There were two girls in the attic of the German House at Sewanee. One was from Leipzig, and the other from Budapest. Neither was happy. In the corner of the attic where they would be storing things for the next year, there were spiders. These were not the nice, gentle Eurospiders of their homelands, but nasty, vicious American spiders--spiders that could bite and maim. American spiders have nasty venom, and nasty ways of delivering that venom into your body. Annika and I giggled as we listened at the bottom of the stairs.
Well, yes. There are American spiders worth fearing. The Brown Recluse and Black Widow are two notorious arachnids. They are distinctively colored and patterned and so easily identified, but they do lurk in dark places.
Europe is not without its own spidery pests. There are widow spiders and comb-footed spiders throughout Europe. They are not really a big threat, though. I guess the girls were right.
If you want really venomous things, though, we often think the best place to find them is Australia. The venom of the Northern Funnel Web spider is quite potent. Then again, it is not the worst.
The most venomous spiders are in South America. Consider the Brazilian Wandering Spider. And tremble. Then remember that you don't live in Brazil and rejoice.
Anti-venom is a help, in most cases.
So there you go, girls. Don't worry. Much.
Spider books (because you knew there would be some):
One of our favorite pets is the jumping spider. Catch one if you can, and watch it for a while. Watch an orb weaver in your garden, and feed it! And if you find one in the house, put it outside, don't kill it! You can do it from a distance with this handy tool.
I love audio books, and when Audible came on the scene, it fast became a favorite. Back in the old days, the website was painfully slow, and downloads were slower. Once downloaded, transferring audio to a portable device--a Pocket PC at the time--took forever, and and could only be done in small segments due to the small memory capacity. Burning content onto CD was worse, with temperamental burner technology and cheap blanks. Stone knives and bear skins, really.
But the price was right, and it still is. The following is all advertisement. (But I would not suggest Audible if I didn't use the product.)
Today, downloads are almost seamless, very fast, and Audible's customer service is the best on the 'net. They even employ humans.
A friend asked for my top five audio books, but honing my favorites to 5 proved too daunting a task. Instead, I gave her 11: five fiction, and five non-fiction, more or less, and one (actually, three) all-time favorite listens. Here they are: An outstanding read:
Truck stops on the road offer the casual cross country driver a quick respite on a long drive. Public bathrooms, shops offering everything for sale, and 24 hour family style restaurants lured us as we drove along America's great highway system. For our youngest, every stop was an opportunity to use the bathroom.
We went into one small stop once, and found the men's and ladies' rooms down a dark, narrow corridor. As usual, I gave explicit instructions: If you are done before I am, stay right here. But 10 year old boys and curious little monkeys have plenty in common. When I emerged from the ladies--and I was sure he had long-since finished--he was not in the hallway.
A very tall trucker was standing outside the men's room.
"Ya lookin' for a little guy?"
"Yes," I answered, hoping I didn't sound anxious.
He nodded towards a doorway off the corridor. "In there." He sounded like John Wayne.
I stepped down the hall and peered into a cool, dark, smoke-filled room full of truck-drivers sitting in rocking chairs, watching Bugs Bunny cartoons on a big TV. And my son was sitting there, too.
Screen attraction is one of his attributes; I'm glad it was a wholesome show.
Today is the 75th anniversary of Bugs. Here's how it all started:
I had forgotten that this was still online. Some of the links are broken, and some seem quirky with Chrome...but here they are, and they will remain in the left sidebar. Here's sample from the March newsletter:
The young man (it turned out that he was a university student studying Mayan culture) who had been standing by the tree spoke in halting, unclear English, but we got the idea—he was a guide, his name was Juan, and for a price he would give us the tour of El Rey. He and my husband negotiated a price, and we set off to explore the ruins in a one hour tour with Juan. As we ended the tour, our guide told us he could not answer any questions because he had already told us all he knew about the site, but he asked us a question:
“Are you familiar with cab?”
We looked at each other and said, “Yes.”
“I will catch a cab!” And off he went past the edge of the ruins...
Head over to the list, and see if there isn't a unit for you.
We all know the popular ones...how about the more obscure books or editions? The ones that other kids might not have had on their shelves, nor may have read?
Galumph is the story of a vagrant cat with many names, and the neighbors who feed him. I recall being disappointed when someone pointed out that the cat probably lived in ethnically-diverse New York City, not in student-occupied Boston. I had hoped to find him and become one of his owners.
The Sandwich is a simple story in which two children make a very large lunch by adding ingredients "and some bread" on every page. The author, this web page reports, was delighted to discover that children liked her books. I would be, too.
Illustration from The Face in the Pool
The Face in the Pool is a "faerie tale" though not a great one. The story is about a prince who sees a face of a princess in a pool, and sets out to find the princess. The illustrations are gorgeous, but the story is weak.
You can actually purchase a newly printed copy from Lulu, but since the main charm of the book was its smell of oldiness, I am not sure you'd want to get a new copy unless you are allergic to old books.
Just So Stories by good old Rudyard Kipling, in an old softcover edition, was the one I remember as a gift from my godfather. After reading this I expressed an interest in going to India. My father, who studied eastern philosophy under the great Sahakian, related the story of a classmate who went to India, got off the plane, looked around, and got right back on again. I hear things are better these days. The audio book (where was it when I was a child?) is read by Boris Karloff. So good.
The Arabian Nights in this edition is not really a picture book though there are some line drawings, but the traditional telling of selected tales in descriptive language so clear that the words paint pictures. The Arabian Nights is a brutal collection of tales, couched in ornate language with sentences of many intricate sub-clauses of great length and complexity. There may be no better book for finding perfect sentences for diagramming exercises, or simply for introducing a child to the incomparable story-telling tradition of the Golden Age of the Middle East. Lewis hints of this tradition in The Horse and His Boy, and it is clear that he was a fan of the Nights.
Anatole, is the tale of a very accomplished French mouse. He is musical, and of course, he is an expert cheese taster. I loved the names of his children: Paul and Paulette, Claude and Claudette, Georges and Georgette. Very French names, indeed. In a series, Anatole has adventure after adventure.
Curious George Takes a Jobis a step above the original. Of course his curiosity gets him into trouble (a premise I don't much care for), but what fun George has! He washes windows and dishes, paints a room into a jungle scene, and when he is in the hospital he inhales some ether! Just too funny. Also? He can use both hands and feet to do his jobs--what fun, indeed.
I gave you all a taste of our Shakespeare productions in yesterday's blog post, but because of a question about unschooling and the value of studying Shakespeare on Facebook, I am adding this post about our troupe, Front Lawn Players, a group founded in 2005, which performs a complete, unabridged play every spring. The students, some unschooled, some more formally schooled, are all homeschoolers who dedicate time and effort to perform the works faithfully, in costume, on a set designed and built by parents and students. We are blessed with talented parents (who design, direct, stage, schedule, prompt, drive, and more...) and kids (who act, and help out with all the other jobs) who have all seen the value of this kind of in-depth Shakespeare study (for that's what it really is) year after year. Shakespeare by total immersion is the method.
Because the stage is a flatbed truck, it can be brought on site and assembled in no time. Well, it takes a few hours, and is assembled by men, distracted by small children running around:
And voila!
Finished Set--two levels, two stairways
The Shakespeare season has been an annual event for so long, and takes up so much time--real educational time--and provides some many lessons, that we have become rather good at interpreting the lessons learned for consumption by education professionals (college applications, quarterly reports, etc.). Subjects covered include the obvious--enhanced oral reading skills, language, diction, vocabulary, contextual understanding, history, acting, and the sort of things you would expect. They also learn costuming (and through that, clothing styles from other centuries), ethics (deception is a common theme), religion (see Claire Asquith's Shadowplay and Joseph Pierce's Quest for Shakespeare), politics, economics (we have a budget--sort of), geography, law, and human nature.
And time management--are your lines memorized yet??
This year we are using the wonderful technology of Google+ hangouts for line practice. This saves gas (we really do this on a shoestring budget), and ensures that the kids are getting the pronunciations correct and so do not have to unlearn mistakes.
Here are some video clips and some still photos and links to our productions. I hope you'll agree that the kids really pull off something amazing.
Click through to youtube for the whole scene, which does not fit here.
We begin each year by announcing the cast list. Casting is a chore that goes to our director. We do not audition, since the company does not change, though graduates move on, and younger students move up to the senior group. The students, theoretically, practice their lines and know them well by the time rehearsals begin in March. In reality, everyone is constantly learning and relearning lines, stage directions, and cues until performance times. The kids drive each other to excel. Suddenly, chaos turns to order, and the play's the thing.
We perform in June for our homeschool group and for friends and relatives. And that's it.
From the Junior (now senior) Players: Poor Bottom!
The older kids--junior and seniors--have gone on to direct other "spin off" groups within our larger homeschooling group, and their younger siblings perform A Midsummer Night's Dream every year, until they join the senior players. Best of all, the kids have made the sort of friendships based on common experience that will surely be lifelong.
Links to past productions:
Scenes from As You Like It and here. Note the older set, on ground level. Shakespeare does not need a big, complicated set. Our first and subsequent productions of A Midsummer Nights' Dream do not even use a stage, but rely on a few props and the landscape.
Scenes from Twelfth Night, the play that taught me to spell Twelfth.
Well, clearly, the 15 things were not at all comprehensive, and some are unique to my homeschool. More than one person reminded me that a kitchen is a good idea. Heh. Yes. Much unschooling goes on in the kitchen! A garden is also indispensable, but any backyard (or even a fire-escape) can be made into an unschooling space...even if you do no landscaping at all. I do have another page of backyard suggestions here.
Helen suggested I add arts and crafts. Ah, if only I were craftier! Alas, while I do have a few fun standard crafts I have done (paper-making, paper lanterns, dipped candles...) I am the least crafty unschooler on the planet. Those who knit amaze me. Those who quilt are beyond my feeble comments. And the same goes for any number of craft skills that take more than an hour or two. But, yes, crafts--especially useful ones--provide perfect and natural unschooling moments.
Kimberlee would have me add tea, and I agree...but I am not a tea fan. If you are, by all means, make tea a ritual in your unschooling life. For me, it's coffee. And I do love coffee. Without it there would not be any homeschooling of any kind going on. And in the evening? Wine. Or a margarita. Ah. Yes. And if you visit, I will share a glass with you and wax eloquent about unschooling.
She also suggests silence, and I agree. And making a fire using flint and steel. Sure! Or a bow drill! But hey, I figured the list was just basics. We can get into specifics as we get to know each other better. But Kimberlee knows me pretty well by now. Do visit her amazing blog. And crafty? Her blog is a place to find beauty.
If I could add one more thing, it would be...a camera. Many tablet and phone devices have cameras, but invest in a good one, and keep it with you. These days of digital imaging make photography more affordable, so investing in a high end camera is a good idea.
At one conference many years ago, and several others more recently, I was asked what is the most indispensable thing for any homeschooler. Most of the panelists talked about schedules and curricula. I talked furniture. Of course, unschooling, or relaxed homeschooling, is more than home decor, so here are the things we really need to make unschooling a breeze. What would you add?
#1: The humble couch--sofa, divan, Castro, daybed, or whatever you call it--is the most important item in our homeschool. Can you see why? When the kids are little, they can all crowd around for a story, reading time, sing along, or just a quick cuddle. And for bigger kids, it is a comfy place to work, read, doze, or play a game on a tablet. But big or small, when the picture books are opened, everyone gathers to listen.
#2: I have been to homes without book shelves. The people there could not be homeschooling. Yes, books collect dust, and so often are left unshelved as untidy reminders of homeschooling going on around you. But book shelves tell stories themselves. When I visit a new friend I head over to the book shelves to see what kind of books reside there. I expect friends to do the same when they visit my home.
#3: Library Card, because they are mostly free (thank you Ben Franklin). All the books in the world, and a nice place to browse, too. In our area, the library is a cooling center. During the hot summer months, the library, with the a/c set on cold, maintains a temp of about 50 degrees. In the winter, it's pretty cozy, and has a fun seating area in the young adult section.
#4: Because TV can be ugly, and commercials are worse, get Netflix or Amazon Instant Video (I hear Downton Abbey is all the rage, and can be ordered by season).
#5: Kindle, or iPad, or Nook, or tablet of any kind (and check out this discussion in the WSJ). They are portable, instant, can store many, many books, and most are compatible with Audible.
#6: Audible because no time should ever be wasted. Exercise with it. Drive with it. Sleep with it. Listening to different voices, accents, and even languages using audio books will expand your hearing horizons. Expand your vocabulary without having to sound out words.
#7: Music is about everything. It can be political, romantic, jarring or soothing. Play it. Sing it. Listen to it. Go to concerts. Put on your own concerts. Dance informally, or take lessons. Learn square dance calling. Learn the art of the DJ. Improvise. Same goes for art. Lessons or no lessons, try different genres and media.
#8: Freedom to explore the world. And this will include a good deal of risk. Kids should be able to use public transportation to get to wonderful places, like parks and museums. This will not only increase their feeling of independence, but will give you more freedom, too.
#9: Time. Well, simply skipping institutionalized school gives you this. Don't waste it.
#10: Shakespeare. We spend three months every school year doing Shakespeare. Pair up with a friend and read a play. Watch film versions, or better, go to a professional performance. Get a group together and do scenes. Get a big dedicated group together and do a whole play. Nothing self-educates better than Shakespeare.
#11: Get the kids some pets. If you don't want pets, make sure your kids have friends with pets. You don't need a dog, or a hog; a fish will do. Or garden snails in a terrarium, which are free and adapt well to captivity. These are especially nice if you want to show your kids the miracle of invertebrate life without any real expense. Yes, you can release the hatchlings right into the wild, no fear.
#12: Shower curtains. You laugh? Everyone with a shower needs them, and we use them even if we have a glass shower door. Keeps things neat, and (this is the point) they can be educational. No, I don't mean for mold sampling purposes, but for the fun things that are printed on them. We have two that are terrific: One has seashells with scientific names (can't find it anywhere anymore...but there are others!), and the other is the shower curtain of the periodic table. Yes, I got a call from one of my college students thanking me for having that shower curtain hanging for so many years. She probably wishes we had alternated with the Human Skeleton curtain. Or how about a World Map? The Water Cycle? Pi? Even Sea Life has earned a curtain. So, if you are an unschooler, it's curtains for you.
#13: A job can make a difference in any kid's life, and the sooner the better. Ben Franklin was selling beer at age 11. What can your pre-teen or young teen do to earn money in these days of crippling child labor laws? Here are some suggestions from my own family, and from friends' families, too: Babysitter/mother's helper, music teacher, CCD hallway monitor (really), altar boy for funerals and weddings, shop helper, office worker, baker, yard worker, snow shoveler, a lemonade stand operator (if you dare), dog walker, house sitter...use your imagination. And there's math involved in every paid job you can find, if only to calculate your income.
#14: Tools. Kids should be able to hammer a nail, drill a hole, oil a hinge, chop and saw wood, whittle, tie proper knots, wire a lamp, fix a leak, climb a ladder, whitewash a fence, start a fire with one match (and no accelerant) and more. Unschooling doesn't mean no lessons, but it does mean that things can be learned purposefully.
I have been putting off this post, hoping I would get over it. Until lately, every time I heard the word consubstantial, I'd twitch with a slight feeling of annoyance. You see, I can't help remembering a few angry letters to the editor of our local Catholic newspaper concerning the new translation. I don't have the exact words, but some readers complained about the annoying use of the phrase "graciously grant." Another complained about "under my roof" which I defend here. Still another complained about that most brutally burdensome of all the words in any language, "consubstantial." Each of these letters irked me, but I decided that answering the complaints would probably do no good. The Mass has changed, and if these Catholics refuse to grasp the reason, no amount of explaining will help.
I have been giving some thought lately to the idea of "willful ignorance," and I am pretty sure that's what we have here. Rather than explore the meanings and reasons for the new translation, they are satisfied to complain about them. And they find they are not alone. There is no lack of listeners who will readily add their voices to the complainers' chorus. Oh, if they would only sing (good music) as loudly as they complain!
I love the word consubstantial, and that is due to, I suspect, my love for language studies. There is a school of thought in linguistics that there is a physical or intuitive relationship between a word and its meaning--a certain kind of iconicity. I know it is not always true, though there are some fun examples to add to the discussion, like matching IKEA items to their catalog designations, or not. In the case of consubstantial, the word itself is consubstantial, together in an inseparable way that make it one word. I find it way more evocative of the relationship between the Father and the Son than "one in being with" ever could be. "One in being with" is awkward, and sounds like bad grammar.
Look. We humans are linguistic geniuses. We use words because we want to communicate We use big words to communicate big ideas. People raised on big words learn them just as easily as they learn small words. If we are capable of learning these longer, more precise words, then let's do it and stop disparaging the new translation for its differences, and embrace a bigger reality that requires more precision and more thought.
If you want really venomous things, though, we often think the best place to find them is Australia. The venom of the Northern Funnel Web spider is quite potent. Then again, it is not the worst.
One of our favorite pets is the jumping spider. Catch one if you can, and watch it for a while. Watch an orb weaver in your garden, and feed it! And if you find one in the house, put it outside, don't kill it! You can do it from a distance with this handy tool.
(I hear 
