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Pardon the dust and put on a hard hat – this blog is under construction!

I am currently in the process of moving my current blog to this location.   So, if you are looking for the Ten O’Clock Scholar’s most current posts, try the old blog first until this blog is up and active.

Thanks!

Rethinking the Christimas Craze

Sometimes I get irritated with the mad push for Christmas. The local Christian radio station started playing Christmas music last week. The stores have pulled out all the holiday merchandise and the city decorations have begun to appear.

Why can’t we wait for the holiday to arrive before we celebrate it? This is a bit of a cliché gripe, I know. Everyone loves complaining about how early the Christmas rush begins. I love complaining about it, too. It is an easy shot to take and does make us feel a bit “superior”.

All this craziness seems to me to reflect the spiritual state of our culture. Despite what we may hear and read, I believe the “Christmas Craze” is evidence of the desire for spiritual fulfillment for believer and non-believer alike: the coming of the Savior. We are anxious for the future: both near (Christmas) and distant (Second Coming). It is so tempting to begin the celebrations early! This is not an altogether bad desire – it reveals the Christian’s hope. However, it does become a distraction when it overshadows the work that must be done before both those long-awaited days of the Savior’s appearance.  These events require seasons of preparation – Advent. To skip these might leave us unready to fully welcome the Savior.

In the past, I’ve found myself trying so hard to avoid all Christmas celebrations until Christmas was really here. I was determined to observe a good Advent season. Our culture makes this almost impossible – and in fact it was for me. But, now I’m not sure this is really necessary or preferable. I still maintain that a thoughtful Advent observance heightens the celebration of Christmas; however, Advent can be enhanced by appreciating a taste of the joy awaiting us. It awakens our hearts a bit and makes them yearn even more for the end of Advent, both the seasonal and the eternal!

My family will continue our usual Advent traditions, maintaining our focus on this season of preparation. However, we’ll also enjoy those moments of festivity knowing that the full celebration is yet to come and allowing the yearning for that celebration to grow! And instead of griping about the premature and over-the-top Christmas celebrations, I’m going to focus on being thankful for this proof of the desires deep in the hearts of us all.

Peter Piper’s Picks: Nov 14th

Liturgical Nuts and Bolts – from iMonk: a great explanation of the liturgy by an Anglican priest.

Waltzing Matilda shares her display for All Souls. What a lovely way to remember those we love who have passed. Her display is of Mass cards – but photos of friends and family that have died would be equally beautiful.

From AbeBooks.com, a commercial website, a fascinating look at what was being read during World War I, especially what was being read by soldiers.

A homeschool supply box for “those days”. A great idea!

Have you ever been unfriended, literally or via Facebook? Read to the end for a link to a Garrison Keillor take on unfriending, too.

Blessed Martilmasse, to Ye!

It is the day of Martilmasse

Cuppes of ale should freelie pass;

What though Wynter has begunne

To push downe the Summer sunne,

To our fire we can betake,

And enjoye the crackling brake,

Never heeding Wynter’s face

On the day of Martilmasse.

~~From an Old English Ballad

Today is the feast day of St. Martin of Tours. This is not a feast day I’d planned on celebrating (most feast days we just read about the saint’s life, some we enjoy some special foods or crafts), but there are lots of fun traditions surrounding his feast day! It is also Veteran’s Day and St. Martin is an excellent saint for Veteran’s Day.

Here’s a brief biography from Catholic Culture:

St. Martin was born (c. 316) at Sabaria, a town in Pannonia near the famous Benedictine monastery dedicated to his name. Against the wishes of his parents he associated with Christians and became a catechumen at the age of ten. At fifteen he entered the army and served under the Emperors Constantius and Julian. While in the service he met a poor, naked beggar at the gates of Amiens who asked alms in Christ’s Name. Martin had nothing with him except his weapons and soldier’s mantle; but he took his sword, cut the latter in two, and gave half to the poor man. During the following night Christ appeared to him clothed with half a mantle and said, “Martin, the catechumen, has clothed Me with this mantle!”

Martin was eighteen years old when he received the sacrament of holy baptism. At the pleading of his superior officer, he remained two years longer in the army. Then, upon requesting dismissal, Julian accused him of cowardice. “With the sign of the Cross,” Martin answered, “I shall more certainly break through the ranks of the enemy than if armed with shield and sword.”

Want a bit more? Here is a nice biography of St. Martin and a history of traditions from Fisheaters. I thought this was particularly interesting:

St. Martin’s remaining piece of cloak became a very revered relic. In fact, the building where his cloak — “cappa” in Latin — was preserved was known as the “cappella,” the root of our words “chapel” and “chaplain.”

Some ideas for celebrating:

• Since St. Martin is known for giving half his cloak to a poor man, perhaps today would be a good day to purge your wardrobe for clothes that could be given away. (Or, if you are like me, take that bag of clothes you already purged and has been sitting in the garage for a month to GoodWill.)
• Enjoy some traditional Martinmas foods: roast goose, wine or grapes, horseshoe shaped cookies or cake. Here are some other ideas.
• Enjoy an online tour of St. Martin’s Cathedral in Tours, France. And some good interior views.
• Watch a YouTube presentation (2 minutes).
• Explore Catholic Culture’s page on Martin of Tours.

St Martin’s tomb

A blessing at table:

Lord God, source of all that is good, we praise your holy name on this day in which we celebrate the memory of your faithful servant, Martin of Tours. By the example of his life, renew in us the desire to follow daily in the footsteps of Christ, your Son. Bless this nourishment, which we receive from your bounty. May it strengthen us for your service. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

~~From the book Table Blessings: Mealtime Prayers Throughout the Year by Brother Victor-Antoine d’Avila-Latourrette

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One Year Ago Today. . .

Feast of St. Leo the Great

One year ago today, we received and accepted, the referral of our fourth child and second daughter, Baby L. Here is the first photo we saw of her. . .

And here she is a year later. . .

We are celebrating today with a homemade cake and Jollof Rice - my first attempt at some good Ghanaian cooking. Updated to add – I decided instead to use this recipe for Jollof – a little simpler.

Blessed Feast of St. Leo to you!

Daybook – Monday, November 9th

Daybook for November 9th, 2009

outside my window . . .

low early morning light, crisp air, a slightly veiled blue sky. Rain today, maybe?

in the kitchen . . .

Roasting a chicken today with a good pot of soup to follow tomorrow. Hopefully a batch of freshly baked bread (don’t be overly impressed any homemade bread is from my bread maker and you know how easy that is).

around the house . . .

with my dear husband’s help we managed to tame a snarling pile of laundry last week. But now comes the hard part: putting it away. It is my weakness.

on my iPod . . .

Four more CiRCE talks:

Leah Lutz – Integration, Imitation, Contemplation: The Natural Order of the Curriculum

Debbie Harris – Nature’s Five Great Truths: God’s Revelation Through Nature as a Tool in the Classroom

Andrew Kern – The Canons of Rhetoric: The Deep Logic of the Language Arts

and the first of the colloquies- John Hodges, on a CS Lewis quote: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probably explanation is that I was made for another world.

don’t miss the chance to hear some other great CiRCE Conference talks yourself!

from our studies . . .

Reading about Japanese history the next couple days. From the Baldwin Project: Child’s Life in Japan and Japan: Peeps at History (selections from this). Also some Japanese fairy and folk tales.

thinking about . . .

Thanksgiving just around the corner, then Advent and Christmas, but wondering WHY in the WORLD my local Christian radio station is already playing Christmas music. Don’t they understand that they are just playing into the commercialization? Why not choose to stand counter to the culture? Oh, yea, they don’t want to loose those listeners to the secular stations that are starting their holiday push. *sigh*

~~~

listening to. . .

Baby peeping. Cat’s bell tinkling as she sneaks up the stairs. Middle daughter busily, and almost silently, crafting some new creation of paper and tape.

thankful for. . .

my kids starting to get better after a sick week…and my inner ear clearing up a bit. Unfortunately, poor hubby is now coming down with the funk.

pondering the words . . .

“What Aristotle meant, at least in part, was that, since our nature desires knowledge, we derive pleasure simply from knowing. We do not need to apply it, make it “relevant,” or derive some practical application from our knowledge.”

From Andrew Kern at Quiddity, the CiRCE blog.

reading . . .

Nothing new, same books as last week.

creating . . .

Just finished the girls’ hats – so cute! I might have to make one for myself. I love having a crochet project going . . . gives me something to do with my hands when I’m relaxing.

~~~

one of my favorite things . . .

my big white robe. It is just the right weight for winter or summer. I think it needs a soak in some bleach, however, because it is looking a little less than “bright”.

a few plans for the upcoming week . . .

The usual: Art, Classical Conversations, and Drama. A special anniversary for our family on Wedneday. Hubby has an annual board meeting with his ministry partners this weekend. Family friend, Uncle Peter, will be coming to stay for a night or two. Maybe a special playdate/sleepover for middle daughter.

a picture thought I’m sharing . . .

Mushrooms recently discovered on a nature walk.

Enjoy more Daybooks at Peggy’s!

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Saturday Evening Blog Post for October

Here’s a fun round-up of posts from the last month.

Swing by to read and/or submit your own!

I chose to submit two posts: Holy Poverty and Embracing All Hallows Eve because they’re about something I love: the Church Year!

Have a lovely Saturday!

Finding Excellence in Home Education Resources

My family began our home education journey nearly 7 years ago. If you are a home educator, you probably remember all the resources you devoured as you tried to wrap your head around this crazy idea called Home Education. I was blessed to have access to a great local church’s library that stocked quite a number of home education resources which I quickly worked my way through.

There were so many resources that had a great influence on our home education journey, but the one that has had the best and most enduring influence is the CiRCE Institute.

The CiRCE Institute is committed to promoting and supporting classical education in the school and in the home. CiRCE’s president, Andrew Kern, is a man with a great sense of humor and humility. He’s written books, articles, blogs, and each year presents a knock-out conference that features speakers like:

Dr James Taylor

Martin Cothran

Ken Myers

Cheryl Lowe

John Hodges

Tracy Lee Simmons

James Daniels

Evan Wilson

Wes Callihan

Cathy Duffy

Bryan Smith

Vigen Guroian

Laura Berquist

Andrew Pudewa

I’ve had the privilege of attending one of the conferences and have purchased 3 of the conference CD sets, which I listen to regularly for inspiration and encouragement. I cannot recommend CiRCE as a source of inspiration and information for home educators highly enough!

So, how would you like the opportunity to enjoy some free resources from the CiRCE Institute? Read ON!

CiRCE has just recently launched their 2009 Fundraising Campaign called “Further Up, Further In”. If you make a donation of ANY amount, you will be able to download SEVEN conference talks. The conference talks usually are priced for download at $6 a piece, so this is an excellent opportunity!

The talks available are listed on CiRCE’s Fundraiser page. There are some excellent speakers! (Harris, Kern, Pudewa, Taylor, Berquist, Myers, and Daniels)

I hope you’ll take a moment to follow those links to CiRCE’s home page and Fundraiser page and consider supporting this organization that does so much to support classical educators.

I’m not getting any payment or freebies for this promotion . . . just the joy of sharing CiRCE with you and the pleasure of helping them keep doing the work they do.

Daybook – Tuesday, November 3rd

Daybook, or perhaps Nightbook, for November 3rd, 2009

outside my window . . .

The night has fallen suddenly. It will take a few days for me to get used to the earlier sunsets.

in the kitchen . . .

Cooked a whole chicken in the crockpot yesterday, broth made in said crockpot overnight, and chicken and rice soup tonight. Super easy and delicious!

around the house . . .

My laundry is seriously starting to pile up.

from our studies . . .

We finished House of the Sixty Fathers today. Such a sad, sweet story. The last word: The heart understands without words. Proud of eldest son (DS 13) who made a great effort with his Logic this week . . . my brain hurts, though. Middle son (DS 10) loves perimeter – I’m thinking I can sneak in some addition practice with perimeter problems. Middle daughter (DD7) is making great strides in reading!

thinking about . . .

introverts and the church – how modern evangelicalism’s extroversion tends to look on introverts as less spiritual.

~~~

listening to. . .

my kids experimenting with a tin can “phone” – although I think they’ve given up on the phone part and are just knocking it around the house.

thankful for. . .

that crockpot chicken – I was under the weather today and not having to cook was a lifesaver.

pondering the words . . .

You do not realize the value of the good you are doing. Think of how the farmer sows without seeing his crop in front of him. He trusts in the land to deliver his harvest. So why don’t you put your trust in God? The day of the harvest will surely come.Imagine yourself in the middle of the planting season. The more we sow today, the more we can reap tomorrow. Remember those words of Holy scripture: “He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him” (Ps 125:6).

St Augustine, Sermon 102,5 – HT The Happy Catholic

reading . . .

Flannery O’Connor: The Complete Stories, Lost to the West, and still the Divine Comedy

kids are reading: Wind in the Willows, Children’s Homer, Pocahontas and the Strangers, The Dawn Treader, The Lord of the Rings, and just finished H

ouse of the Sixty Fathers.

creating . . .

trying to finish up some hats . . . just haven’t found the time, yet! But at least now I have a wonderful yarn tote from my friend, Julie, to carry my project around with me.

~~~

one of my favorite things . . .

My mini rolling oil heater. It takes the chill off our bathroom on these early fall and winter mornings…it is so toasty warm!

milestones in the past week . . .

Baby L has 4 teeth coming in, that is a total of 6 teeth!

a few plans for the upcoming week . . .

Going to see a show at our Children’s Theatre on Thursday, and African music and dance show!

a picture thought. . .

Youngest daughter (DD1), aka Baby L, and I enjoying a giggle and a box of dots.

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Saints and Seasons – November 2009

Upcoming Saints’ days and seasons for November.

November 1
All Saints

November 2
All Souls

November 3

Richard Hooker

November 10

Leo the Great

November 11
Martin of Tours

A Trio of royal women Saints:

November 16

Margaret of Scotland

November 17

Elizabeth of Hungary (Anglican churches traditionally celebrate her on the 19th, but I’m sticking with the Roman church’s date since it works so nicely to celebrate all three back to back)

November 18

Hilda of Whitby

November 22

Christ the King Sunday

November 23

Clement of Rome

November 29

First Sunday of Advent

November 30
St. Andrew

This is not a complete list, but reflects important Anglican and traditional Western church observances. If you have some you’d like to add, please leave a comment. And if you post about how you celebrate a feast day or season, please feel free to leave a link in the comments, too!

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