Life is so weird right now. Not that anything untoward is happening. In fact, in the externals, life is pretty calm. But my ability to focus has plummeted to a ridiculously low level, and this sad entry is the fruit of that. Here we go.
Writing: Shouldn’t even bother with that one. Well, at least I got one stupid lengthy blog post out of my system yesterday. Hopefully more to come in a more systematic way. College Guy was sort-of-unexpectedly home last weekend, lots of activities started up over the past week…distractions. Excuses!
And to be sort-of-honest, but still-veiled – I’m starting to think about next year. Things are starting to get real, guys, and if Kid #5 does, indeed, head off to college, which he seems to have every intention of doing, there is absolutely no reason at all, on earth, if I am still healthy, for me to sit around this house in this town. Oh, I’ll keep the home base for a few more years, because the two youngest have ties here. But do *I* need to wake up in this house every day, every week, every month?
Nah.
And so, I’m…thinking about that. A lot.
One writing-related note. I’ve long mourned that the “worst” selling of my Prove It books was Prove It Prayer. Best has usually been Church – it’s more hot button than any of the others, with God coming in second. But the relatively weak performance of Prayer has always saddened me a bit because I think, when teaching teens, forming them spiritually and teaching them about prayer is one of the most valuable and necessary gifts we can offer them.
But…over the past year, sales of Prayer have grown. Obviously, folks are using it in the classroom (because sales of all the Prove It books jump in August-September and then again in January) and that….makes me happy.
Say your prayers!
School:
Physics, economics and apologetics via the co-op are underway. Had the first Latin tutoring in a few months at (gulp) 7 am on Wednesday. AP Statistics tutoring continues. Major piano recital this weekend. History – his own choice – is reading and talking about this book.
Literature is the only subject left to me, praise the LORD. We’re up to the Canterbury Tales. Read and discussed the Prologue this week, and next week, he’ll read three of the tales that I select plus one of his own choosing, and we’ll talk about them.
SAT and PSAT incoming, as well as college applications. We’ll see.
It’s fine, but quite a change from, say, five years ago, when it was All On Me.
This is…better.
Cooking: As I keep telling you, it’s mostly only the two of us, but in honor of College Guy showing up this past weekend, I did bake some bread and some brownies and make some steak and potatoes. All favorites. It was appreciated. And the steak – a flank steak – provides enough for two more meals around here. Super frugal, we are.
Listening: This, over and over, in various permutations and divisions. And after this weekend, I think we will move on to this.
Watching: Not much on our end because of schedules and gaming time, but last night, we did finally watch The Seventh Seal – partly because, well, we should watch it, and partly because it sort of fits in with the literature curriculum, being that we’re in the Middle Ages.
What do you say about a classic? About iconic imagery?
Well, perhaps you say – watch it anyway. It might surprise you. If you have HBO Max, you’ve got it – or check it out from the library. It’s serious, surprisingly humorous and even though it’s a fable of sorts, it’s also absolutely true to life.
For it’s all about the dance with death that we’re all a part of, every one of us – and how we react, how we play our part. It’s mannered and a bit strange, but, as I said, quite truthful. Some of us engage, vigorously. Some of us try to ignore the real issue. Some of us argue and fight and try to win the battle. Some of us are shrugging cynics. And some of us are simple visionaries who manage to see the truth, and find peace in the midst of it.
Reading: A lot. As per usual.
Over the past week, I read two novels by Randy Boyagoda. He’s written a lot for First Things and here’s a nice piece by him in another venue on creativity – his daughter’s and his.
I read Original Prin and the just-published Dante’s Indiana.
I have to say, first off, that I read both in digital versions, via my local library’s Hoopla app. Which, as per usual, proved itself inadequate. Not that I couldn’t read them, not that it was difficult or not enjoyable. No. The problem is that reading a lengthy work online quite often- as in this case – renders the work ephemeral. It’s hard for me to remember, even a week out, what I liked….
Nonethless, I recommend both to you – Dante’s Indiana being far better than Original Prin, although they are parts 2 and 1 of a trilogy, so while not necessary, it helps to read Original Prin before Dante.
Although I am certainly a devotee and advocate of the mid-century Catholic literary sort-of-renaissance, I am not one to mourn the present and declare that Catholic LIt is dead. It’s not. Boyagoda’s work is a good example – if you enjoy Walker Percy-ish satire of the craziness that is contemporary culture and society with a hapless Catholic fellow observing it all – well, Boyagoda’s work might scratch that itch. Entertaining, sharply observant, honest and authentic about the push and pull between a scrambling faith and a ridiculous, unthethered, but unjustifiably assured cultural scene – try them out.
Now I’m on to Colson Whitehead’s new novel Harlem Shuffle which, somehow, I snagged – on its publication date – from a certain library branch which shall go unnamed despite there being a 20+ waitlist for the title. Not sure how that happened. Don’t worry. I’ll finish it over the next day or so and return it for the next eager reader.
