Is it strange that I measure time partly in notebooks? A few pages in my nature journal, a third of my pre-reading commonplace, several new drawings in my Book of Centuries…and here we are, over three months into the year, at the start of a new spring!
Starting the Discussion
What changes does this spring bring to your notebooks?
Spring usually sees a refreshed interest in nature journals for all of us, as we start weekly wildflower hunting and watch trees re-leaf. It does in your homes too, based on what I see in the #keepingcompanycm feed!
We have also all been busy in our Books of Centuries, which is our new addition for 2018. It always feels exciting to start making connections in a new form.
As I mentioned on Instagram, the Book of Centuries is my personal goal for this year — to get mine started and actually get some ink in there! 😉 I have done the first faithfully (lots of entries so far, including a couple drawings), but no pen yet. Baby steps. 🙂
From the Community
On Instagram, @keepingcompanycm has featured lots of mama-keepers as well as student work.
We spent a few weeks discussing keeping goals for the new year…
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| @_blytheellen_ |
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| @sarahjokim |
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| @sarah_jonna |
The ever-keeping Mariah shared about her “keeping hour.” (If you’d like more info, check out the follow-up post she did at Ladydusk!)
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| @mariah___dawn |
And a few other fresh ideas I wanted to highlight…
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| favorite quotes — like a Book of Mottoes? by @owl_creek_homestead |
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| the start of a family Calendar of Firsts – a poster on the wall, by @lauren.keptandkeeping |
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| embroidered phenology wheel, by @northlaurel |
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| mama as “detailer,” by @accidentalstars |
From the Charlotte Mason blogsosphere…
Annie Kate is hoping to strart a Book of Centuries in earnest, but in the meantime, she shares her nature walks in winter. (This reminds me of the science journal entries we have been doing alongside A Drop of Water.)
Carol tracks the idea of “interior riches” through literature to inform her understanding of Mother Culture — fascinating!
She also has fabulous examples of science journals from older students up. (Side note: she kindly let me use some as examples in my notebook talk for CM West! They really show the mark of interest, observation, and skill.)
Amy hosts a fascinating discussion of work and leisure…spurred on by a commonplace quote from Swiss Family Robinson.
I did a post on getting started with lettering recently. If you (or your kids) are wanting to add a bit of extra style to your notebooks, take a peek!
And one last thing I’d like to highlight from this quarter: my talk on keeping at the CM West retreat! Dozens of beautiful examples from a variety of families.
And now it’s your turn!
The Link-Up
:: For BLOGGERS: Leave a link to any blog posts related to CM-style keeping in the comments section of this post all quarter. I will be sure to click over and read so I can highlight them here in the next edition!
:: For INSTAGRAMMERS: Tag related photos with #KeepingCompanyCM. You can also follow my new account: @keepingcompanycm. I will be re-sharing daily on that account from posts tagged!
:: Any posts about CM-style Keeping are welcome. Your post can be as simple as a photo of your commonplace book or your kids’ drawing.
:: You can grab the button over there on the sidebar if you’d like to add it to your post or site.
Thanks for your participation, friends!
5 comments
I started a new notebook for N+N too. 🙂 I have been using it for quotes and written narrations, but I think I may try some outlining too. That’s a good idea. I’m enjoying having it altogether like this in one notebook, and I’m glad I started doing it this way. I’m curious to see what I decide to add next to the notebook after we finish N+N.
Maybe it will be time to read Beauty in the Word. 🙂
I'd love to see inside your notebook! 🙂
I'm enjoying finding different ways of expressing the same ideas I see in Mason. I think the classical vocabulary, with all its connotations (LOL), is very useful for educational discourse. I also enjoy pondering where I see some divergence or a lack of completeness in Hicks' descriptions that I think Mason represents more fully — like the idea of a holistic education and an acknowledgement of God speaking to us through more than just the "word." But I am withholding judgement until I get to the end of the book! LOL It was been a fruitful exercise and I'm glad I'm using the notebook to help me along in understanding.
That’s a good idea! I started Beauty in the Word almost two years ago but I didn’t feel like it was the right time to read it. I am finding N+N very helpful in thinking through ideas and I’m appreciating seeing some of the same ideas but expressed in different terms. One of the things I’m particularly finding helpful is how N+N is helping me to refine my thoughts about how we know what initial ideas we should accept. Given our last chapter, I’m wondering if having the right metanarrative – the right mythos – is what is going to make it far more likely that we will accept the right ideas. And that mythos is like the well-formed conscience, but perhaps in a more primal state? Anyway… the morning time music is playing and I need to be obedient to it and our schedule!
Hi Celeste, our Autumn Nature Studies link: http://journey-and-destination.blogspot.com.au/2018/04/autumn-nature-study-natural-history.html
Hello again! A mother Culture post: http://journey-and-destination.blogspot.com.au/2018/05/formation-of-character-by-charlotte.html 🙂