— 1 —
Well. That was a week.
Drive back and forth to Kansas, then come back to work on a project that came my way a 
bit more than a week ago, and I took it on, knowing that it was due today (11/10) and I’d be traveling for four days in the middle of it.
Done! Last night! Ahead of schedule!
So where was in Kansas and why? I blogged about it on Monday – at Benedictine College in Atchison, a strong contender for my now-junior-in-HS’s matriculation in a couple of years. The journey there and back lasted from Thursday afternoon to Sunday evening, with various stops along the way, including the City Museum in St. Louis and the Truman Library. As I said, check out the travelogue here.
— 2 —
So, yes, one short-term project completed, and now several months of work of a different sort ahead of me, as well as whipping up a final draft of that Loyola book. And other things. I’m learning a lot. About…things.
— 3 —
Today’s the feastday of St. Leo the Great. Here’s a good introduction to this pope from Mike Aquilina.
The Tome of Leo on the nature of Christ.
He’s in The Loyola Catholic Book of Saints, under “Saints are People who are Strong Leaders.”
— 4
On the homeschool front? The usual. The “special” classes are over now, which frees up time, although next week, he’ll be going to a special homeschool frog dissection and a daytime Alabama Symphony concert, so yes, we keep busy – especially since basketball has started up again. He finished Tom Sawyer, read a couple of short stories early this week – “The Necklace” and “To Build a Fire,” and has moved on to The Yearling. Which I read when I was about his age. And…I guess I liked it.
Well, no guessing about it. I vividly remember reading The Yearling and just….being torn up by it.
(And yes, Amelia is wrong. My full name is Amelie. I imagine that whomever my mother ordered the bookplate from just couldn’t imagine such a foreign name being bestowed on a true American child.)
— 5 –
We’ve done a bunch of science stuff at home this week, mostly simple demonstrations involving steel wool, alum crystals and candles. Not all together, I hasten to add. Next week I’ll do a more comprehensive Homeschooling Now post, because I do enjoy writing about all of those rabbit trails.
–— 6 —
We did fit in a little jaunt to our wonderful Birmingham Museum of Art. There’s free admission, so we have no excuse not to go regularly. There’s been a fairly recent shift in administration, and it shows. There’s a new sort of brightness and cleaner feel to the galleries, and I really do think some of the description cards have been rewritten – even those on the pieces I’ve seen several times seem different – more informative, less fussy.
The occasion for our visit was a special exhibit focused on Asian art and the afterlife. It was a small exhibit, but with very interesting and even engaging pieces presented well.
As we poked our heads in the Renaissance and Baroque galleries, I noticed a piece I had never seen – it must have just recently been brought out. It’s a Spanish Baroque wood polychrome statue of St. Margaret of Corona, and it’s….breathtaking. Look at this photograph (I didn’t take it – mine didn’t turn out, and so this is from the Museum’s website.). Do you see? The detail and the natural feel are almost startling to behold.
Image: Birmingham Museum of Art.
Go here for more views and more information.
— 7 —
St. Nicholas day is less than a month away….and don’t forget Bambinelli Sunday!
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For more Quick Takes, visit This Ain’t the Lyceum!
Crafts & Vintage
I used an Audible credit to download Pied Piper by Nevil Shute when you reviewed it some time ago. It was perfect listening on a long car trip. Thanks!