The Sunshine Blogger Award (and rather a lot of Bertie & Jeeves)

'Ullo 'ullo 'ullo!

Hamlette's very kindly tagged me with the current round of the Sunshine Blogger Award (thank you Hamlette!) so here goes:

1. What movie house would you like to live in?

Oh goodness. This one's kinda impossible cause it all depends what mood I'm in. My ultimate dream castle would be something in the rustic lodge style, but I can't think of any movies that actually have that, so I'll go with Hartford in the '09 Emma. Not the heavy drapes, but I do love the color scheme.

2. What movie pet would you like to own?

Not exactly in the pet category perhaps, but Zorro's mighty steed Toronado.

3. What book do you wish your favorite actor or actress could have starred in an adaptation of?

I don't have a favorite (problem: actually having too many general favorites to be absolutely definitive), but we definitely need a stick-to-the-book-in-all-ways-wherever-possible adaptation of Blue Castle with Michael Fassbender playing Barney. (Why oh why has this not been done yet, peoples??)

4. Are there any movies you like better than the book they were based on?

LOTS. (I know, shocking.) We won't mention any classics, but definitely Magic of Ordinary Days and Shadow on the Mesa (It's been a long time since I flipped through library copies, but both were unreadable and/or had indecent stuff.)

5. What's your favorite movie that's set in the decade you were born in?

Eeesh, tough one. I guess the Back to the Future's.

6. Do you collect movie memorabilia of any sort?

Not much and not specifically movie related, but I have received some lovely things from friends (bookmarks, cushion covers, etc). <3 (Oh, and the Little Princess has quite a few Rapunzel/Tangled/princess-y items.)

(Doesn't really apply to anything but always makes me laugh.

Ok, back on task.) 

7. What actor and actress have never made a movie together, but you wish would have?

I haven't been thinking much on this subject of late, but (as you can tell ;)) I have been rewatching lots of Jeeves and Wooster so... um... maybe Hugh Laurie and... ?? (No, tried really hard and still can't come up with anything.)

Ooh, going into oldies now, but maybe Tyrone Power and Janet Leigh? Yup. On second thought, yes definitely.

8. What director would you like to have direct a movie based on your life?

I'm terrible at paying attention to the all important position of director when the credits roll, but y'all know I love how well all the reticence and deep meaning is captured in the '04 North & South (and, well, just everything about it), so maybe Brian Percival? Just set in the west. ;-)

9. Do you ever like a remake better than the original film?

Yes indeedy. Music Man is the only one I can think of at the moment, but there're others.

10. What's your least-favorite movie genre?

I don't do horror at all, so that makes it any sci-fi/AI in particular/scary futuristic robot stuff.

11. Are there any movies in your least-favorite genre that you do like?

I've only seen it once and don't remember if we skipped through any parts (also I consider Star Trek and Star Wars both science fantasy/fairytale not hardcore sci-fi, hence not counting), but I did end up really liking Surrogates (2009 with Bruce Willis and Rosamund Pike).

Thank you again for the tag Hamlette! Nap time is done and we're off to do laundry now so I don't have any original, intelligent questions for everyone, but if you'd like to answer any of Hamlette's questions on your own blog (or in the comments here) feel free. I'd love to see your answers, so leave a link and below is a fresh copy for cutting and pasting. Have fun!

1. What movie house would you like to live in?
2. What movie pet would you like to own?
3. What book do you wish your favorite actor or actress could have starred in an adaptation of?
4. Are there any movies you like better than the book they were based on?
5. What's your favorite movie that's set in the decade you were born in?
6. Do you collect movie memorabilia of any sort?
7. What actor and actress have never made a movie together, but you wish would have?
8. What director would you like to have direct a movie based on your life?
9. Do you ever like a remake better than the original film?
10. What's your least-favorite movie genre?
11. Are there any movies in your least-favorite genre that you do like?

Oh, and the rules:

List the award’s official rules
Display the award somewhere on your blog
Thank the person who nominated you
Provide a link to your nominator’s blog
Answer your nominator’s questions
Nominate up to 11 bloggers
Ask your nominees 11 questions
Notify your nominees by commenting on at least one of their blog posts

Tinkety tonk!

New Blog!

Hi one and all!

Lots of Life Stuff has been happening here in the last few weeks, so I'm still finishing up reading (and hopefully commenting!) on all the lovely LOWC posts, but I do have a few other blogger-y things I've been pondering over as well.

#1 -- I don't know if any of you remember the Inklings I used to host over on my author blog, but I'm thinking of bringing it over here to AtB and giving it a fresh start. Thoughts anyone??

#2 -- I've been thinking on this for quite a while and decided to start a couple other main blogging spots. (And if you enjoy AtB don't worry! I'm very fond of everything here as well, so not planning to shut it down anytime soon. ;)) But my daily interests have expanded a lot in the last few years. I don't want to parse my life up too much (or create that impression anyway) but at the same time I'm not sure everyone here will be interested in my new post topics/direction. Plus this'll be a way to just keep things more organized if you will. So finally I decided I'm gonna keep AtB for occasional movie reviews, philosophical ramblings, and sometimes more grown-up book-ish related stuff.

And... I've officially started two new blogs.

The first I put up a few months ago so you might remember it. On Story Bent, a book review blog for picture and chapter books for little people. (And also not so little. ;)) Due to working on LOWC Week shortly after putting it up there's still not much on it, but I'm hoping to have plenty more coming soon.

The second one is currently the very freshest and sparkliest. (And I'm both terribly nervous actually and super excited. :)) Called Angel in the Marble, you can find it HERE (with a slightly different web address, so be sure to take note of that -- the obvious addresses were taken but the name's integral to the whole idea and I tried to keep it easy ;)).

I really look forward to hearing your thoughts and hope you're interested in visiting over there now and again!

Happy Friday!

New blog! (And bookish related details...)

Hi y'all!

Can ye all believe it's already June?!?!? Anyhow, new month, new idea in my little blogosphere here. Actually, it's one I've had percolating for a long time, but reading and reviewing this recently pushed me into the action zone.

So! Now for the idea itself. (And btw, this in no way affects anything about Along the Brandywine here, which'll hopefully keep on its merry way with posts on any and all topics as time and inspiration coincide.)

First a C.S. Lewis quote:

“A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story.” C.S. Lewis

I've long felt that picture books don't always get their due. In addition, since there's so many, they could have the unfortunate effect of overrunning a blog devoted to other things as well. Hence, I've started a new blog solely to share excellent books for little people! (Well, actually it's for anyone and everyone.)

As we go along I plan to expand the site and also the selections to chapter books, YA fiction, etc, etc. Oh, and the focus is also on good read-alouds. It's all very relaxed, but I definitely have high hopes to see where it goes. Finally and in general (at least starting out) they'll be ones we particularly love -- just cause those're the things we really love raving about and can't wait to share.

Now... *drumroll please* HERE'S THE LINK. (I'm not even gonna spill the beans on the blog title, cause I can't wait to hear what you think. ;) Also, be sure to hit the "Read More" button on the main page. I'm super excited about the blog layout, but as always let me know if you have any issues with it, etc. Definitely want to make sure it's user friendly!)

So there ye go! If you're interested in short, simple, uncluttered reviews check it out, and if you like the looks of it be sure and follow for more.

I hope you're all having a lovely day! The sun is out here, the roses are literally spilling out in full bloom across my living room window, the parakeets are napping in the sunshine and my little buddy is napping with the fan on, so I'm gonna go get a sandwich and tackle more laundry. ;)

Happy June!

Book Review // The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie

This book is SO good. At first, for some ridiculous and (somewhat) unknown reason, I was dreading it’d be tedious and/or some sort of guilt trip, but I needn’t have worried. Once I started I gobbled it up in about two days (while camping in NV’s Black Rock Desert ;)). It’s straight up encouraging and inspiring and do-able. Everyone should read it and it’s definitely one every parent particularly should have stashed on their shelf. Or even better, out somewhere where it’s getting dog-eared and tripped over and referenced often.

The scope of the book covers various statistical points (on the importance of reading aloud and story in the life of a child both as regards education and development, etc.), but even more, it’s on shaping hearts and minds, building family bonds, shared history, and loyalty, and engendering a wide-awake, sprawling, deep vision of the world. Also (and especially helpful) lots of friendly, relaxed, down-to-earth, excellently unpreachy, from-the-trenches tips and ideas for how to actually go about it in a busy household. I don’t want to give away too many of the meaty bits or her excellent points, but here are a few gems:

“Fiction and nonfiction stories provide children of all ages an opportunity to experience what it feels like to be overwhelmed, struggle, fight, overcome, and emerge a hero. …When we read aloud, we give our kids practice living as heroes. Practice dealing with life-and-death situations, practice living with virtue, practice failing at virtue. As the characters in our favorite books struggle through hardship, we struggle with them. We consider whether we would be as brave, as bold, as fully human as our favorite heroes. And then we grasp—on a deeper, more meaningful level—the story we are living ourselves as well as the kind of character we will become as that story unfolds.”

“When I read a story with my children… the fog lifts, and I remember. I look up. I see it—that I am only one small part of a great, big, glorious world, and that the Maker of it exists—and has existed—always. That we are all part of His plan. That we have been invited to seek and follow Him, no matter what the situation. The book becomes a set of supercharged binoculars, helping us to see beyond our normal capacity.

“A story does this on its own without our having to say a word about it. Forget the whiteboard. Forget the didactic lesson. Forget the teaching points or the comprehension worksheets. When we’re telling our children the story of Jesus healing Jairus’s daughter, of curing the lepers, of raising Lazarus from the dead, we don’t need to wrap up the story with a trite explanation about how God is powerful, good, or merciful. We don’t have to add anything at all, because there it is—truth bubbling up out of the story. It is the story. When God pours down manna from the heavens, a child doesn’t need to be told that he will provide what we need right when we need it and not a moment before. We simply read the story, and our children feel the truth of it in their bones. This happens with true stories that are literal accounts (such as stories within the Gospels, or historical narratives), as well as true stories that aren’t meant to be literal at all (such as a myth or fairy tale).”

Plus, she’s got a plethora of tingly quotes tucked all throughout. Like this nugget:

“Fairy tales say that apples are golden only to refresh the forgotten moment when we found out they were green. They make rivers run with wine only to make us remember, for one wild moment, that they run with water.” G.K. Chesterton.

Or this one:

“When she was hardly more than a girl, Miss Minnie had gone away to a teacher’s college and prepared herself to teach by learning many cunning methods that she never afterward used. For Miss Minnie loved children and she loved books, and she taught merely by introducing the one to the other.” Wendell Berry, Watch with Me

Good, eh? Now off ye go to check it out and be sure to let me know what you think! ;)

On Easter Baskets and the Concrete Reality of the Resurrection

(First off, I’ve been watching a lot of Jeeves and Wooster lately, so certain phrases keep bubbling to the surface. Consider y’selves forewarned.)

Let's jump right in.

I’ve been thinking about Easter a lot. As a church festival I feel it often has a way of falling by the wayside the slightest bit. But as Protestants to the backbone, who believe in joyously hearty feast days and letting the church calendar (chronicling major events in the life of Christ specifically) shape our days and souls, there’s a rich mine here to be explored. It's like Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter, leading to the culmination of Ascension Day and ultimately rounding out with Pentecost -- are each a golden jewel, strung perfectly together, each lending fuller meaning and deeper understanding to the others. We need Christmas -- with its celebration of the full Godhead and humanity of Christ, the Light breaking into the darkness, pointing from the very beginning to the Cross -- and we need Easter, Christ's vindication and full rising in the flesh.

Yet while Easter’s a tremendous culmination, I’ve been puzzling over why it feels more ethereal than the others. Of all of the events it’s the most startling. The disciples were stunned and downright terrified. The earth quaked, a huge boulder rolled, rough blood stained Roman soldiers lay knocked out. All of this is a far cry from cutesiness.

Resurrection. New life. New creation. A restoration to the garden of Eden. Ezekiel’s river running out of the new temple and the entire world becoming a garden. Lucy’s loveliest of lovely stories in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is something like it -- for the refreshment of the spirit. Or like the moment when Shasta bends to drink clear spring water from Aslan’s paw print.

“…after one glance at the Lion’s face he slipped out of the saddle and fell at its feet. He couldn’t say anything but then he didn’t want to say anything, and he knew he needn’t say anything.

“The High King above all kings stooped towards him. Its mane, and some strange and solemn perfume that hung about the mane, was all round him. It touched his forehead with its tongue. He lifted his face and their eyes met. Then instantly the pale brightness of the mist and the fiery brightness of the Lion rolled themselves together into a swirling glory and gathered themselves up and disappeared. He was alone with the horse on a grassy hillside under a blue sky. And there were birds singing.

“…‘Was it all a dream?’ wondered Shasta. But it couldn’t have been a dream for there in the grass before him he saw the deep, large print of the Lion’s front right paw. It took one’s breath away to think of the weight that could make a footprint like that. But there was something more remarkable than the size about it. As he looked at it, water had already filled the bottom of it. Soon it was full to the brim, and then overflowing, and a little stream was running downhill, past him, over the grass.

“Shasta stooped and drank -- a very long drink -- and then dipped his face in and splashed his head. It was extremely cold, and clear as glass, and refreshed him very much. After that he stood up, shaking the water out of his ears and flinging the wet hair back from his forehead, and began to take stock of his surroundings.”

I’m not directly equating Narnia and Easter at the moment, but it’s making me think more on the tone I want to foster in our home. Through all responding to the lavish goodness of God. Mystery, passion, wonder, and intense love.

And so now we get to the presents. If all our feast days are celebrating Christ’s tangible coming in the flesh, then I think (somewhere) there should be presents. And if Easter is a culmination in and of itself, snowballing to more and more glories, we need to think how to live this out in real earnest.

The world really doesn’t know how to embody the feast day. Because there’s no Santa Claus etc., from what I’ve read it tends to get lumped in more with the likes of Valentines Day. So we get left with people doing all sorts of rather confused buying, egg hunts, and Easter baskets.

I’ve never been crazy about Easter baskets. Not that there’s anything wrong with the colorful things. It’s just kinda hard to get super excited about plastic eggs and chocolate flavored candies. (Bitter, I know. Acerbic even. ;)) It’s not particularly even the whole goddesses and pagan bunnies thing (though of course that’s an issue). It’s that it’s all too cute. We do emphatically believe God created all the sweet, cuddly things of creation -- puppies and kittens and bunnies and downy ducklings. But when it comes to the great church festivals, I think we must be militantly beware of cuteness. (We can use it, we should just be very certain why we’re doing it.)

I’ve quoted this from The Christian Imagination before, but it’s worth highlighting again: “To many North Americans… Christianity seems soppy. That is because they have not seen the real goods. True Christian imaging meets violence head-on, mine and the world’s, but also God’s. The Christian imagination… must face the reality of Job’s cry, the cry of God’s crucifixion, and of our participation in it. Once this is recognized, faith becomes not only possible, but necessary; it can never again be rose-water belief in Santa Claus.”

So back to the presents.

First off, we’re not talking about breaking the bank. They can be homemade. Or maybe the Christmas budget could be adjusted and some of the gifts saved for Easter. And (if you watch how many things come in your house) this can still have a minimal approach as well. It’s in choosing things very intentionally.

When it comes to children particularly, and thinking on our new white garb in Christ, I love the idea of a new spring/summer church dress for girls. This could work just as well (and might carry nice emphasis) with new pants and a shirt for the little guys too. And this could fit right in too with a smaller, manageable wardrobe. They just wait to get their new things till Easter and then wear them consistently thereafter.

It can be something they need. (One sweet YouTuber mom I've enjoyed watching suggests giving their new swim outfit for the year.) Or a beautiful picture book. Or perhaps something children will share (new play dough or some sort of play set etc, etc). If you’re into games, maybe a new card or board game for the entire family. The idea is to give appropriate weight to it. And (this is a thought experiment) but thinking through the wrapping and presentation. Something wrapped up is most definitely a present -- a surprise. (Or on the other hand maybe an entirely different approach. There’re all sorts of creative presentation ideas out there. The idea is to think on it.)
 
So there ye are!

I’d really love to hear all your thoughts and if you’re interested in a follow up (including what the Little Princess is receiving this year along with a few home decorations and other ideas) let me know and I’ll try and whip my ideas into some sort of shortish crystallized word form. ;)

Have a lovely evening one and all!

Book Review // For the Children’s Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School by Susan Schaeffer Macaulay

This work comes from Francis Schaeffer’s daughter as she builds on and provides a warm, impassioned introduction to the works of Charlotte Mason, a wonderful educator and teacher with a vision for vibrant, Biblical, cultural change in the late 19th-early 20th centuries. Mason's philosophy isn't caught up in some sort of rosy bubble, out of touch with the shifting sands of a post-Christian world. To quote:

“Nor is a social revolution the only one pending. There is a horror of great darkness abroad, Christianity is on its trial; and more than that, the most elementary belief in, and worship of, Almighty God. The judgment to come, the resurrection of the body, the life everlasting,--these fundamental articles of a Christian’s faith have come to be pooh-poohed; and this, not only among profane persons and ungodly livers, but amongst people of reputation both for goodness and wisdom. And how are the young to be prepared to meet this religious crisis? In the first place, it is unwise to keep them in the dark as to the anxious questions stirring.” Macaulay quoting Mason, pp. 96

(Note, in the following I’m not really analyzing the method itself so much as reviewing this particular presentation of it, so by extension I’m presupposing some familiarity with her overarching approach/ideas. 😊)

Also, let me say right off the bat that many of the principles can be applied no matter what educational method you prefer. And it’s not just for parents and teachers. As Christ followers, we are to have a tender heart for overlooked, needy children all round us. Sometimes they just need one person in their life (be it uncle, aunt, grandparent, neighbor etc.) to come alongside, throwing open windows to the world and really listening to them. Even if the child is in a God-fearing, loving household, there can be all sorts of opportunities to come alongside and serve. There’s a lot of work to be done and we need to roll up our sleeves and figure out where we’ve been called to jump in.

I do love this approach for its respect of children as persons, made in God’s image. It’s big picture, it’s about raising thinkers, and it’s tremendously helpful in its integral approach (taking into consideration the simultaneous maturation of the child’s heart, mind, and body) in raising children who not only think outside little categorical boxes, but are unafraid to step out courageously in the pursuit of truth and virtue. Of course, every good, serious-minded Christian parent is heartily seeking the same goal, but Charlotte Mason’s ideas (with their strong emphasis on narration and storytelling, the tremendous -- never to be underestimated -- importance of play, the warm parent-child relationship, etc.) does seem to foster a very particular love of learning, an internalizing of the materials, of making broad connections, and finally a deep, vivid understanding of the world.

I love it’s imagery of spreading a feast before the little ones and then guiding them in delving in. Now (to pause a moment), this is where I think the methodology could be misinterpreted (i.e. that we’re to let the child run riot on the loaded table without direction or supervision), but if you stop and think about it the image is perfect. The table is groaning with good things, but there is still an ordered approach to feasting. Table manners must be learned. And properly understood (not applied with an iron fist) table manners lead to rich enjoyment. The focus becomes delight in the feast.

There are a few points in the book I don’t implicitly agree with (though honestly, at this point I can’t specify whether they’re Mason’s or Macaulay’s). And it’s not even that I disagree particularly with her conclusions or the underlying philosophy per se. The biggest one is I’d like to have seen a balancing section on the role of church authority and community in a child’s life (and by extension, leading into adulthood). I think the philosophy itself harmoniously fits with a proper understanding, but since it wasn’t expounded on it leaves a (very probably unintended) slightly lopsided presentation, specifically if someone set out to deliberately extrapolate some sort of autonomous individuality out of it. Again, I have to read Mason’s books themselves, but I’m pretty positive she would have concurred with the dangers of postmodern individualism. She was just operating under a very different society/community structure, which -- even if it was becoming the mere vestiges of the mighty cathedral it once was -- had yet been a robustly Christian framework. Mason (and Macaulay) are both vividly aware of the undermining of the entirety of Christian culture (in fact, that’s rather the whole point). So I don’t think it’s anything to do with the understanding or philosophy of either, just a slight imbalance in this particular book. And to be fair, Macaulay is also stressing/underlining the importance of acknowledging the personhood of each one of our children as God’s unique creation over against the wild errors in that regard running rampant in our modern world. So maybe it’s just a bit of overcompensation going on. It’s very slight too, so how much it jumps out at you probably also depends on the particular battle you’re fighting and your frame of reference.

I (might) also disagree in a couple small areas of application, but they aren’t really worth expounding on at the moment, as one of the great strengths of the whole approach to begin with is flexibility – which fits hand-in-glove with understanding and acknowledging the particular God-given calling of each family.

Sin is very real, and no one approach/method, especially if applied without discernment, is guaranteed to create all gladness and light (which I’m sure Mason understood). There is always the need for discipleship and discipline, with understanding. We must take the time to understand the child, know the heart of the child -- leading the little lambs back to their Shepherd, pointing them to Christ time and time again.

We are called to be Christ-centric. Not parent or child or even family-centric. Each has a hugely important, weighty, and glorious calling. But Christ and His kingdom must be the focus and center, and everything else falls into its proper place.

Our covenant children are little saints (born sinners under the same sun as us) given to us to bring alongside, training as warriors. The goal is mature children (not little adults -- we are called to guard their tender hearts in the process), but mature at each and every stage, right all the way up into adulthood. We’re all in this together. And we’re in the business of sharpening arrows.

"Let us save Christianity for our children by bringing them into allegiance to Christ, the King. How? How did the old Cavaliers bring up sons and daughters, in passionate loyalty and reverence for not too worthy princes? Their own hearts were full of it; their lips spake it; their acts proclaimed it; the style of their clothes, the ring of their voices, the carriage of their heads--all was one proclamation of boundless devotion to their king and his cause. . . what shall we say of 'the Chief among ten thousand, the altogether lovely'?" Macaulay quoting Mason, pp. 94

So beautiful…

As a final note, I’m doing this review slightly backwards as (if you’re new to Charlotte Mason’s ideas or just getting into them), there are a couple other titles I might recommend first, making this a kind of second, deeper introduction. That being said, it’s definitely a foundational educational classic with which to be acquainted and (if your library doesn’t have it) well worth purchasing for ongoing future reference. I can see myself reading it again in a few years and can already tell certain sections will be helpful to reread many times down the road. 😊

Hoping you're all having a lovely Saturday!

~Heidi

Have you ever heard of Charlotte Mason? I'd love to hear in the comments!