7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Again with the  Daily Homeschool Report thing – and the short Thursday report.

• Another class at the Cathedral for homeschoolers – his grade does drama one hour and then history of science the next. Today, the science focus was on Anton van Leeuwenhoek and his very early microscope.
• Back home noonish – lunch.
• We did some Beast Academy  – learning about like terms and combining terms. (5th grade, remember).
• Then there was something else. What was it?
• Typing this well after midnight after a 3-hour “book group.” Fill in the blanks.
• Ummmm….
• Nope. I actually think that was it.
• Piano practice.
• Off to piano lesson.

— 2 —

“Mr. R. did something really cool in my lesson today.”

“What?”

“He took the ‘A’ section of the Joplin and played it like a Chopin nocturne……

(pause)

……I want to be able to do that…”

*thank you*

 

–– 3—

Movie report from last weekend:

• The Ladykillers. What a fantastic film. We continue the Alec Guinness trend – partly because he was great and partly because his presence makes an old movie a more acceptable choice. And all the more intriguing because in every film of his we’ve recently watched, he plays such varied parts – I mean, compare him in Great Expectations, Bridge over the River Kwai and The Ladykillers. Fascinating.
• (I have never seen the Coen brothers remake)
• Here’s what is odd. See if you can work this out with me. We live in times in which popular culture is odd and inhumane, superficial and ready to expose and exploit whatever.
• But does anyone think that this film – as an original – could be made today?
• Yes, there was the Coen brothers remake which stayed faithful to the body count, but it was a *remake.*
• It wouldn’t happen. There’s a kind of post-war awareness and acceptance of darkness and the quiet, persistent force of good that can knock it out – and does – that wouldn’t find its way to film today.

— 4 —

Guess what, I said. It’s the feast of St. Blaise, I said. We’ll go to Mass and have our throats blessed with candles, I said.

Okay!

So yes we did go to Mass. And the priest announced he’d be doing a communal blessing of St. Blaise at the end of it.  No sacramentals for you, suckers!

— 5 —

It looks like I’m going to be at NCEA in San Diego in March – for just a day – so if you are one of those teacher types, see if you can find me, and say hey.

— 6 —

My Goodreads widget over there says I am currently reading Trollope, but it has started to bore me just a bit – and I have started J. B. Priestley’s Good Companions. The first chapter was full up with dialect, which was a bit rough but necessary I suppose. The second gives me a break on that score, and I just might be able to stick with it. We’ll see.

Look for posting of a review of that Bouyer memoir later today (Friday).

— 7 —

Reminder – if you’re teaching First Communion prep…maybe consider this book?

Also, my bookstore is open – I don’t have everything in stock, but I do have lots of the picture books. If you are an administrator or pastor or otherwise generous person and are interested in some sort of bulk deal, let me know at amywelborn60 – at – gmail.

In less than two weeks…Lent.

Time to order your parish/school materials – even if you want to order some for a group of friends or a class…here you go!

A Stations of the Cross for teens:

A Biblical Way of the Cross for everyone:

For Ave Maria press, we wrote John Paul II’s Biblical Way of the Cross. The current edition is illustrated with paintings by Michael O’Brien.

There’s also a digital edition in app form.

Reconciled to God – a daily devotional. Also available in an e-book format. Only .99.

Looking for a book study for a group? How about Matthew 26-28: Jesus’ Life-Giving Death from Loyola. 

Click for more

For more Quick Takes, visit This Ain’t the Lyceum!