Tilly was the subject of an article by The Guardian on the rise of online wife schools. We take some time to respond and note the ways it was framed to denigrate the goodness of Christian marriage. We expound on how older women really can help younger women navigate the seasons of life--particularly the transition from college and all its inherent reading and study to marriage and motherhood. Furthermore, don't expect the gardening talk to slow down anytime soon! Happy Spring!

It's finally time to weigh in on the trad wife movement. Is it heading in the right direction? Is it a trap to avoid? Is it even one thing or is it several different things under one label? But before we get there, we get updates on coyote attacks, the persistent widower, dahlia trends, and more.

Sometimes a little morbidity is just what we need to live well. Abigail and Tilly discuss notes to their children in the event that either would face an untimely demise. Then they turn their attention to gardens, spring cleaning, and making sure your hospitality level is within the range of the actual life you're living everyday.

Shepherding Your Small Child with Picture Books

In this episode, Reading Rainbow meets Home fires as Tilly and Abigail each collect stacks of favorite picture books and talk through what they love about them. They also discuss abridgements, history reading, and the criteria they use for children's literature. Also, how Tilly accidentally took her husband's middle name, and why Abigail's grandmother was the coolest woman ever.

Favorite books discussed (and not discussed):

Abigail

Finn MacCoul and His Fearless Wife: A Giant of a Tale from Ireland by Robert Byrd

James Herriot's Treasury for Children, Illustrations by Ruth Brown and Peter Barrett

One Dog Canoe by Mary Casanova, illustrated by Ard Hoyt

The Story of Ping by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese

Night of the Moonjellies by Mark Shasha

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton

Mike Mulligan and the Steam Shovel by Viriginia Lee Burton

Annie and the Wild Animals by Jan Brett

The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett

Gilgamesh the King, by Ludmila Zeman

The Revenge of Ishtar, by Ludmila Zeman

The Last Quest of Gilgamesh, by Ludmila Zeman

The Story of Robin Hood, illustrated by Alan Marks

Seven Ways to Trick a Troll by Lise Lunge Larsen, illustrated by Kari Vick

Caedmon's Song by Ruth Ashby, illustrated by Bill Slavin

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford, illustrated by Donald Cook

The Napping House by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood

The Priest with Dirty Clothes by RC Sproul, illustrated by Justin Gerard

The Barber Who Wanted to Pray by RC Sproul, illustrated by Lively Fluharty

Patrick Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie dePaola

Room for a LIttle One: a Christmas Tale by Martin Waddell and Jason Cockcroft

Martin Luther: A Man who Changed the World by Paul L Maier, illustrated by Greg Copeland

Little Pilgrim's Big Journey by Tyler Van Halteren

Tilly

Fables by Arnold Lobel

Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel

Owl at Home by Lobel

Grasshopper on the Road by Lobel

Mouse Tales by Lobel

Mouse Soup by Lobel

Aesop's Fables illustrated by Charles Santore

The Velveteen Rabbit

The Princess and the Goblin by MacDonald, illustrated by Alan Parry

Many Moons by Thurber

Illustrated My First Little House Books

Billy and Blaze series by C.W. Anderson

Blueberries for Sal by McLoskey

Make Way for Ducklings by McLoskey

One Morning in Maine by McLoskey

Homer (not a picture book exactly) by McCloskey

Paul Galdone books (Three Three Bears, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, etc.)

Ox-Cart Man by Hall/Cooney

The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig by Trivizas/Oxenbury

Anatole by Eve Titus

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

The Francis books by Hoban/Hoban (esp A Bargain for Francis, Bread and Jam, Best Friends for Francis)

Yellow and Pink by Steig

Doctor DeSoto by steig

Chanticleer and the Fox by Chaucer/Cooney

Amelia Bedelia books

Stellaluna by Cannon

Miss Fannie's Hat by Karon

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Grouchy Ladybug

The Singing Ringing Tree by Hastings/Brierley

Least of All by Purdy

Saint George and the Dragon Ill. by Hyman

Ferdinand by Leaf/Lawson

Roxaboxen by McLerran/Cooney

Adventures of Little Bear by Minarik/Sendak

Stone Soup by McGovern/Pels

If I Built a Car by Van Dusen

A Time to Keep by Tasha Tudor

Imogene's Antlers by David Small

Hello Ninja by N.D. Wilson

Arlo and the Great Big Cover-Up by Betsy Childs Howard

Anything by Beatrix Potter

In this episode, Tilly talks to James Cary, BBC sitcom writer, author, podcaster, YouTuber and stand-up theologian. They talk about what it was like for Cary to work in British television as a conservative Christian white male, as well as the writing process, shows and books that influenced each of them, and Cary's decision to homeschool in the UK of all places. It is clear from this episode that James has spaghetti brain, which we always thought was a woman thing.

...

James Cary writes a funny headlines about the Bible and Church history every Thursday at The Wycliffe Papers., hosts The Standup Theologian Podcast , and tours his one man show God, the Bible & Everything in 60 Minutes. He's the author of The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer and The Sacred Art of Joking.  

...

Other books referenced in the episode (among many):

Three Men in a Boat 

Just William

Anything by PG Wodehouse

The Oxford Anthology of Humorous Prose

In this episode, Abigail and Tilly jump into a grab bag of questions recently discovered in Spotify. They discuss the latest developments in Minneapolis, handling winter storms with joy, Tilly's father's gumbo recipe, critical mothers-in-law, questions to for dads to ask potential suitors, different approaches to homeschooling, and more. 

In this first episode of the new year, Tilly and Abigail mainly just catch up. Some big things happening in Abigail's world (we won't spoil it!) and Tilly's recent experience with the young folks at Cross Con. Also a goodish amount of talk about rivers, old buildings, and the ICE Troubles in Minneapolis.

In this super practical conversation, Tilly interviews Katie Voetburg from Now That We're a Family Podcast and The Get It All Done Club. They talk about meal prepping, the 80/20 rule, to-do lists, three kinds of work/rest days, identifying "prime movers" in your home, eliminating friction around small tasks, and how Katie organizes clothing and socks/shoes with six children 8 and under.

From the wonder of children's joy in the season to stockings, stuffing, turkeys, and spreadsheets, Tilly and Abigail talk about all things holiday prep. Listen along for hosting tips and reminders of how we can grow young and new inwardly, even as we get older.

In this episode, author and Camperdown MFA Director Christine Cohen comes on to talk about story--writing it, watching it, and reading it. Tilly and Christine take a deep dive into story structure and some of the challenges of bringing a character to life. What are some of the differences between writing for the screen and writing for print? Does a basic knowledge of basic story structure help us to be more appreciative and aware as consumers of story?