2021 Goals- reading every day- the Bible & other books

My mother has read through the Bible (a chapter or more every night before bed) multiple times. I have always admired her for that. But I never took my admiration and turned it into action. My knowledge of the Bible was limited to the readings in the Roman and Byzantine Catholic Churches- daily, feast days, and Sundays. I always get perfect scores on Bible knowledge quizzes. But that is not enough. For whatever reason, after watching a YouTube end-of-the-year video from minimalist and Christian Ashlynne Eaton where she recommended the Read Scripture app, I pulled the trigger. I haven't missed a reading since December 14th. I'm just about finished with Leviticus. I'm using my Saint Joseph Edition of the New American Bible- I plan to fill in the gaps of the Read Scripture app with  Fr Mike's Bible in a Year podcast when Catholic books are left out; I'll have to double my readings sometime! 

I'm attempting to average reading a book every week (in addition to the Bible) in 2021. We shall see. So far in 2021, I have read Agatha Christie's Death Comes at the End- ancient Egypt with no detective but 100% Christie! I recommend it

The 2nd book was short, sweet, and an old favorite. Finishing it again, I realized that I am like Helene in that I have never gotten to England even though I have planned to visit since I was 11. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff is a collection of letters to an English book shop. Just read it. And the newish film is good, too.

My third book of the year is Emma by Jane Austen. My university-going daughters were shocked to learn that the only Austen I have read is, of course, P & P. All my life, I was the bookworm. This doesn't mean that I read a great quantity of books; it means that I re-read favorites again and again. I am going for variety with my one-book-a-week adventure. I need to pick up the pace with Emma. The language is very rich and not necessarily easy to read late at night after a busy day!

Since January 4th, I've been using Wendy Speake's The 40-Day Sugar Fast every day after my Bible reading to help me re-set my taste buds. Because I am already sugar free (I eat 90% lowcarb/keto), I am fasting from sugar substitutes and alcohol. She is a gentle woman of God; reading her thoughts is a nice way to start the day! This fast ends Feb 13th- The Great Fast before Pascha (Lent) starts for new calendar Byzantine Catholics Monday, February 15th. So, I plan to take a break for one day and then use it again, adding fasting from meat for all days of the Great Fast (for health reasons, I do not usually go full vegan for fasting times... talk to your spiritual father and possibly your doctor about what is best for you). 

My word of the year is SPRING. Who knows what this means, but I have been trying to 'spring' out of bed at 5:45 so that I can get my Bible reading, etc done in the quiet of the early morning. Of course, once I turn a light on in the kitchen (must have coffee), the kitty cries from the garage. But it has been a great experience. Those who know me in real life are probably amazed. I'm getting old- going to hit the big 5-0 this summer. It is time to wake up early enough to see the sun rise. Even if I live another 50 years, I shouldn't take this beautiful world for granted. 

fyi- if you click on the book links and then make an amazon purchase, I might make a teeny bit of money. hasn't worked so far- but maybe...? 

A Simple Woman's Daybook for November

For Today

Looking out my window... I wish I could say that I am enjoying the brightly colored leave of autumn, but alas- reality gets in the way. Ash is being blown about because of the latest fires. The closest fire is about one mile away. Lord, have mercy!

I am thinking and wondering... why do politicians get away with spending $1 trillion on high speed rail which is no where complete when they could spend it on burying the electric wires that cause these yearly infernos? 

I am thankful... for our safety, for health, for my children, for this month of thanksgiving after the month of 'spookiness.' My sensitive kiddos are just about done with all the gore and guts they would see in the neighborhood and at stores. 

One of my favorite things... my small mug collection for all day tea guzzling! 

I am creating... a few simple quilts to give as Christmas gifts for the youngest babies in the extended family. 

I am wearing.... nothing special. just my go-to at-home all-black ensemble.  

I just finished reading... Agatha Christie's Curtain- Poirot's last case and The Gift of Dyslexia. I try to have a fiction and non-fiction going at the same time- that way I don't read too much non-fiction. In audio books with the kids, we are always listening to the Chronicles of Narnia on repeat or a new library find. We finished From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler- highly recommended. 

I am hoping... that my heart and the entire world are converted to Jesus

I am learning... that I really cannot satisfy everyone with my blog posts. Either I am too superficial or too cranky, too Eastern or too Western... that is why I don't blog. I need to get over that. 

In my kitchen... I am using my instant pot a lot! Usually I sear whatever meat I have, add onions and garlic, saute a bit, add more veggies and half a cup of broth (or more if I want it to be soup) and then pressure cook for 20-30 minutes, Easy!  

In the school room... our 7th grade son (!) is doing IEW Writing and Pre-algebra out side the house this year. Both classes are 1.5 hours long with about 8 students total. I think this will be a great benefit to him as he enters high school level work. Lots of homework and learning to figure out the instructor's expectations and dealing with other students in an academic environment instead of just 'fun' classes like art, theater, and sports. 

In my garden... my (potted) vegetable are just about done. I have two beautiful eggplants that did not produce one fruit. Ah well... 

Post Script

Everyone knows this blog, right? http://likemotherlikedaughter.org/ I am hoping that Leila will publish her home and family book soon...she hints... 

Shared Quote

It might be cliche, and I don't live in a place with nice Octobers, but I remember and I can dream.... "I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables 

A moment:  11 years ago- but I couldn't resist!

May November be blessed and joy-filled for us all! 

dyslexic days: the real world bumps into our homeschool demi-paradise

This was a few days ago- Daughter 8 1/2, smiling in triumph because she successfully completed her work on a short vowel 'U' book. 

In glorious Finland, she might be just one year behind the majority. In the United States, she is two years behind the 'standards.' She has an IEP (finally- it took 2 years) which entitles her to 3 hours of tutoring per week, and we are meeting another tutor for an additional 2 hours per week. She dabbles in nessy.com (love it!) every day as her only screen time. We read aloud (finishing up the original Pinocchio) and listen to audio books in the van (finishing up Anne of Green Gables).  And we work on sing spell read write  together (just like her siblings- just a year or two later). She was premature, she is left-handed and she has dyslexia going on. 

Today, her smile was wiped from her face when she was repeatedly accused of "lying"  and being a "liar" when she told someone that she couldn't read something that most 3rd graders can read. Now, she is taking a nap to gird herself for literature and choir with our homeschool group. And I am blogging, wondering how to get her spark back.

her home for the first 5 weeks...sometimes I still see her as this little, so forgive me for my mama bear-ness- actually- don't forgive me 

meet Carrie: home educator coming home to her Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (part 1)

"My story here isn’t my conversion/reversion story, but rather the story of how I came to embrace Eastern Catholicism. 

When I was in high school, I discerned religious life and entered a community of Roman Catholic religious Sisters three months after high school graduation. I spent 5 years there! I love the Sisters very much and learned so much there. I am so grateful for the time I spent there, because it helped shaped me into the woman I am today. 

But it became apparent that I just wasn’t well-suited to the life. I’m nothing if not stubborn, though, so I forced the issue and stayed much longer than I should have! But I wanted so desperately to give my life to God, and I thought that was the best way I could do so. But I felt a strong longing for something else, and knew I had to make the transition back into the world and pursue God’s will for me there.

Interestingly enough, my Superior in the convent had been friends with Melkite Archbishop Joseph Raya. She had taught Melkite children along with Roman Catholic children when she was in charge of the local Catholic school a few decades before she founded her Community. She had a great love and respect for Eastern Catholicism, and we had many Melkite benefactors, so I attended my first Divine Liturgy and had my first “taste” of Eastern Catholicism when I was a Sister.

After I left, I met and married my husband, and we started our family right away, doing our best to be devout Roman Catholics and raise our children as such. Being a wife and a mother is everything I ever dreamed of! It became obvious that this was the vocation meant for me; it’s like the puzzle pieces finally fit. It makes me laugh now to think that I ever thought I was supposed to be a nun, because I love being a wife and a mother so much! But I’ll always be grateful for that experience. 

Every now and then when we’d visit my husband’s family back home in Pennsylvania, we’d visit the Ukrainian Catholic Church in town for Liturgy. My husband and his family had attended when they were younger, so he was more familiar with it than I was. At first, to my great embarrassment now, I must admit I was a little annoyed! I thought it was nice that we attended sometimes, but it was still not as familiar to me, and I didn’t really understand why it meant so much to them. 

My husband had asked me once if I would ever consider transferring to an Eastern Catholic Church, and I remember saying, “No, no way. I’m Roman to the core!” But one year, during Divine Liturgy for Pascha, something changed. I opened my mind and heart a little more, and fell in love completely. I spent the next year learning more about Eastern Catholicism, and the more I learned, the more drawn in I became. To me, it was almost as if it was where I was meant to be all along.

Meanwhile, I had started to look more closely into my family history, and in doing so, I discovered that, canonically, I am Eastern Catholic. I was floored! So much for being “Roman to the core,” right?! My husband also discovered that his heritage was similar. All this time we had never known! We had already been leaning this way for quite some time, but that was sort of the final “clincher” that made us decide to jump right in and fully embrace our Eastern heritage. We see these circumstances as God’s Providence. 

We have recently become full members of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and are so at home! Our four children are still young (my oldest just turned 7), but it’s been so beautiful to see how they’ve embraced their Eastern heritage, as well. They were all chrismated and received their first Holy Communion together this past summer."

Thank you so much, Carrie, for sharing your story! Part 2 coming up! 

Click on the label "I'm a Catholic series" for more profiles 

It is all Greek to me! Academy of Classical Greek on-line for homeschoolers and others

Take a look at this resource- this on-line academy is even a vendor for multiple charter schools!  

ten ways to destroy your child's love for Jesus & Church: Eastern Christian edition

1. Take the Lord's name in vain and do not reprimand your children when they take the Lord's name in vain. Tolerate media, music and movies that use our Lord's name as a swear word. 

2. Do not set Sunday aside as a day for Church and family. Don't prepare for a peaceful Sunday by filling the van up with gas the day before and tidying up said van for a peaceful trip to church. Don't set out appropriate church clothes the night before the Divine Liturgy so that the children know that Sunday is a day set apart by God. If you have a Saturday vigil at your church, make sure to just 'get church out of the way' Saturday evening so that you can be really busy all Sunday. Ignore the commandment that the Lord gave to Moses and the people of Israel- "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God." That was the old days! Moses and then Jesus lived in must simpler times when all people had to do was farm and occasionally attend a wedding. 

Now we enlightened ones in the 21st century have homework, shopping, soccer. Make sports a top priority. Nothing could be more important in 2016. We must keep our children busy with activities like sports if we want them to be successful, normal people.Your children might become professional sports stars. Even on the off chance they do not become pros, sports teach kids sportsmanship, dedication and team work. Church is a distraction from such important sports virtues and the worst might happen if your family dedicates them to Jesus and the Church- they might become monastics- monks or nuns! Is outrage! 

the most important thing in life- best played on Sundays before lunchtime!

3. Plan to get to church late- sometime in the middle or even later in the service. Only Latin Catholics are concerned with time! It is so Roman to consider being purposefully late to church a sin! We Eastern Christians are above such concepts. We are not about sin; we are about love. Come to the service at least a half hour late, but also be certain to smugly sigh when Latin Catholics are shocked that our services can be so much longer than theirs. We stand for about three hours during church (well- if matins are offered and if we get to church and well- the priest stands for three hours. We get there when we get there) 

4. When receiving Holy Communion and leaving the church building after kissing the cross, be certain to wave, talk and guffaw to acquaintances and friends. It doesn't matter that a few Latins are trying to pray a bit in thanksgiving for the Eucharist and that you will see everyone in ten seconds outside the church and then spend an hour or more together in the coffee room; if you do not loudly greet them during the church service, they will be put out that you are not friendly. Being Christian is all about being really friendly- especially in the church building during prayer time. It is also helpful to talk with friends during the homily, most especially if your church has two homilies- in an 'old country' language and in English. Talk to your friends during the homily in the language that you do not understand. How can you be expected to be silent for five minutes! Your children certainly should not be expected to either! 

Don't be distracted by prayer in church; Hyacinth is inviting you to a candlelight supper!

5. Be sure to bring lots of toys (preferably hard plastic) and books (secular- they must be interesting- not 'fanatical' as a saint book would be) to entertain your small children. If your children are under 11 years old or so, make sure to bring lots of snacks and juice so that they do not get hungry during the hour long church service. Be sure to not demand that children go potty before church so that- even if some of the children are engaged in the service- there is constant distraction and each child eventually needing to go potty during the long hour and a bit service. 

6. If your young children are making any noise at all in church, be sure to take them out of the service and berate them angrily and do not return to the service because they might start talking again and it is just easier not to be in the building- or- take no notice that your children are loudly singing the theme to Sponge Bob during the homily. Anyway, it is the 'old country' language homily, so no one understands it except the old country immigrants. 

7. Do not forget this key way to destroy your children's faith- judge priests and religious and discuss the priest's failings frequently with your kids. Did he leave the confessional at 9:30 PM (when confessions were scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30)? Ask your kids- "what else does he have to do but minister to us?" If you see a priest on the golf course on Monday morning, ask your kids- "shouldn't he be ministering to people?" If you see your priest's grocery cart with some non-fasting items, point them out to your kids-"see, even Father doesn't fast!" Be sure to make fun of your priest's accent- Romanian, Mexican, Indian, Ghanan, Ugandan, Nigerian, Chilean- do not point out that the local mega parish of 5,000 families has not had a priestly vocation in thirty years of a 'native born' man. All the priests and deacons have funny accents. 

Complain about any money that is paid the priest. Do not give him a stipend if he administers a sacrament or comes to bless the house- he didn't get into the priesthood to get rich, right? Point out to your kids every time the priest makes a mistake in the service. If he makes a grammatical error during the homily, snort and roll your eyes so the children will notice the mistake. It is for their good; you wouldn't want them to make the same mistake! Grammar is important! 

The opportunities to judge a priest or deacon are even greater when he is married. Did his wife forget to smile? Did the children act up during church? Did any of the family drop the ball when it came to ministry? Point out their shortcomings to your children so they feel superior to those clergy family people who spend too much time in church. 

look at the chubby friar! he can't fast! What a hypocrite! 

8. What about fasting? Do not bother! Only monks and nuns fast! Well...maybe they do. Who knows! The Church is so out of touch. It is so complicated to not eat meat. We Westerners are so busy with other activities and grocery shopping is so difficult. I sometimes have to cross the street in my Honda to get to a second grocery store when I want to buy my vegan items. Such a struggle. Those in developing countries have it easier; they just have to choose between sweet potatoes and grains. 

Anyway, only liberal atheists go vegetarian. I suppose to hedge your bets, fast when in public and then eat meat when at home or in a restaurant if you think you won't bump into a fellow Eastern Christian. You wouldn't want to scandalize them. If you do decide to try and fast according to traditional guidelines, be sure to emphasize the weight you hope to lose, not the virtues you hope to strengthen. If your family does decide to fast, make sure your children feel superior to Latin Catholics with their non-existent fast.  Also, talk behind the backs of those not fasting for health or other reasons. 

9. Have no prayer life in the home. You do not want your children to be fanatics! Never talk about Jesus outside a church service. Never read the Bible in the home. Do not let the children catch you going to confession, reading the Bible or praying. Do not have an icon corner. If you do have an icon corner, use it for pretty decor (like Cher having a crucifix collection or the singer Madonna wearing rosaries in the old days) and never use it to inspire prayer. If your television is next to the icon corner, this will help keep it secular space. Do not forget to keep the television on at all times to keep the home filled with noise. 
But if you do decide to pray in the home, be certain to emphasize fire and brimstone-style theology with no talk of God's love and mercy and demand family prayer when children are tired, hungry, and thirsty and dad is busy in the garage or with video games.  

10. What to do about the ethnic 'problem' in the Eastern Churches in the US and Canada? To destroy your child's love of Jesus and the Church- you should decide to only attend a service where the priest and community are from your old country- preferably the same county. God and Church are only important because He speaks the same language, eats the same food, and wears the same national folk dress that you do. If Romanian was good enough for Jesus, it is good enough for my kids! Be certain never to attend a service of a different ethnicity even if it is the same rite. The most important part of church is hearing our old country language NOT receiving Christ in the Eucharist or being able to worship in the same rite (but different sui  juris church) in communion with Rome. 

and here's a BONUS WAY TO DESTROY YOUR CHILD'S FAITH

Allow and encourage your children to use a 'smart' phone at all times. If your children are not hooked up to internet content at all times, they will be out of step. The world is changing so swiftly, your children need to have unfettered access. Under no circumstances keep tabs on your children's internet usage. They need to know that you trust them. In addition, have a computer and television in your child's bedroom. Under no circumstances should you have standards for media usage- they need to know that you trust them to make good choices.

Very importantly, never control when they use the smart phone provided for them. They need to stay connected to friends, celebrities, and the day's viral videos. And so do you. As a mom or dad, it is important to stay your own person. Show your children that your life is important and answer every notification, text and call immediately. This is your 'me time.' A great place to use phones for the entire family is at the dinner table. Just be careful not to spill milk on the phones because getting a new phone can take a while and it is very stressful to be unconnected. 

Church services are the perfect time for your children to use their smart phone. They will be certain to stay quiet and sit still if they are watching the latest  viral video (use subtitles when possible!) or keeping tabs on their favorite boy band. Scrolling through their instagram feed so they can 'keep up with the kardashians' will keep them in the pew so grandma is satisfied having the family together for the Easter service. Writing emails can be a little too distracting to fanatics who actually try to pray during church, but teens these days usually text and IM- easier to disguise and using less movement. For younger children, keep it simple by handing them your phone to play games like candy crush and grumpy birds. Children must be entertained! They will thank you for protecting them from a bit of boredom and the fancy language and theology that is so out of date in 2016. Gotta stay with the times! 

this post was inspired by my mistakes, others' mistakes, and the book below

if you cannot keep your children from religious life or if you want retreat information for yourself, I hesitate to encourage you. It could keep you from your goal of destroying your children's faith... but here are some communities to check out if you really must....

Holy Resurrection Monastery 

Christ the Bridegroom Monastery -for women 

Holy Theophany Monastery- for women

Byzantine Catholic Monastery-Oregon 

how to help your children love reading: dogs, library day, poetry teatime, & book club for mum

Duke's favorite book is The Far Side 

When I was little, I was known as the 'bookworm.' My Bachelor's degree is in English. I teach English at the college level. I take the children to the library and utilize three library cards to be able to bring home all their treasures. I discourage the twaddle of Barbie easy readers and Berenstein bears. I encourage the fun (and non-Twaddle, in my opinion) of Elephant and Piggie, and Redwall. 

I want my children to be readers, and they are. The youngest is technically behind in her reading skills, but there are ten books in her bed at the moment. Reading is her entertainment, and the ability will come. Of course, when videos are severely limited and video games are not on their radar, it is not surprising that books become friends. 

how my kids have learned to treat books as friends

• go to the library once a week (we try to keep library books not currently being read on a specific table- they never go into the shelves or they will be lost! ) 
• reduce television/videos and video games to basically nothing- this means parents, too- we use dress-up, board games, music, audio books and podcasts besides playing outside when we need a little fun besides reading a book. 
• read aloud a lot...get inspiration at read aloud revival 
• have poetry teatimes once a week... now, my children equate a sweet treat with reading poems together- we use a stack of poetry books bought new, from library rescue sales, thrift shops, and the occasional library book. We really enjoy the 'official' Poetry Teatime Companion.  

• do you, mum and dad, read for pleasure? gulp. Besides the constant read alouds, that are very pleasurable for me, I do not read enough for pleasure. I am trying to remedy this with books that are not quite age-appropriate for the children, but good for me. I recently have joined my very first book club of my life. We read All the Light We Cannot See last month and will continue with Love & Friendship, or Lady Susan. It feels good to read and discuss. Who knew? I really regret being in my 40s and new to book clubs.

It has been a long time since I read a book that I could not put down. I have read plenty of great works, but there was just something about Rebecca. I didn't read it for a class or a book club. I just read it. It is a masterwork. Do not start it unless you have the time to finish it. I kept coming back to it and read it as fast as I can. The book wasn't going anywhere, but I treated it like a leftover piece of pie in the fridge that someone would eat if I didn't get to it first. (this post has affiliate links- if you click and then buy something from amazon without clicking on someone else's affiliate link- I will get a tiny bit of money- I have made $10 in two years!) 

memories of our summer: Mount Rushmore & the Grand Canyon

We drove over 6,000 miles (around 9700 kilometers) in 12 days at the end of summer vacation for our much-awaited 'Great America Roadtrip' tm. We drove all day and slept at a different place every night except for 3 nights at my sister and her family's place in Indiana and 2 nights at our cathedral in Canton, Ohio.  But the most special part of the trip was that priest-husband-father was able to come with us! He missed out on the majority of our earlier three week stay with the rest of the family up north, so we were thrilled when he was able to come on the road trip. 

The beginning of the trip was at Mount Rushmore, and we then visited the Grand Canyon at the tail-end. Although Mt Rushmore was astonishingly beautiful and made us feel patriotic, we all agreed that the Grand Canyon, not made by human hands, was far superior. But photos of both sites do not do them justice. Try and visit these landmarks and see them with your own eyes. 

school has begun... how about a last huzzah?

last week, the little kids and I went to a fellow Catholic homeschooler's home for some fun and frolic. The schools around here start smack dab in the middle of August- we do the same, but we start slowly. Homeschooling gives a lot of flexibility. The big girls are very busy with their high school and college work. As for the little ones, we have been doing some morning basket, some reading (as always!) and math. Tomorrow, it will be full throttle. I am finishing up 'Five in a Row' (really just 'three in a row' for our needs and interests) 2 and 3 this year as a morning basket activity and using 'Moving beyond the Page' (ages 8 to 10) as our primary curriculum for the year. Math is Singapore, Teaching Textbooks and Khan Academy when needed.

our 2016 read aloud revival continues... great books every day

I am attempting to read aloud to the little ones (8 and 6) every day of 2016.... we are finishing up The Trumpet of the Swan as our chapter read aloud and have added a great one- 

The Wind in the Willows is perhaps the greatest example of how a classic book is simplified and sometimes changed to become a proper Disney film. While I enjoyed the Disney cartton and the Disneyland ride depicting Mr Toad's 'wild ride,' the book is so much more. The rich, description-filled language makes a great read aloud. I waffle between Rat, Mole and Badger being my favorite character; Toad never makes the list.

Millions of Cats is a simple book with just three characters- an old man, an old woman, and their kitten (plus a million more cats). I love the wood cut-tyeillustrations.

I hope you know Caps for Sale! It is a classic.

The Story of Ferdinand is perfect for my gentle boy. Sometimes it is okay to not be what people expect you to be. Not everyone has to be ambitious and aggresive. I suppose the message of this book is not very American!

I challenge you to read Sylvester and the Magic Pebble to your kids without a tear in your eye! William Steig is a master story teller. It is also refreshing to read a story about an intact family that simply loves each other. The conflict comes from a magic pebble and a lion...

The Tale of Three Trees is a perfect Lent and Easter read aloud. Three trees grow and help Jesus at different times of His earthly life. We are reading much more- but I didn't want this post to be crazy long....

What are you reading aloud to your kids lately? (These are affliate links- this mean if you click on the link and then buy something at Amazon while that 'cookie' is active, I will receive a very very small portion of what you spend- thank you for considering this)