These Homely Graces

  "there is no sort of knowledge to be got in these early years so valuable to children as that which they get for themselves in the world they live in. Let them once get in touch with Nature, and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight through life. We were all meant to be naturalists, each in his degree, and it is inexcusable to live in a world so full of the marvels of plant and animal life and to care for none of these things." ~Charlotte Mason, Home Education (Vol 1) p60

  "You who are in the monastery, when you approach your brother; you who are married, when you approach your spouse; you who are a father or a mother, when you approach your child: 'Let words of consolation leap forward before the rest of your speech'. Whatever you say, whatever you think of saying, say it only after you've said a word or two which will give the others joy, consolation, a breath of life. Make them say 'I feel relief, I feel joy'. Make others proud of you, love you, dance for joy when they see you. Because everybody in their life, in their home, in their body, and in their soul, has pain, illness, difficulties, torments, and everybody hides them within the secret purse of his heart and home, so that others won't know about it. I don't know what sort of pain you're in, and you don't know what pain I'm in. I may laugh, shout, and appear happy, but deep down, I'm in pain, and I laugh to cover up my sorrow. And so before a...

  Our Embden geese are laying!!! They hid their nest carefully under a pile of leaves, but one of the kids was watching. We're hoping for some goslings later this spring, but maybe a few of these massive eggs we'll save to decorate for Easter....