A True Good Beautiful Life

Are you familiar with the Common Arts? Could you describe them if someone asked you the difference between the Liberal Arts, the Fine Arts, and the Common Arts? This month's podcast is going to delve into the definition of the Common Arts and practical activities you can incorporate into your schools and homes that nurture these vital arts.

Today's episode is going to be a little different. For the first time in this podcast, I am going to share with you a lecture I recorded this past month during one of Templeton's special evening lectures that was open to students, faculty, and the community. Our guest speaker was Chris Hall, one of our special teachers in my Pedagogy 2 class, which was led by Dr. Brian Williams, Dean of the Templeton Honors College here. Chris Hall is the founder of Always Learning Education, and practitioner, teacher, and author on the Common Arts.

You may recall from last year my interview with fellow classmate, Rose Tomassi, who shared with us about how she incorporated the Common Arts in her school here, Martin Saints Classical High School in Orland, PA. In it we highlighted Chris Hall and his book and this summer I was treated to a couple days of insight from this wise and talented teacher and homesteader.

Favorite Resources:

• Common Arts Education: Renewing the Classical Tradition of Training the Hands, Head, and Heart by Chris Hall
• A New Natural Philosophy: Recovering a Natural Science and Christian Pedagogy by Chris Hall and Ravi Scott Jain
• Didascalicon of Hugh of St. Victor: A Medieval Guide to the Arts, "On the Study of Reading" (Book Two) via Internet Archive
• "When I Heard the Learned Astronomer" poem by Walt Witman via Poets.org
• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
• Always Learning Education
• Sewing School, Sewing School 2, Sewing School: Fashion Design, Sewing School Quilts books
• Shop Class as Soul Craft: An Inquiry About the Value of Work by Michael Crawford
• Wood Whittling Kit For Beginners
• Swiss Army Knife Whittling Book by Chris Lubkemann
• Vogue Knitting The Ultimate Knitting Book: Completely Revised & Updated
• The Practical Potter: A Step By Step Handbook by Josie Warshaw
• The Potter's Studio Handbook: A Start-to-Finish Guide to Handbuilt and Wheel-thrown Ceramics by Kristin Muller
• Found and Ground: A Practical Guide to Making Your Own Foraged Paints by Caroline Ross

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down frm the Father of Lights," says James in the first chapter of his epistle. These words of Sacred Scripture not only indicate the source of all illumination but they likewise point out the generous flow of the manifold rays which issue from that Fount of light. Notwithstanding the fact that every ilumination of knowledge is within, still we can with reason distinguish what we may call the external light, or the light of mechanical art; the lower light, or the light of sense perception; the inner light, or the light of philosophical kowledge; and the higher light, or the light of grace and of Sacred Scripture. The first light illumines in regard to structure of artifacts; the second, in regard to natural forms; the thrid, in regard to intellectual truth; the fourth and last, in regard to saving truth." - St. Bonaventure, "Retracing the Arts to Theology"

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. Get a copy of The Didascalicon of Hugh of St. Victor and read "Book Two" about the Liberal and Mechanical Arts; and Chris Hall's book Common Arts Teaching and pick one or two to try for yourself.
2. If you are skilled already in a Common Art (cooking, stars, whittling, auto mechanics, sewing, crocheting, foraging, hunting, raising chickens, fishing, dancing, etc.), think about who you can apprentice: your kids or grandkids? Your soccer team or History class? Your neighborhood or church? There are people out there who are craving to know what you know! (even if they don't know they want to know it yet!)
3. As an educator in the classroom or home, think about how you can include a Common Art in your lesson plans: putting together a Medieval Feast for History Class, sewing on patches or baking cookies for a soccer fundraiser, knitting baby beanies on a loom during Read Aloud, observing animal tracks on your nature hikes and making casts with a ziplock bag, water, and plaster of paris, hanging a bird feeder outside your kitchen window with a field guide and binoculars on the windowsill, canning raspberry jam over the summer with the neighbors, raising zinnias and selling by the side of the road along with homemade lemonade, etc.

Welcome to A TRUE GOOD BEAUTIFUL LIFE podcast!

Here we discuss all things Charlotte Mason in light of the ideas of the TRUE, the GOOD, and the BEAUTIFUL! I am your host, Jennifer Milligan, and throughout this series I share with you how to find and cultivate various elements of TRUTH, GOODNESS and BEAUTY in our homes and classrooms through conversations with homeschooling parents and classroom teachers; interviews with experts, entrepreneurs, and artists; discussions regarding the great books, great minds, and great resources; fun travel and field trip summaries; and practices and creative experiences that embody the TRUE, the GOOD, and the BEAUTIFUL life. Over 100 years ago, British educator, Charlotte Mason, declared that, "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life," and so today, I hope you will join me on this adventure in education.

This new season will be a little different in that I am moving from two episodes a month to one a month. I hope this gives you even more time to get out and enjoy being with your people while also getting some encouragement and helpful ideas you can implement in your teaching and home life. ON THIS EPISODE I am treated to an insightful conversation this episode with C. S. Lewis scholar Dr. Steven Boyer. He guides us on a dive into the life of Lewis and a fascinating element in his Chronicles of Narnia that you may have never even considered! Dr. Steven Boyer has served for 26 years as Professor of Theology at Eastern University, where he also teaches in the Templeton Honors College. He holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Boston University, where he wrote his doctoral dissertation on one aspect of Lewis's thought. He is also co-author of an award-winning book called The Mystery of God: Theology for Knowing the Unknowable, and he has published articles on Christian theology and on the work of Lewis in a variety of academic and popular journals, including a piece in Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity called "Narnia Invaded: How the New Films Subvert Lewis's Hierarchical World." Steve and his wife, Heidi, have four children, and they live in Honey Brook, PA. Our Favorite Resources:

• The Chronicles of Narnia series by C. S. Lewis (perferably in Lewis's original order, which has The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as the first story in the series: this order allows the reader to be gradually introduced to the awesome figure of Aslan in just the way Lewis himself intended)
• "On Three Ways of Writing for Children" essay by C. S. Lewis, On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature
• A Life Observed: A Spiritual Biography of C. S. Lewis by Devin Brown
• Jack: A Life of C. S. Lewis by George Sayer
• C. S. Lewis -- A Life: Eccentric Genius, Reluctant Prophet by Alister McGrath
• The Most Reluctant Convert: C. S. Lewis's Journey to Faith by David Downing
• The Mystery of God: Theology for Knowing the Unknowable by Dr. Steven Boyer and Dr. Christopher Hall
• "Narnia Invaded: How the New Films Subvert Lewis's Hierarchial World" by Dr. Steven Boyer, Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity, November/December, 2010
• "C. S. Lewis Through the Shadowlands" film, starring Joss Ackland (this is a BBC production which is far closer to the actual story of Lewis's late-in-life marriage to Joy Davidman than is the Hollywood version that stars Anthony Hopkins)
• The Chronicles of Narnia Complete Set - audio dramas (note that these are audio dramatizations, not just "audiobooks," by Focus on the Family's "Radio Theatre" series -- much more faithful to Lewis's original stories than the Hollywood films)

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

"myth[s] get under our skin" and "hit us at a level deeper than our thoughts." - C S. Lewis, "Introduction," An Anthology of George MacDonald A 12th Century writer called John of Salisbury declared that it was a knight's duty "to protect the Church, to fight against treachery, to reverence the priesthood, to fend off injustice from the poor, to make peace in your own province, to shed blood for your brethren, and if needs must, to lay down your life."( https://www.abdn.ac.uk/sll/disciplines/english/lion/chivalry.shtml ) "one of its chief functions is to re-enchant a disenchanted world." - Devin Brown, "Introduction," Inside Narnia: A Guide to Exploring The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, p. 16 Regarding fantasy/fairytale-type stories: children do "not despise real woods because [they] have read of enchanted woods: the reading makes all real woods a little enchanted" - C. S. Lewis, "On Three Ways of Writing for Children," On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. Read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe this summer -- to yourself, to your kids, to your campers, to your students. Enjoy it for its adventure and its battle between Good and Evil.
2. Start a Book Club and read one Chronicles of Narnia book a month and have students bring in a drawing of their favorite scene in that month's book. At the end, have a Narnian Tea Party with Turkish Delight and other tasty goodies. Discuss what Truth, Goodness, and Beauty were discovered within the pages.
3. Get your students/children to write up a script of one of Lewis's stories and put together a play, including set and costume design.

Welcome to A TRUE GOOD BEAUTIFUL LIFE podcast!

A few episodes ago I introduced us to the topic of citizenship, something Charlotte Mason was very keen on instilling in her students. I highlighted one of the avenues of teaching this subject to students with Rachel Lebowitz of A Charlotte Mason Plenary, which is the study of Plutarch's Lives, an ancient piece of writing highlighting lives of the Greeks and Romans. Today, I will continue that topic by focusing on a modern way of learning about citizenship and cultivating the wonderful virtues that this subject inspires. I will be digging into a fantastic girls troop organization called American Heritage Girls with a friend of mine, Danielle MacGuire, who has been involved in it for a couple of years now. She and I have some experience with it because our daughters have been or are still involved and I can't wait to tell you about it. At the end of the show I will also highlight a special field trip to Valley Forge National Park, in Pennsylvania, a perfect example of loving and serving one's country and countrymen. So please join us!

Favorite Resources:

• Scouting Article by J. H. Mellis Smith, "The Parents Review," 1920, pp. 446-461; transcribed by Charlotte Mason Poetry
• Tenderheart & Explorer Handbook by American Heritage Girls
• Pioneer & Patriot Handbook by American Heritage Girls
• AHG's Raising Godly Girls Podcast
• Remember Valley Forge: Patriots, Tories, and Redcoats Tell Their Stories by Thomas B. Allen

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

"So, in unlikely ways, and from unlikely sources, do children gather that little code of principles which shall guide their lives." - Charlotte Mason, Vol. 6: A Philosophy of Education, p. 189

"Another choice is an instance of Miss Mason's understanding of the out-of-school needs of boys and girls. In 1905 a small military handbook came to her notice. It was called 'Aids to Scouting' and had been written by Robert Baden-Powell to provide training exercises in character and initiative for soldiers. Miss Mason saw that the practical work in observation and deduction set out in this book would delight boys and girls, so she gave it a place on the P.U.S. programmes. The following year a H.O.E. student, governess to Lord Allenby's small boy, tried out with him some scouting exercises. The story of how Lord Allenby was successfully ambushed by his son and how he told Baden-Powell of it in conversation a week later is now part of the history of the Boy Scout movement. But before this movement took shape the P.U.S. boys and girls had become busy with their own scouting." - Essex Cholmondeley, The Story of Charlotte Mason, p. 86

"The educational possibilities of Scouting were first recognised by Miss Mason, founder of the celebrated Ambleside Training College. Her practical adaptation of my training of Soldier Scouts for inculcating observation and deduction in the education of her future teachers, gave me the first suggestion and hope that a further adaptation might make it of value to young people." - General Sir R. Baden-Powell, "History of the Boy Scouts. How the Movement Began," in The Parents' Review, vol. 32, p. 686

"These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." - Thomas Paine, "The American Crisis"

"I am now convinced, beyond a doubt, that unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place . . . this Army must inevitably be reduced to one or other of these three things. Starve, dissolve, or disperse. . ." - George Washington, December 23, 1777

"We had engaged in the defense of our injured country and were willing, nay, we were determined to persevere." - Private Joseph Plumb Martin, journal entry (Valley Forge NP pamphlet)

"It was indeed a forge, where suffering and discipline hammered a band of brave men, turning them into an army with a new spirit and resolve. Without the victory over hardship, without the new army that marched out of winter and into spring at Valley Forge, the Revolution almost certainly would have been lost." - Thomas Allen, Remember Valley Forge: Patriots, Tories, and Readcoats Tell Their Stories, p. 55)

"This city is what it is because our citizens are what they are." - Plato

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. Consider participating in your local AHG or Trail Life Troops or start one of your own if there aren't any local to you.
2. Include heroic tales, fairy tales, biographies, stories, and poetry in your students' and children's readings that demonstrate noble ideas and love of God, country, neighbor, and family.
3. Visit a local historic site and learn its significance in the tapestry of life.

Charlotte Mason's motto is "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life." In today's podcast, for our TRUTH and GOODNESS segments, we are going to focus in on the "life" part by talking about what Miss Mason claimed in her 8th Principle: "In saying that 'education is a life,' the need of intellectual and moral as well as of physical sustenance is implied. The mind feeds on ideas." And we will do this by talking to Elementary and Middle School teacher at Aleithia Learning Community, Brittany Mountz.

We discuss take-aways from Tony Reinke's book, Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books, as he explains the challenges readers face but also offers many benefits of reading literature. We also touch on C. S. Lewis's book, An Experiment in Criticism, in which he proclaimed that it is for joy that a person reads a book, and that books and stories should be judged by the kind of reading they invite. Lewis urges that it is better to first "receive" the book than to immediately look for how we can "use" it for ourselves. He has a lot to say about how to be a good reader.

For the last segment of the show -- the BEAUTIFUL, I get to talk with Brittany's other half, her husband, Peter Mountz, who is the Headmaster of Aleithia Learning Community and has advice on how to include Chess and Lego Clubs in your homeschool and classrooms.

Favorite Resources:

• An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis
• Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke
• Endpapers: A Reading Guide Newsletter by Brittany Mountz
• Goodreads website and App
• Close Reads Podcast
• A Literary Life Podcast
• Agadmator's Chess Channel- YouTube
• Solitaire Chess by Think Fun

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

"In saying that 'education is a life,' the need of intellectual and moral as well as of physical sustenance is implied. The mind feeds on ideas and therefore children should have a generous curriculum." - Charlotte Mason, Vol. 1: Home Education, p. XII

"The only vital method of education appears to be that children should read worthy books, many worthy books.'- Charlotte Mason, Vol. 6: A Philosophy of Education, p. 12

"Bald, didactic statements such as 'Honesty is the best policy' will not touch the heart and mind of a child in the same way as a story in which honesty –or dishonesty – is present in the form of a hero who acts out the little drama that illustrates the law at hand, provided the book does not fall to moralizing for the child. Miss Mason urged us to let each child draw the moral for himself. True education requires the work of the individual, and it is only the ideas that a person perceives and accepts for himself that have an effect on his character. No one can eat and digest food for someone else. This is what she means when she says there is no education but self-education." - Karen Glass, In Vital Harmony, p. 99

"We sit down before the picture in order to have something done to us, not that we may do things with it. The first demand any work of any art makes upon us is surrender. Look. Listen. Receive. Get yourself out of the way. [sounds quite similar to Charlotte Mason's charge to teachers] (There is no good asking first whether the work before you deserves such a surrender, for until you have surrendered you cannot possibly find out.)" - C. S. Lewis, An Experiment in Criticism, p. 19

"Reading for pleasure does not mean we cannot be educated at the same time. Robert Frost once said that a good poem begins by delighting the reader and ends by bringing wisdom and clarity to the reader's life." – The Robert Frost Reader: Poetry and Prose, ed. Edward Connerty Lathem, in Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books, p. 103

"Literature helps to humanize us. It expands our range of experiences. It fosters awareness of ourselves and the world. It enlarges our compassion for people. It awakens our imaginations. It expresses our feelings and insights about God, nature, and life. It enlivens our sense of beauty. And it is a constructive form of entertainment…. Literature does not always lead us to the City of God. But it makes our sojourn on earth much more a thing of beauty and joy and insight and humanity." - Tony Reinke, Lit! A Christian Guide to Reading Books, p. 128

"Whatever is foreseen in joy Must be lived out from day to day. Vision held open in the dark By our ten thousand days of work. Harvest will fill the barn; for that The hand must ache, the face must sweat. And yet no leaf or grain is filled By work of ours; the field is tilled And left to grace. That we may reap, Great work is done while we're asleep. When we work well, a Sabbath mood Rests on our day, and finds it good." - Wendell Berry, A TImbered Choir "For the most splendid line [of a poem] becomes fully splendid only by means of all the lines that come after it; if you went back to it you would find it less splendid than you thought." - C. S. Lewis, Out of the Silent Planet

". . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . ." - Charlotte Mason, Vol. 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. Start a Book Club with your friends and family. Meet once a month and discuss over coffee, or a charcutterie board, or fresh baked cookies.
2. Think of 3 different books that you can read through simultaneously, depending on your environment and mood.
3. Invest in a chess board and some real Legos and spend time as a family or class matching wits or exploring some creativity with different building challenges.

If you were asked to name a famous Roman leader, you might jump in and call out Julius Caesar or Ceasar Agustus. If you were asked to name a famous Egyptian leader, you might pause for a moment and then recall King Tutankhamun, Cleopatra, Queen Nerfertiti, or maybe even Rameses II. If you were asked to name a famous Greek leader, you might draw a blank. Greek leader, you say? Do philosophers count? I can do some of those!

But if you haven't studied Ancient History or watched movies set in the Classical Age, you may hear crickets chirping in the room. But what if I said, "Alexander the Great?" Ahhh, yes, that name sounds familiar. What about Leonidas? Oh, wasn't he in the movie, "The 300?" Yes.

How about Pericles? (chirp, chirp, chirp, chirp) No? Nothing ringing a bell? Well, you're not alone. I for one had no idea who he was until I prepared for this episode on Plutarch and his collection of Greek and Roman biographies, technically known as the Lives of Famous Greeks and Romans, or known more famously as Plutarch's Lives.

You may not have even heard of the name Plutarch, which I would claim the same up until a few years ago when I began learning about British educator Charlotte Mason, who made the study of Plutarch's Lives an indispensable subject in her schools' curriculums.

Today, I am excited to have back on the show Rachel Lebowitz of a Charlotte Mason Plenary. One of her passions is teaching Plutarch and so in the first part of the hour we are going to discuss who this Greek historian and philosopher was and why his name should be familiar to us today as it was centuries ago. For the second half of the hour, I have Curt and Carol Hoke, a lovely couple who will inform us on ways in which we can take some of the goals of Citizenship, like cultivating character and serving one another, and apply them to our lives today.

Favorite Resources:

• The Annotated Plutarch Series and Picture Studies by Rachel Lebowitz of A Charlotte Mason Plenary
• A Philosophy of Education: Annotated Edition by Charlotte Mason and Rachel Lebowitz
• Home Education: Annotated Edition by Charlotte Mason and Rachel Lebowitz
• Vol. 4: Ourselves by Charlotte Mason
• Stories From the History of Rome by Emily Beesly
• The Stuff They Left Behind in the Days of Ancient Greece by Simply Charlotte Mason
• The Stuff They Left Behind in the Days of Ancient Rome by Simply Charlotte Mason
• Joni and Friends ministry
• Volunteer at a Retreat or Getaway with Joni and Friends
• Queen for a Day hosted by Brick Lane Community Church, Elverson, PA

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

"The object of children's literary studies is not to give them precise information as to who wrote what in the reign of whom? - but to give them a sense of the spaciousness of the days, not only of great Elizabeth, but of all those times of which poets, historians and the makers of tales, have left us living pictures. In such ways the children secure, not the sort of information which is of little cultural value, but wide spaces wherein imagination may take those holiday excursions deprived of which life is dreary; judgment, too, will turn over these folios of the mind and arrive at fairly just decisions about a given strike, the questions of Poland, Undian Unrest. Every man is called upon to be a statesman seeing that every man and woman, too, has a share in the government of the country; but statesmanship requires imaginative conceptions, formed upon pretty wide reading and some familiarity with historical precedents." - Charlotte Mason, Vol. 6: A Philosophy of Education, p. 184-185

"Plutarch shows us that it is the small decisions in a man's life that make up his character. We then get to see the consequences of those decisions. Plutarch does not judge for us. He lays the man's life before us and we are left to judge. It truly is a remarkable way to study character and morality." - Rachel Lebowitz, "Preface" to the Annotated Plutarch Series: Pericles

"Though you have not seen Him, you love Him, though you do not now see Him, you believe in Him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls." -1 Peter 1:8-9

". . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . " - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. Consider exploring Citizenship in your homeschool or classroom by adding a study of Plutarch's Lives, Shakespeare's plays, Bible reading, and understanding how the government works.
2. Discuss with your children or students how they can participate in some kind of service project, local long-term service opportunities, or mission trips.
3. Begin reading through Charlotte Mason's Volume 4: Ourselves with your middle/high schooler and be ready for some great discussions!

"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease." - Genesis 8:22

These are the promising and encouraging words from God to Noah, after the world-wide flood of judgment centuries ago. And these are the first words you read when you open up Seedtime and Harvest, the newest book by author and gardener, Christie Purifoy.

I have never met Christie but I have gotten to know her through the pages of her books. After reading her first book, Roots & Sky, on a train from West Virginia to Philly, I continued to look forward to her next books because Christie has an honest and poetic way of sharing her heart, her life, and her passions, which I can see include her family, her faith, her community, her home, and her gardens! I was captivated by her second memoir, Placemaker, and inspired by her following three gardening books. It was perfect timing to read this winter as spring has sprung and I am itching to finally get back into the gardens after several summers of neglect because of Graduate School.

Seedtime and Harvest is Christie's newest book from her gardening series – three in total. The first one is Garden Maker and the second is A Home in Bloom. They are the prettiest books I have run across in a long long time!

Today, I have the honor of conversing with Christie about her books and her gardens and I simply cannot wait to meet her! I hope that by the end of our time together, we will all discover some TRUTH, GOODNESS, and BEAUTY from the practice of placemaking and gardening.

At the end of the episode, I conclude with a little description of one of the most beautiful gardens in the world, Longwood Gardens, right here in Pennyslvania. It is spectacular and I hope you get a chance to visit it someday soon!

Christie's books:

• Roots and Sky: A Journey Home in Four Seasons
• Placemaker: Cultivating Places of Comfort, Beauty, and Peace
• Garden Maker: Growing a Life of Beauty and Wonder with Flowers
• A Home in Bloom: Four Enchanted Seasons with Flowers
• Seedtime and Harvest

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

"We are so accomplished at making functional places for waiting, for passing through, and for consuming, but how do we make places able to embrace the fulness of our human selves?" - Christie Purifoy, A Home In Bloom, p. 10

"What if our homes could be places that brought us back to life? For that is what sacred places do. They restore us and renew us and resurrect our spirits." - Christie Purifoy, A Home in Bloom, p. 10

"gardeners cultivate harmony . . . When we set out to cultivate the music of life, the song is always new, always changing, always surprising, always good. Life cannot be static, or it ceases to be life. Life is growth. And what are we growing in a garden? Whether the tangible fruit is a tomato or a rosebud, in a garden, we are growing roots. We are growing connection. We are growing wholeness. And we are growing hope." - Christie Purifoy, Seedtime and Harvest, p. 13

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. Think of some traditions or rituals you can enjoy at home to help you see the beauty around you and help you become rooted where you are. Perhaps light a candle at meal times, set out an afternoon tea, put out a bird feeder and watch your backyard visitors flit about, or begin or end your day with prayer.
2. Go out and purchase a packet of Zinnia seeds and sprinkle them wherever you want to see some color. Look into where you can purchase different flower bulbs that you can plant to provide you with a vision of beauty and hope throughout each month of the year.
3. How can you build community with your neighbors and family this spring?

Welcome to A TRUE GOOD BEAUTIFUL LIFE podcast!

If you are at all familiar with English novels and period dramas on the big and little screen, you will by no doubt know of the heroine – Jane Eyre. It is a fascinating and chilling story that Charlotte Bronte wrote with the popular Romantic and Gothic story elements of her time. Now, after rereading it for the first time in decades, I am amazed at the TRUTH, GOODNESS, and BEAUTY found in its pages. It is a real work of literary genius. As one whose writing is perhaps more manageable to understand because it is written in first person perspective, and one whose heroine is relatable and charming, Bronte leads the reader through a thought-provoking narrative that contains echoes of fairy tale forms, along with some realism, naturalism, and supernatural flavor intricately weaved throughout the chapters. Jane Eyre is described by Joyce Carol Oates, in the "Introduction" to one of my editions of the book, as one who would "'resist' the terms of her destiny (social or spiritual). . . we have after all the willful heroines of certain of Shakespeare's plays and those of Jane Austen's elegant comedies of manners. But Jane Eyre is a young woman wholly unprotected by social position, family, or independent wealth; she is without material or social power; she is as Charlotte Bronte judged herself, 'small and plain and Quaker-like – lacking the most superficial yet seemingly necessary qualities of femininity.'" (p. v) First written under the pseudonym, Currer Bell, when Charlotte Bronte was 31 years old, Jane Eyre became an instant success. Not only does it have melodramatic scenes birthed from classic eighteenth-century Gothic romance novels, the story also contains within itself, fascinating introspective analysis by the narrator herself. Writer Karen Swallow Prior describes Jane Eyre's "ordinariness" is what makes "the novel extraordinary." (p. 14) Jane is Everywoman and it's this realism and humanness and Jane's modern ideas of equality that make it innovative and, according to G. K. Chesterton, the "truest book that was ever written." It is exciting to watch Jane's story arc and personal development as she moves from place to place – from the Reed's mansion Gateshead, to Lowood School, to Thornfield, to Whitecross, and finally to Ferndean. One thing that remains throughout all her travels and experiences, is her dedication to understanding what is TRUE, doing what is GOOD, and appreciating what is BEAUTIFUL. And that is what we are going to talk about today!

Favorite Resources:

• Jane Eyre: A Guide to Reading and Reflecting by Charlotte Bronte and Karen Swallow Prior
• Jane Eyre (2006 miniseries starring Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens)
• The Cry of the Soul by Dr. Dan B. Allender and Dr. Tremper Longman III
• The Homesick Heart: Longing for Spiritual Intimacy by Jean Fleming

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

"Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for the faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom as pronounced necessary for their sex." (Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, Bantam Classic Edition, p. 115)

Rochester - "Dred remorse when you are tempted to err, Miss Eyre: remorse is the poison of life." Jane - "Repentance is said to be its cure, sir." Rochester - "It is not its cure. Reformation may be its cure; and I could reform -- I have strength yet for that --if--but where is the use of thinking of it, hampered, burdened, cursed as I am?" Jane - "It seems to me, that if you tried hard, you would in time find it possible to become what you yourself would approve; and that if from this day you began with resolution to correct your thoughts and actions, you would in a few years have laid up a new and stainless store of recollections to which you might revert with pleasure." (Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, Bantam Classic Edition, p. 144- 145)

Jane - "a wanderer's repose or a sinner's reformation should never depend on a fellow-creature. Men and women die; philosophers falter in wisdom, and Christians in goodness; if any one you know has suffered and erred, let him look higher than his equals for strength to amend and solace to heal." (Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, Bantam Classic Edition, p. 234)

Jane - "Do you think I am an automaton?. . . . Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong! -- I have as much soul as you -- and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you. I am not talking to you now through the medium of custom, conventionalities, nor even of mortal flesh: it is my spirit that addresses your spirit; just as if both had passed through the grave, and we stood at God's feet, equal -- as we are! . . . . I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will, which I now exert to leave you." (Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, Bantam Classic Edition p. 271-272)

Jane - "And was Mr. Rochester now ugly in my eyes? No, reader: gratitude and many associations, all pleasurable and genial, made his face the object I best liked to see; his presence in a room was more cheering than the brightest fire. Yet I had not forgotten his faults..." (Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, Bantam Classic Edition, p. 155)

Jane - "You are no ruin, sir -- no lightning-struck tree: you are green and vigorous. Plants will grow about your roots, whether you ask them or not, because they take delight in your bountiful shadow; and as they grow they will lean towards you, and wind round you, because your strength offers them so safe a prop." (Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, Bantam Classic Edition, p. 484)

Jane - "Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation; they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be . If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? They have a worth -- so I have always believed; and if I cannot believe it now, it is because I am insane -- quite insane, with my veins running fire, and my hear beating faster than I can count its throbs. Preconceived opions, forgone determinations are all I have at this hour to stand by; there I plant my foot." (Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, Bantam Classic Edition, p. 342-343)

"'resist' the terms of her destiny (social or spiritual). . . we have after all the willful heroines of certain of Shakespeare's plays and those of Jane Austen's elegant comedies of manners. But Jane Eyre is a young woman wholly unprotected by social position, family, or independent wealth; she is without material or social power; she is as Charlotte Bronte judged herself, "small and plain and Quaker-like – lacking the most superficial yet seemingly necessary qualities of femininity.'" (Joyce Carol Oats, "Introduction" to Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, Bantam Classic Edition p. v)

the "truest book that was ever written" (G. K. Chesterton, Twelve Types - "Charlotte Bronte," Project Gutenberg - https://gutenberg.org/files/12491/12491-h/12491-h.htm)

"I remembered that the real world was wide, and that a varied field of hopes and fears, of sensations and excitements, awaited those who had the courage to go forth into its expanse, to seek real knowledge of life amidst its perils." (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte) "Crying does not indicate that you are weak. Since birth it has always been a sign that you are alive." (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte) "Emotion links our internal and external worlds. To be aware of what we feel can open us to questions we would rather ignore. For many of us, that is precisely why it is easier not to feel. But a failure to feel leaves us barren and distant from God and others. We often seem caught between extremes of feeling too much or not enough." (The Cry of the Soul by Dr. Dan B. Allender and Dr. Tremper Longman III) "Ignoring our emotions is turning our back on reality. Listening to our emotions ushers us into reality. And reality is where we meet God . . . Emotions are the language of the soul. They are the cry that gives the heart a voice. To understand our deepest passions and convictions, we must learn to listen to the cry of the soul." (The Cry of the Soul by Dr. Dan B. Allender and Dr. Tremper Longman III) "What is it we crave, if not life? Not our life that comes with the seeds of death embedded in it. But real life, true life, pure LIFE." (The Homesick Heart by Jean Fleming, page 45) "Our dreams erupt from the desire for love- a love beyond. We want to know human love, but human love is not enough. Our longings prowl hopefully. Driven by an undefined hunger, we can fall into two tragedies. We can seek wildly and indiscriminately, tasting every fruit, or we can retreat into dreams, enjoying phantom princes and missing the real thing." (The Homesick Heart by Jean Fleming)

". . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . ." - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. What are you longing for in life? Are your passions drawing you closer to intimacy with God or pulling you away from it? How can we prioritize our love for God over everything else?
2. What "laws" or Scripture or words of wisdom can you hide in your heart so that when different temptations arise, you can withstand them?
3. Consider how your emotions reflect your attitudes towards God and the things he's doing in your life. Are we experiencing seemingly negative emotions (like fear, anger, despair, etc.) in a righteous or unrighteous manner?

Welcome to A TRUE GOOD BEAUTIFUL LIFE podcast!

On today's episode you are treated in our TRUE and GOOD segments to a sweeping vision of what an ideal PreK-12 Writing program looks like according to my special guest, teacher, and mentor, Linda Cerynik of Roots to Wings Educational Support. We touch on writing methods from Charlotte Mason to Classical, an eclectic mix of our favorite things. Linda takes us from grade to grade highlighting some of the touchstones students can strive for and some activities we can do as parents and teachers to help them develop and succeed as writers.

Some principles of Narration (not mentioned in the podcast):

• should be done from high-quality literary books
• retell after one reading
• recall past material before each narration
• do not interupt or question the student during narration
• let the student's personality and interests shine
• ask synthetic or Socratic questions to cultivate deep thinking, other connections, and knowledge in students after the narration
• advance to silent narration with older students

The Progymnasmata (an ancient Greek and Roman program that teaches Rhetoric in stages):

1. fable
2. narrative
3. anecdote
4. maxim
5. refutation
6. confirmation
7. commonplace
8. encomium
9. invective
10. comparison
11. personification
12. description
13. argument/thesis

Four Rhetorical Devices high schoolers can use or look for in an essay or speech:

1. Logos - appeal to logic
2. Ethos - appeal to ethics and credibility
3. Pathos - appeal to emotions
4. Kairos - appeal to time

On the BEAUTIFUL segment of the show, I end with sharing my field trip to The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, PA, and its amazing decorative arts collection from all around the world. You will be in awe at the famous artists represented and the various arts and crafts displayed next to old European oil paintings. It is a sight to behold and a wonderful expression of the divinely-inspired creative nature of humans.

Some favorite resources:

• Know and Tell: The Art of Narration by Karen Glass
• The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White
• On Writing Well by William Zinsser
• IEW (Institute of Excellence in Writing) Portable Walls Grammar on the Go
• The Lost Tools of Writing by the Circe Institute

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. For early Elementary students, be sure to have lots of play time to build strength and dexterity for holding and manipulating a writing instrument. Such toys and activies can include play doh, marbles, pick-up sticks, clay, watercoloring, dry erase markers/regular markers, chalk, collecting things in nature, playing in sand and mud, weaving with Rainbow looms, crafting with scissors and glue, practicing letters on lined paper, Lego/block building, playing with little figures like Squinkie Do Drops, Calico Critters, and Star Wars action figures. Begin oral narrations with 6+ year olds naturally, with retellings of their day, TV show, or family read aloud.
2. For late Elementary and Middle School students, continue oral narrations. Begin written narrations slowly -- one per week and build up to daily narrations -- 150-300 words per day. Begin practicing more technical aspects of composition, like developing a full 5-paragraph essay, with an introduction and conclusion. Introduce guided poetry writing.
3. For High School students, continue oral narrations and try writing some creative narrations -- like a newspaper account or screen play of what occured in their literature or history book, learn how to edit their own work, and try to cover all four kinds of essays -- descriptive, narrative, persuasive, and expository. Consider using the four Rhetorical appeals Linda mentioned: Logos, Ethos, Pathos, and Kairos.

ON THIS EPISODE

Hell. What do you think of when you hear the word "Hell?" A place full of gnashing of teeth? A pit deep in the center of the earth? A black hole? A realm filled with shades of Greek heroes and the god of the Underworld, Hades? And what about Heaven? What images and phrases flash in your mind? These places, Heaven and Hell, are important elements of Christian theolog. On today's episode, I have the honor of talking with Kristen Rudd, a fellow teacher who is an authority on the Classics and teaches various subjects, including Dante's Divine Comedy, which is the topic of our discussion. Learn the background of Dante's brilliant literary work and the three stages of his travels through the poem, the Inferno (Hell), Purgatorio, and Paradisio (Heaven). Discover some of the elements of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty in this masterpiece that we can apply to our own lives today.

You can learn more about Kristen by contacting her at:

• kristenrudd.com - her website
• classicalcollegecoach.com - her college coaching

Learn more about Classical Education by contacting:

• Templeton Honors College MAT program - Masters in Teaching in Classical Education
• Circe Apprenticeship program

Favorite Resources:

• Digital Dante
• 100 Days of Dante FaceBook Group
• Ascent to Love by Peter Leithart
• The Complete Danteworlds by Guy Rafa
• Anthony Esolen's Inferno
• Anthony Esolen's Purgatorio
• Anthony Esolen's Paradiso
• Five Steps to Successful Narration by Sonya Shafer (free eBook)
• Know and Tell by Karen Glass

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

" ….Truth (minds), goodness (wills), and beauty (senses) are the same one reality, which engages various faculties. When we engage reality through the clear abstraction of the intellect, we talk about reality as true. When reality is the target of our will, we pursue it as good. And when reality enthralls not only our minds and wills, but also our senses and feelings, we call it beautiful. ( John-Mark L. Miravalle, Beauty: What It Is & Why It Matters (Manchester, NH: Sophia Institute Press, 2019), 38.)

"The most common and the monstrous defect in the education of the day is that children fail to acquire the habit of reading. Knowledge is conveyed to them by lessons and talk, but the studious habit of using books as a means of interest and delight is not acquired. This habit should be begun early so soon as the child can read at all, he should read for himself and to himself history, legends, fairy tales, and other suitable matter. He should be trained from the first to think that one reading of any lesson is enough to enable him to narrate what he has read, and will thus get the habit of slow, careful reading, intelligent even when it is silent, because he reads with an eye to the full meaning of every clause." - Charlotte Mason, Vol. 1: Home Education, p. 227

"Direct questions on the subject-matter of what a child has read are always a mistake. Let him narrate what he has read, or some part of it. He enjoys this sort of consecutive reproduction, but abominates every question in the nature of a riddle. If there must be riddles, let it be his to ask and the teacher's to direct him to the answer. Questions that lead to a side issue or to a personal view are allowable because these interest children – 'What would you have done in his place?'" - Charlotte Mason, Vol: 1: Home Education, p. 228-229

"Narrating is an art, like poetry-making or painting, because it is there, in every child's mind, waiting to be discovered. . ." - Charlotte Mason, Vol. 1: Home Education, p. 231

"Narration should "touch the emotions, fire the imagination, create mental pictures with its wording, and convey living ideas, not just dry facts" - Sonya Shafer, Five Steps to Successful Narration, p. 15

"A child's individuality plays about what he enjoys, and the story comes from his lips, not precisely as the author tells it, but with a certain spirit and colouring which express the narrator. By the way, it is very important that children should be allowed to narrate in their own way, and should not be pulled up or helped with words and expressions from the text. A narration should be original as it comes from a child – that is, his own mind should have acted upon the matter it has received. Narrations which are mere feats of memory are quite valueless." - Charlotte Mason, Vol. 1: Home Education, p. 289

"But, it will be said, reading or hearing various books read, chapter by chapter, and then narrating or writing what has been read or some part of it – all this is mere memory work. The value of this criticism may be readily tested; will the critic read before turning off his light a leading article from a newspaper, say, or a chapter from Boswell or Jane Austen, or one of Lamb's Essays; then, will he put himself to sleep by narrating silently what he has read. He will not be satisfied with the result but he will find that in the act of narrating every power of his mind comes into play, that points and bearings which he had not observed are brought out; that the whole is visualized and brought into relief in an extraordinary way; in fact, that scene or augment has become a part of his personal experience; he knows, he has assimilated what he has read. This is not memory work. In order to memorize, we repeat over and over a passage or a series of points or names with the aid of such clues as we can invent; we do memorize a string of facts or words, and the new possission serves its purpose for a time, but it is not assimilated; its purpose being served, we know it no more. This is memory work by means of which examinations are passed with credit." - Charlotte Mason, Vol. 6: A Philosophy of Education, p. 16-17

"the labour of thought is what his book must induce in the child. He must generalise, classify, infer, judge, visualise, discriminate, labour in one way or another, with that capable mind of his, until the substance of his book is assimilated or rejected, according as he shall determine; for the determination rests with him and not with his teacher." - Charlotte Mason, Vol. 3: School Education, p. 179

"Asking direct questions on the content is the best way to squelch your child's natural curiosity for knowledge. The focus will quickly shift from learning for the joy of learning to Will this be on the test. Don't let that happen." - Sonya Shafer, Five Steps to Successful Narration, p. 24

". . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . ." - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. Get yourself a copy of The Comedy and start reading a Canto a day and follow up with Kristen's FaceBook group #100 Days of Dante. Narrate what you have read to a friend or family member.
2. Engage in some fan fiction or fan art and take a scene from the poem and write a side story or draw what you imagine is being described.
3. Study the Cardinal Virtues and Theological Virtues and the Seven Deadly Sins and discuss with your child or students how you can cultivate the former and avoid the latter.

Welcome to A TRUE GOOD BEAUTIFUL LIFE podcast!

In this week's episode, we are going to take a deep dive into one of Charlotte Mason's classic subjects: Nature Study. In one of my earlier episodes, I chatted with my friend Stephanie Newcomb about the benefits of nature study and some of our favorite resources. Today, I am fortunate to talk to one of my sister-in-laws who comes to us from South Carolina! Megan Tolosa is an avid birder and knows so much about these creatures that I am always impressed by her knowledge and skills. So for our TRUE segment of the show, we are going to discuss various aspects of birds, for this month is the annual Great Backyard Bird Count and so I thought it would be perfect to focus on birds and how we can begin to identify them and in our GOOD segment of the show, how to care for them and participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Finally, at the end of the show for our BEAUTIFUL segment, I will share with you my daughter's and my field trip to the John James Audubon Center, here in Pennsylvania. So it's over an hour all about birds! I hope you will stick with us for it's going to be great!

ON THIS EPISODE

Together Megan and I will share with you the 8 clues you can use to help you identify what bird it is you are seeing, how and when to use binoculars, different types of bird feeders and food you should offer them, and some activities to help impress upon the minds of your students the wonderful nature of these creatures.

The 8 Characteristics to look for are the following:

1. Group
2. Shape
3. Size
4. Behavior
5. Habitat
6. Season
7. Field Marks
8. Voice

Suggested seed: sunflower and safflower

Suggested bird feeder: the Squirrel Buster

Favorite Resources:

• The Great Backyard Bird Count
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• Cornell University Bird Academy
• Project Feeder Watch poster
• John James Audubon Center
• The Boy Who Drew Birds, by Davies and Sweet
• National Audubon Society First Field Guide: Birds
• National Audubon Society North American Birdfeeder Handbook by Robert Burton
• Peterson Field Guides: Feeder Birds - Eastern North America
• Peterson Field Guides: Birds of Eastern and Central North America
• National Geographic: Field Guide to the Birds of Eastern North America
• Sibley Birds East
• Thunder Birds: Nature's Flying Predators by Jim Arnosky
• Fine Feathered Friends: All About Birds by Tish Rabe
• The Berenstain Bears' Big Book of Science and Nature by Stan & Jan Berenstain
• Birds by Kevin Henkes (board book)
• Mrs. Peanuckle's Bird Alphabet (board book)
• My Colors: Early Birds Book by Patricia Mitter
• Baby's First Book of Birds and Colors by Phyllis Tildes
• Stinky Owl by Melanie Burgess
• ABC of Birds by Roger Tory Peterson
• Ducks Don't Get Wet by Augusta Goldin
• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen
• An Egg is Quiet by Dianne Hutts Aston
• Usborne Discovery: Birds
• About Birds: A Guide for Children by Cathryn Sill
• Stokes Bird Feeder Book by Donald & Lillian Stokes
• Virginia Bird Watching: A Year Round Guide by Bill Thompson
• Identifying and Feeding Birds by Bill Thompson
• Better Birdwatching in Virginia & West Virginia - DVD Field Guide
• Bird Bingo Match a Pair of Birds Memory Game
• Hoot Owl Hoot (board game)
• Sibley Backyard Birding Bingo
• What Bird am I: The Bird Identification Game
• Birds of North America - 100 Piece Memory Card Game
• The Little Book of Backyard Birdsongs
• The Little Book of Woodland Birdsongs
• The Backyard Birdsong Guide by Donald Kroodsma
• Peterson Field Guides: Bird Songs: Eastern/Central
• Sibley's Backyard Birds poster
• Sibley's Raptors of North America poster
• Sibley's Owls of Eastern (or Western) North America poster
• On Wings of Song: Poems about birds, Everyman's Library Pocket Poets
• Birders: The Central Park Effect: A Film About Birds and People (DVD)
• Winged Migration by Jacques Perrin (DVD)
• The Big Year (DVD-movie)
• Hawk Mountain, PA
• Cape May, NJ

COMMONPLACE QUOTES

First and chiefest is the knowledge of God, to be got at most directly through the Bible, then comes the knowledge of Man, to be got through history, literature, art, civics, ethics, biography, the drama, and languages; and lastly, so much knowledge of the universe as shall explain to some extent the phenomenon we are familiar with and give a naming acquaintance at any rate with birds and flowers, stars and stones; nor can this knowledge of the universe be carried far in any direction without the ordering of mathematics. - Charlotte Mason, A Philosophy of Education, p. 254

Knowledge is that which we know; and the learner knows only by a definite act of knowing which he performs for himself. (Charlotte Mason, A Philosophy of Education, p. 254)

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

APPLICATION

1. Sign up and participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count. Consider making your own bird feeder and suet together as a class or family.
2. Craft a mosaic bird bath using a terracota planter saucer and glass pieces.
3. Begin a field guide collecton and practice drawing 3 of your favorite birds using pencil, watercolor, or soft pastels and note facts about them.