am eager to see if they will produce before the frost. The two eggplants started to shrivel but we manage to slice and bake them with Italian seasoning and cheese. We continued to pick banana peppers and a few green beans. The tomatoes (Early Girl and Sunset Bumblebee) are doing great. I grew more lettuce but most of it went bitter. We have one Sugar Baby watermelon growing! The acidanthera finally produced a few blooms.
Ponder
“‘L’art, c’est l’homme ajouté à la nature.’ I still can find no better definition for the word art than this: nature, reality, truth; but with a significance, a conception, a character which the artist brings out in it, and to which he gives expression, which he disentangles and makes free and clears up.” – Vincent van Gogh in a letter to his brother Theo
Meditate
“But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'” – Luke 10:41-42