Angela – Page 186 – Letters from Home

Shakespeare study

It’s almost the end of third term and I am so excited to read Shakespeare next term. I found this series to be helpful for the young children. I’ve added a few more favorites to my Shakespeare how-to list.

1. The Oxford School Shakespeare Series: Wow. This series is excellent. Within each book, you’ll find introductory materials which cover relevant historical matters and some commentary about themes, as well as a detailed synopsis of the play. The play itself has excellent side notes and illustrations (which are easier to access than footnotes) and scene summaries. After the play, there are additional notes for further study and classroom discussion and projects. For secondary school years, this is very, very helpful.

A disciplined student who studied all of the introductory material could tackle Shakespeare’s plays on their own and be conversant about themes, characters, and history. I’m always looking for something which will require significant effort from the students but also make it possible to successfully navigate on their own. Of course we’ll probably read the plays aloud and we’ll definitely discuss themes and I will ask for essays, but excellent learning needn’t require constant lecturing from me.

2. William Shakespeare by Rosie Dickins: For elementary students, (and I admit I learned a lot, too) this illustrated history of Shakespeare’s life and times is just a joy. It’s accessible for young people, the illustrations are delightful, and it makes history fun. Timothy really loved this during his second grade year.

3. The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt: For the Shakespeare faint of heart. And most of us are. This Newbery Honor book takes place during the Vietnam War and follows a young man in Junior High who finds himself the only Protestant student in his homeroom, which means he and his teacher must find something to do when all of the Catholics and Jews leave school early for religious studies. His teacher decides that they will study Shakespeare. As told by this young man, the story is full of preteen angst and attitude, but through his study of Shakespeare (The Tempest, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet), he discovers that these plays help him better understand humanity and find his way through his problems. My older kids loved this book. It makes you excited to read Shakespeare for yourself and not just for your teacher. Thanks, Mom, for the recommendation.

Details, details

: watercolor by A.

Earlier this month, I set up my visiting teaching appointments but forgot to prepare the message. I did a quick skim of the magazine article I was to share and ran to the first appointment and taught a lovely lesson about women being guardians of the health of our families. We discussed ways we could help our families improve their emotional and physical health. I walked away feeling pretty good about the appointment.

But when I got home and set down the magazine on the counter, I finally noticed that the message was entitled, “Guardians of the HEARTH” (not health)! I was embarrassed and had a healthy laugh at myself. Apparently I need to be more involved in the details. Skimming isn’t adequate when it comes to important things. Some activities require deep, concerted, and detailed effort. And good job to those of you who saw my mistake before you read the second paragraph. Way to go, visiting teacher supreme!

I decided to read a book by Charles Dickins last week because he is a master of details. Each description is so rich and essential. I can’t skim through Dickins. It was a good exercise in focus. I also enjoy how he can moralize about the shady characters with sarcasm and characterize the good with idealism.

So hooray for effort in visiting teaching, flawed as it may be. And hooray for my first watercolor in years. And hooray for people such as Charles Dickins whose detailed efforts show me that I can navigate through experiences with humor and idealism.

In what areas of your life do you choose to be gentle in your self evaluations, while still maintaining an ideal for yourself? Tell me, dear reader. I am curious to hear your thoughts.

The Birthday list

I’ve heard it said that true love is when you care for a person for who he is and not for what he does for you. However, when I take the time to look at all the good things that Richard does for our family and for me, his actions and his identity are inseparable. I appreciate him because he does so much, but I love him because of the person he has become through these acts of sacrifice.

Here are a few of the good things that I have observed Richard do over the past 8 days:

He was a merit badge counselor at a Scout event on Saturday and prepared an awesome activity with lasers.

He drove Daniel and another boy to piano rehearsals during his lunch break at the Scout event.

He prepared a talk and was a Stake high council speaker for another congregation on Sunday.

He made dinner for us on Sunday because I was busy feeling devastated about something.

He babysat while I attended a new member fireside.

He went to work each day and one night he stayed up to midnight working from home.

He drove Paige to seminary at 6:40 a.m. each school day.

He conducted Family Home Evening and gathered us for family prayers.

He attended a district Scout meeting before picking up Paige from ballet.

He attended a baseball parent meeting with Daniel.

He ate my brownies and remembered to compliment them.

He babysat while I went to youth activities on Wednesday night.

He washed the windows of the house and enlisted the help of his sons so they could learn to work.

He mowed the lawn.

He organized the garage.

He sprayed the weeds and sprayed for bugs.

He cleaned the back patio.

He chopped up branches from our thorny trees for disposal, also enlisting the sons for help.

He made a movie to show at the youth fundraiser on Friday night.

He helped set up for the youth fundraiser and donated generously.

He helped clean up the fundraiser and mopped the church cultural hall.

He tutored Paige in math for four hours on his day off and smiled about it.

He watched a romantic comedy with me for our date night.

On another night, he took me out to dinner.

He was the first to get up when he heard one of our kids vomiting in the middle of the night.

He went to church meetings which began at 6 a.m. even though he’d been up in the middle of the night with sick children.

He drove a new member to church.

He’s on his way home to take care of the sick kids so I can attend Young Women meeting.

Dear Birthday boy,
I know it's not an ideal day, but I'm sure glad you are here to
share it with me. Happy birthday, Rich. I love you.
-A

Golfing in February

The boys are finishing up another round of golf lessons. The setting of their class and the pleasant temperatures make for a great way to spend an afternoon. We take classes from volunteers who charge $5 for a 6 week session. These retirees are such a positive group of people. I like to watch them interact with the kids and build them up.

Daniel has invited his favorite coach to our big concert in March because he tells Daniel often how he wishes he could hear him play the piano.

This is Timothy’s first session of golf lessons. He seems to be doing well and he is always talking to a friend of the week.

These classes have been so good for the boys.

Post #600

The writer must be in it; he can't be to one side of it, ever.
He has to be endangered by it. His own attitudes have to be tested
in it. The best work that anybody ever writes is the work that is
on the verge of embarrassing him, always.--Arthur Miller

It’s my 600th post. Richard says that I have essentially written a book. I married him because he says such things.

It was Richard who encouraged me to write a blog. He knows that I have things to say, but I don’t often share. I wanted this blog to be a place where people didn’t obligated to make a comment. I also wanted to remain free from dependence on the comments of others.

For a change today, though, I have decided to allow comments on this post.

Thank you for choosing to read despite my flaws as a person and as a writer. And thank you to those of you who have written me an email when I’ve needed some comments.

Which posts have brought the most feedback and had the most views? They are my Paige posts and the curriculum posts. My hats and sunglasses have also drawn comments, as well as my aversion to everyone’s propensity to call me “Sister Ross.”

When I read old posts, I am usually very gentle with myself and try to remember the circumstances which prompted the writing.Some posts are efforts to feel validation. Some posts still make me cry just as I did when I wrote them.

Each post is in some way a celebration… of an accomplishment, an idea, a child, or my husband. I’ve tried not to show anger or negativity, not because I don’t feel these things, but because I believe that positive thinking is healthier. Writing in celebration has enhanced my enjoyment of life and my awareness of all that I have been given.

I hope you feel my gratitude for reading. Thank you.

Some of my favorite posts:

Bedazzled t-shirts

My Own Brand of Motherhood

The Day I Studied Richard

I cried the most while writing this one

Classic Cinema

Ross MTV

Quotes from Mark

Possibly the most embarrassing

Zoomer-Smasher-Dune-Buggy

The Bayeux Tapestry Project

Concerning Priorities

Serendipity beetles

Boing!

Order

: Salt Lake Temple

: Oakland Temple

When I’m thinking hard about something, I’ll set out to do menial tasks. I’ll clean out a drawer or fold laundry, organize a closet or throw things away. Really big problems are best sorted with a paint roller in my hand. After some challenges this week (certainly nothing horrific!), I spent two evenings creating temples from the chaos of my thoughts and little bags of chipped tile.

I can’t say that it helped. My problems are still here, but I have two cute little temples to grout and frame so it’s not all bad.

Angie’s Book

Do you have an unlikely treasure hidden in plain sight at your house?

Here’s mine:

My house is full of binders just like this, but this is one of my favorites.

Last year I decided to collect the notes I have taken from literature since moving to Arizona and compile them in a book for easy reference.

It’s an odd assortment of stuff; some of it is personal religious study; some of it is evidence of curiosity; many books I have studied so I can teach them. I don’t take notes on everything that I read. More often you will find my notes scribbled in the margins of my books. But there are some books which require a little more effort. This is where I keep the evidence of those efforts.

I read The Republic twice last year to make any sense of it. I made notes in columns to show the dialogue.

After reading The Aeneid and making careful summaries, I decided not to use much of the work in Paige’s study plan.

This book is evidence of many elements of my life which coincide with my studies. I was a mother of a toddler at the time I was studying a text on the American Revolution.

My notes from Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith were left on a chair at Spring Lake and received a good soaking from the sprinklers.

After I read a book, I decide whether I want my children to study it. If so, I will often make a study plan, research commentaries, and write essay questions and sometimes worksheets. It’s not very often that I read something and discover that I can’t use it in some way in our classes.

I gave up personal reading during high school and college. It took me years to revive the hunger for ideas which was stamped out during those busy years. I didn’t like much of what was assigned to read during those years. I became weary from ideas of authors I didn’t admire and books I had not chosen. Of course these reading experiences had value, but I am grateful to be in a new phase of study.

This time of my life is a little bit like being back in school, but I love the freedom to read what I want and study as little or much as I please.

Mosaic tile art class

I taught an art class for children this week. I feel pretty good about it.

We had great participation and focus among the students.

There is something so great about kindergarteners. Mark is very proud to be a part of the big kid class.

We applied the tile pieces to foam board with glue.

Mark made a sunset and Timothy made a beach scene.

Daniel made a saguaro cactus in bloom.

And I made a poppy.

Veiled memories

Paige in her Easter dress at our apartment looking down at a bug. She is 20 months old.

We lived in an apartment for a year in Austin, Texas before we moved into our house. This wasn’t our first time living in a different state from our parents, but Richard’s job made it a more permanent arrangement. Paige was my constant companion through that year of adjustment.

We made daily walks to the mailbox and this was the highlight of our day. I was writing to two brothers on missions and my grandmother was a faithful correspondent. I lived for the mail. Paige lived for the ducks we passed on our way to the mailboxes. We watched families of ducks hatch in the spring and grow to maturity.

I reflect on those times now and find that these memories hold my heart like it’s a sponge being wrung. Real feelings are associated with those simple moments. Last night I asked her if she remembered our walks, but she couldn’t. Did she remember the lake or the apartment? Did she remember our talks or the evenings we blew bubbles in the protected corridors between apartment buildings which allowed the bubbles to sail more gently? No, the memories were not there.

I know enough about child development to realize that infancy and early childhood are not about concrete memories, but the feelings of security and the affection of a parent are pivotal to many areas of development.

It still seems a little sad that she can’t remember those times, though. Perhaps I should look at those memories of motherhood as a personal gift from God, a reminder that small and simple acts are significant. For it seems that simple acts bring blessings for the giver long after the recipient ceases to need those gifts. These feelings and memories are my treasures, and they are uniquely mine because they were crafted with my own small acts of personal sacrifice and love. Perhaps these motherly acts were inspired by remnants of memories of my own mother’s forgotten acts kindness to me when I was a baby. In all things, it seems that God knows best how to nurture his children, and if it means forgetfulness for a while, then I will trust in that.

Valentine’s Day offerings

Richard treated me to this necklace for Valentine’s Day. I found it at the Gem and Mineral Show. Paige says the stones remind her of pomegranate fruits. The necklace has some weight, but it feels better than any of the plastic bead necklaces that I own.

One day I had a conversation with a grandmother about rocks. She pulled out a rock from her collection of treasures and had me hold the smooth, contoured stone until it warmed in my hand. “Now that’s a Good Rock, isn’t it?” she said. I’m not sure what made it a good rock, but I had to agree. The stone had imparted some sort of stability which was comforting. Maybe I was starved for something natural in my hands.

Some of you may wonder what I’m talking about, but that’s just because you haven’t experienced this yet.

My Valentine’s Day stone necklace has the same quality as my grandmother’s good rock.

I gave my Valentine 40 completed Nutcracker DVD orders. I know, you can’t believe I would post such a romantic gesture on the internet!