Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival :: May 2015 :: CMBC

Welcome, Friends!

Thank you for joining us at the May 2015 edition CM Blog Carnival! I’m so glad you’ve come. Do you know how important you are? Everyone is valuable, that’s certain, but somehow mothers are especially so. Most everyone in the world at some time or another has loved a mother. So, whether you are a mother or have one, will you allow us a few minutes to speak some life into your soul?

It was this Very Important Blog Post that shot me some life-filled ideas completely annihilating the writer’s block that plagued me last week. That, and the fact that it’s almost Mother’s Day weekend. AND, I want to share some maternally inspiring words spoken by one of my favorite modern day authors of children’s books.

First of all, the blog post that is the feature of this edition of the carnival was written by my good friend Naomi who writes periodically at CM Living in California. And no, it's not featured just because she's my friend, you are all my friends! She spoke so well what is in my heart.

I’d really like to just quote the. entire. thing.

But instead will you please go over there and read it through… for Mother’s Day?
Consider it my gift to you. I think you’ll love it. :)

It’s called Scaffolding Towers of Glory and Excellence, but don’t let the title baffle you.


Photo by Naomi.

Here’s a snippet or two…

"In our pursuit of the very best education for our children - what mother doesn't want that?! - we read the CM series, books, articles, blogs, attend meetings, conferences, follow CMers on Facebook, see their perfect lives on Instagram, their creations on Pinterest, Join groups, forums - to learn it all, do it all, keep up on all."

"Can we ever get anywhere near the tower of glory? It seems to have no end. Will we ever be good enough? have time enough? be mom enough?"

Yep, the whole thing is that good. You can read the rest here.

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Now for that promised quote.

"The whole ‘just a mom thing’ is one of the most inverted lies around. I write books... and because we admire the abstract: I condense thoughts into little black symbols on pulp, trees, which can burn and rot and go away.

YOU have little humans who will always be. forever. somewhere.
They are the beginnings of forever stories.

so none of that. 

You must awaken to this glory and you must attempt to improve at noticing, receiving, processing, integrating, condensing and then giving.

...that is the process of ultimate artistry."

N. D. Wilson in his talk, "Words Made Flesh" to Bethlehem College and Seminary

Read the entire quote here.

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There are already some interesting conversations going on in the early submitted posts, including an acronym for choosing living books and questions about homeschooling high school among others. You can read them all starting from the linky below!

*See the note below for how you might be able to help the CMBC!

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More opportunities to hang out together throughout the month:
(Feel free to link your blog post to more than one link up where applicable!)


Charlotte Mason Blog Carnival linky!! - ALL Charlotte Mason educational posts are welcome!!
Keeping Company - Notebooking
Learning by Hand - Handicrafts
Wednesdays with Words - Share quotes from your reading
Nature Study Mondays :: LINKup - share Nature Study posts

Do you host a CM related blog link up? 
Please e-mail information to:
charlottemasonblogs (at) gmail (dot) com

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Make sure to check back frequently as there are more posts submitted all month long, see the linky below. :)

Also, you won’t want to miss the April edition with its 43 posts, so be sure to go back and check it out, too!  Bloggers, please link up as many times as possible using the linky below, or if you would like your post to be considered as a feature in the next carnival, you may also submit it by e-mail anytime between now and the end of the month.

Share more posts throughout the month here:

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Help the CMBC: 
Encourage-A-Blogger: If you come across a helpful article or blog post inspiring to Charlotte Mason educators, please encourage the author to share it with us (or ask them if you can share it for them!). We welcome the help! I haven't had much time lately for popping around and browsing blogs to encourage participation like I used to!

Link Yourself: Please feel free to link up your own posts throughout the entire month with the linky below. When a topic is posted, you are welcome to link to older posts on that topic. Also, if you would like your recent blog posts to be considered as a feature in the next carnival, you may also submit them by e-mail anytime between now and the end of the month (mail to: charlottemasonblogs(at)gmail(dot)com).

Love notes: If you read a blog post that is particularly inspiring, please let the blogger know! It is encouraging to interact over what we're thinking and doing and most bloggers would LOVE it if you left them some bloggy love in the comments. :)

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The CMBC hosts a linky that will remain active throughout the month (add more all month long!). The carnival will be announced via e-mail, facebook page, twitter handle & g+ page  - (please feel free to share the current carnival link wherever as often as you'd like!) 
All posts submitted to the CMBC by e-mail before the deadline will be linked via the linky AND one or two will be chosen to be featured every edition, selections will be made at the hostess/editor's discretion.

on motherhood as an artform.

i mentioned in another place that I wanted to give you a couple of gifts this Mother's Day. the first one i mentioned already you can find here. as it turns out, there wasn't room for the second 'under the tree' so to speak, so i'm putting it here where you can see and read it in all it's wonderfulness.

N. D. Wilson's quote on motherhood:

"i have unfortunately heard a lot of christian women say things like, 'i don’t really need to rigorously pursue my education, i don’t really need to be sharp and astute, a great integrator of themes. because i’m…' (and here’s my most hated phrase in the English language) '...because I’m going to just be a mom.'

well, what i do is, i just put words on a page for people to read.
that’s my art form.

what you do? well, you know, you raise immortal souls...

you grow them inside yourself, magically.
you feed them from yourself.
you are the great storyteller for these humans.
these little bleeding things.

i sit there and type. that’s my art.

and YOU’re the one who interprets all of reality for this one year old. You take all of it and you condense, you creatively condense and you give. You say, here! and it’s this type of art for them... and then they’re five and then they’re six, and you’re the MOM.

do you know what dad does? he keeps the lights on.

imagine. i think if you took the most psychotic, crazy, NY, wacko, installation artist, they wouldn’t have the guts to do what ‘just a mom’ does. or if i said okay, here’s the plan. i think i can get a federal grant. i’m going to give you some actual children… you create a life story. how’s this? maybe eighteen years... create a childhood. there quick, don’t just do your weird thing where you held your naked body to a block of ice. that’s their normal installation pieces. how ‘bout eighteen years in you do 3 meals a day. you shove stuff in their face and you create a life. you create a childhood. you create the first 18 years of a life story.

find me the crazy artist willing to take that on.
absolutely not.

the whole ‘just a mom thing’ is one of the most inverted lies around.
it’s like, i need an education because i write books...
because we admire the abstract. i condense thoughts into little black symbols on pulp, trees, which can burn and rot and go away.

YOU have little humans who will always be. forever. somewhere.
they are the beginnings of forever stories.

so none of that.
you must awaken to this glory and you must attempt to improve at noticing, receiving, processing, integrating, condensing and then giving.

...that is the process of ultimate artistry."

N.D. Wilson in his talk to Bethlehem College and Seminary, "Words Made Flesh: Stories Telling Stories and the Russian Dolls of Divine Creativity"

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watch a video of the whole talk here.

just gimme one more day... the CMBC really is coming soon!

i know.
everyone's waiting anxiously for the carnival, right?

well, our internet's been spotty so i've sorta had to do it all kinda just wham bam thank you ma'am style and because of that have lost a little of those fuzzy wuzzy inspirationish kind of feelings sitting here trying to CRAM out a carnival post. no wonder Charlotte says scram to cram.

but the good new is...

i just found my muse. it's just gonna be another day.

i love you guys.

:)

and here is picture (or 47) for your patience...




you may even catch a glimpse of today... it's the one that may strike some resemblance to another era.
all because my friend richele made me want to.

Nature Study Monday :: April 2015 :: NSM {LinkUP!}

this month, i'm sharing one of my favorite sites for nature journaling! have you ever heard of John Muir Laws? that blog has a LOT of nature study resources, drawing tutorials and journaling advice. the author/naturalist has noted many ideas which resonate with what i know to be oh so true and which i've experienced myself. my friend Phyllis reminded me of his blog in a recent conversation and i was happy to discover he has a TON of new stuff up.

?!=

have you ever gone out and wandered all a wonder about what you should be doing or looking at during nature study hour? i am happy to report that this almost never happens to me. (how's that for empathy?) somehow, that innate sense of wonder in nature was carried over from childhood and spilled out again when i set out with my kids. BUT wait, i know in the beginning it wasn't the same as it is now. and for many it can be kind of, no, REALLY hard to know what to do, much less be an example for your kids of what to do.

in his post, Deep Observation, Jack talks about 3 questions to ask when observing. he shares a fun visual so that we don't forget the questions. matter of fact, i'm going RIGHT now to write them on the cover of my journal... wanna know more? go right now and check out this awesomesauce post!

oh and another thing.
i bet you have always been curious what one my all time favorite nature study posts is? i might have a lot of those. the latest one you can read for yerself, right here.

Nature Journaling with your Family! 

#journalingisnotachore #rewardsdontmotivate #practicemakesperfect #setsmartgoals etc.

Here's the link up for May!

Snag a button if you wanna! :)
Come back and share your nature studies with us this month!

The {Nature Study Monday} link up is for ANY nature study-ish blog post written at any time during the current month. Which means, when you submit your link, it will show up in every. single. {NSM} post. during the whole month! Oh, and be not confused, feel free to link up on any day, be it Monday or not!