Stuff We Like :: 7.6.18
We spent the Fourth of July at the lake and at the pool, which was pretty much perfect. I found the holiday tough this year, and some quality family time was just what I needed.
WHAT’S HAPPENING AT HOME/SCHOOL/LIFE
Just a friendly reminder that this is the last week you can get my bonus essay grading with our high school curriculum. If you buy our Year One curriculum package through July 15, you can submit one essay of your choice in each subject to me for editing and feedback any time during the next year. Even better, the curriculum is 10 percent off right now, so it’s a doubly good deal.
Suzanne’s Library Chicken is a delightful hodgepodge of cozy mysteries, weird fiction, alternate history that looks insanely good, and more. Go forth and flex your library holds.
I talked a little bit about our homeschool planning method, which involves an extended coffee date and lots of lists.
one year ago: How do you homeschool a subject you don’t know? Plus: Shelli reviews a boatschooling classic.
two years ago: A flashback to the summer 2016 issue. (I still love the summer homeschool boot camp feature!) Also: Our favorite campfire readalouds
three years ago: Suzanne’s tips for keeping up with all the books you want to read. Plus: Is it really hot enough to fry an egg?
four years ago: Our very first summer issue!
THE LINKS I LIKED
I think about this a lot: Why are there so many jobs that seem kind of pointless? And in a world with so many resources, why does anyone have to work a job that doesn’t make her happy? I'm hoping our kids get this sorted better than we have.
As a rule follower myself, I really appreciated this celebration of well-behaved women who make history.
The difference between being poor and being broke.
What do you do when immigrants are targeted in your town? I am inspired by the example of this Tennessee town.
What is the most nostalgic song of all time? (I am on board with most of these, but R.E.M.’s “Nightswimming" is the one that hits me hard. Of course, I also get a weird nostalgia burst from “Groove Is in the Heart,” so there’s that.)
https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/07/04/what-is-the-most-nostalgic-song-of-all-time/
WHAT I’M READING AND WATCHING
We’ve been having family movie night a few times a week, and it’s really fun introducing the kids to movies like Jurassic Park and Edward Scissorhands while they introduce us to movies like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (which was actually lots of fun) and Pixels. I always feel so satisfied when we have a routine in place for family fun, and I don’t know why it’s always one of the first things I let go of when life gets busy. I’m glad to have an intentional space for it right now.
I am enjoying lots of not-too-intellectually-intense pool reading of late, including Enlightenment Now (which I couldn’t resist since I have been reading everything about the Enlightenment for the past few months), The Death of Mrs. Westaway (very shades of du Maurier), and A Princess in Theory (which is totally a romance novel but kind of a charming one and one that turns the old Nigerian prince email scheme around in such a delightful way).
