Robyn Dolan's Blog

Sunday Morning Music

Sunday morning music is a hashtag that I use when I post a brief clip of me playing an older Catholic / Christian hymn. Sometimes I will post more information on the hymn or composer here and link back to it from the video. In case you missed them, here are the links to my latest two Sunday Morning Music posts on YouTube.

The Cry of the Poor https://youtube.com/shorts/61Y9jtBHUuc?si=mxjrzQBLyVUB5adb

Amazing Grace https://youtube.com/shorts/2ZPunBV3OmE?si=vs3IHAyMJW4FtzIh

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The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny

Today I’m having a nice hot cup of Earl Gray and listening to The Madness of Crowds, by Louise Penny. I’m using the Cloud Library app from my local library.

Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache series has been recommended to me a number of times. But I didn’t dive in until a friend of mine gave me one of the books for my birthday. I dutifully read it and now I’m hooked.

Armand Gamache lives in the small town (fictional?) of Three Pines, Canada. He is head of homicide for the Surete du Quebec. Along with his wife, son-in-law, and several colorful townspeople, mysteries are solved, murderers brought to justice, and delicious meals are shared at the local bistro.

The Madness of Crowds is #17 in the series and is set in the aftermath of the covid-19 lockdown. It deals with sensitive moral issues including population control and healthcare resources. A few spots are graphic and could be unpleasant for some readers. But then this is no cozy mystery.

As the story begins Inspector Gamache is called to provide security for a speaker at a local university. The subject involves euthanasia and selective abortion of disabled babies, which the speaker justifies by events from the recent pandemic. An assassination attempt fails at the gathering but later the speaker’s assistant is murdered. Was this a case of mistaken identity or was she the real target? Follow Inspector Gamache and his team as they track down leads and follow red herrings until they find the true killer.

Learn more at your favorite bookseller or library and decide if you want to jump into Inspector Gamache’s world.

Check out the short on YouTube.

And have yourself a cup of tea.

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Bits and Pieces

Caring for my dad is much akin to caring for a toddler. I have to have all of my attention him and a small portion on what needs to be done otherwise. Except that one can train a toddler. But one cannot teach a stubborn old dog new tricks.

It seems that it’s taken me nearly 10 years to figure out that the only way I’m going to get anything done is to do it in bits and pieces. Especially now that Dad requires much more care. There is no focus on it until it’s done. There is only focus on Dad’s safety.

Success comes in tiny increments. The clothes hung on the line. Later brought back in. Got my teeth brushed. Played three scales. Wrote four lines. Yep just like with a toddler. Bits and pieces.

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The Ickabog by JK Rowling

The Ickabog, by JK Rowling

The Ickabog is a fanciful children’s tale by the author of Harry Potter. Just when you thought there could be nothing left in that amazing imagination, JK Rowling comes out with a fairytale worthy of the best storytellers.

It takes a bit to get into the story as she sets up tedious descriptions of the land of Cornucopia and its surrounding towns but once the story really begins it’s compelling to get to the end.

In short, there is a monster.

A town of terrified adults who want to destroy it. Some heroic children who try to save it. And a whole lot of adventure and yummy sounding food involved.
I have to say my favorite part was the last line “and they lived happily ever after”. Just because it is so corny and fairy-tale-ish.

Rowling originally wrote the story for her children.

When Covid locked down the world, she dusted it off and published it in free installments online for children (and adults!) stuck at home. Also during this time, an illustration competition was run for children on lockdown to illustrate the book. I find that very cool. JK is donating her net royalties from The Ickabog to her charitable trust, Volant, to help medical and frontline charities supporting vulnerable groups impacted by Covid-19.

I listened to The Ickabog on Audible, included in my membership at the time. I don’t know if it still is.

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20 minute homeschool – reading

20 minute homeschool – reading

Reading

If your child is already reading like a champ, well done. If they are just starting or still learning to read, let me give you some tips.

First and always, read to them.

Even if they already read well. Most of us enjoy being read to. Or Audible would be out of business. And speaking of audible, you can let it help out, too. There are many children’s audio books available. 

First you will read to your child. Then you will help your child read. Then try taking turns reading. The choice of material will have to be very basic and there are many good methods and books available.

Next, phonics.

There are plenty of phonics workbooks available or you can also just work with books that you have. Many good early readers will focus on one sound and that will help the children to recognize and read it. If your child is not yet writing phonics flashcards are a big help. They often include pictures to go with the words and sounds that the children are practicing. It is also something that your child can use without your constant help.

Once your child can read a little bit encourage them to read to you. This can be cuddle time or time when you are cooking or doing something else where you can pay attention to their reading but don’t have to be actually sitting down with them formally. Most likely in this situation you are familiar with the book they are reading anyway and will be able to help them in the tough spots.

Finally comes independent reading.

Family reading time can still be a thing and it would be a very nice thing too. But independent reading will be key to your child’s self-directed learning. Let them choose the books they read for pleasure but you will most likely need to direct which books you want them to read for school work.

Independent reading is also the key to self-directed and lifelong learning as your child can research anything they want to learn if they can read.

See the YouTube video 20 Minute Homeschool – Reading here: https://youtu.be/BOKbDeaDQJU

This episode of the 20-minute homeschool has been brought to you by The Working Parent’s Guide to Homeschooling by Robyn Dolan. available in Kindle and paperback versions on Amazon and other e-reader and paperback versions at bookstoread.com/workandhomeschool or your favorite retailer.

For more info on how to homeschool check out my book:

The Working Parent’s Guide to Homeschooling, by Robyn Dolan. Available in Kindle and paperback versions on Amazon and other e-reader and paperback versions at books2read.com or your favorite retailer.

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Tea at the Theater: Frankenstein 1930

Tea at the Theater: Frankenstein

Frankenstein 1930 is written by Fred Carmichael. The promotional material reads (sic) “harkens back to the Universal monster movies of the 1930s in a stage homage that features all the elements we love and remember from those films: the stonewalled laboratory, the crazed scientist, angry villagers, a swooning yet determined heroine, a fearful storm, and the hideous but sympathetic creature with its confused mind and powerful, undisciplined body. Can Victor Frankenstein and his fiancée Elizabeth subdue his deadly creation or will the final confrontation be the end of them all?”

Well, I guess you’ll just have to go to the Long Beach Playhouse and find out. It was definitely worth my time. Plenty of spooky and lots of laughs. And the intimate Main Stage is the ideal place to hold on to the edge of your seat. There’s just something about sitting around the stage with no curtain to hide the scene changes. Kind of like sitting around the campfire telling ghost stories.

A little bit more on my tea pairing.

For Frankenstein 1930 I chose Caramel Apple from The Republic of Tea. This is a caffeine-free rooibos with apples, vanilla, and natural flavors. I like it with a splash of milk or actually half and half. You may like it plain or some other way. It is just the thing for a crisp autumn evening and a spooky play at the theater.

See the video Tea at the Theater: Frankenstein 1930 on YouTube.

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No Time Like the Future

by Michael J FoxNo Time Like the Future by Michael J Fox

Another memoir by Fox only this time it is his very real struggle with continuing health frustrations. “No Time Like the Future,” contains the usual fun anecdotes about his life and inspiring stories about how he learns to handle increasing difficulties with his health, and his determination to continue to contribute through his career and philanthropy.

The book is also somewhat of a departure from his trademark optimism. He is finally overwhelmed by a series of unmerciful falls, surgeries, and injuries. On top of his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s Disease. As he bares his mental and emotional struggles, I want to alternately berate him for his self-pity, and cheer him on to once again adapt and overcome. He does not disappoint.

A bit challenging to listen to as Fox reads it himself. And his diction is a bit rushed and slurred in many instances no doubt due to his Parkinson’s. But that would not be a hindrance in reading the print version. Overall, other than that, I enjoyed the book.

I listened to No Time Like the Future on Audible. This is not a paid review, nor did I receive this book for free.

No Time Like the Future, written and narrated by Michael J. Fox, published by MacMillan Audio. Audiobook available on Audible. Playtime 5 hours, 59 minutes.

Print and ebook available on Amazon or your favorite retailer. (c)2020 Michael J. Fox

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Quiet Dark Churches

I miss the quiet of dark churches.

Throughout 10 years of Catholic schools, I was graced with the opportunity to pay a visit to the Blessed Sacrament whenever I wanted. The church was dark and cool. Filtered light snuck in through stained glass windows. Side altars were alight with candles. Holy water was available just inside each door. And the Blessed Sacrament was the focal point in the center of the altar raised up for all to see. At least the Tabernacle, which housed the consecrated hosts was. Talking was forbidden unless absolutely necessary and then it must be done in hushed tones. With respect for the Holy Presence and the people who were there to pray.

From the time I entered and blessed myself with the holy water and then genuflected to enter a pew or simply knelt by a side altar, the experience was calming and soothing. I breathed deeply. Knelt or sat and simply reflected. I could carry on a conversation with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. To come to him as the friend he wants to be to me. It was very spiritual and uplifting.

Sometime in the 80s or 90s, someone in the dreadful administrative hierarchy decided that all new churches needed to be vast secularized caverns. With separate chapels in which to segregate the Blessed Sacrament. No more side altars with candles. Light poured in through clear windows. Simple holy water vessels became deep baptismal swimming pools. There were no more hushed voices but a constant babble even up to the start of Mass. And the screaming of misbehaving children. A Catholic Church was no longer a haven of quiet and prayer. No more quiet dark churches.

I admit that my beloved Catholic religion has many tragic flaws.

Certainly much worse than the architectural ones. But this is one that lays on my heart and influences my community worship experience. I rejoice when I travel to small towns with small, older churches that still embody the features I cherish. Even larger churches in the old style. Built of stone, with stained glass windows. Caverns, perhaps, but quiet dark churches. With side altars and candles. Hushed voices and small holy water fonts.

If you have the good fortune to live in a Catholic community with a smaller, older church, please think twice before you push to modernize. So much is lost in the pursuit of accommodating larger numbers of worshipers in a mega-modern church building.

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The 20 Minute Homeschool – The 3 Rs

https://youtu.be/KoSXPwFBzrA

The 20-Minute Homeschool – part 2 – The 3 Rs: reading, writing, arithmetic

Getting your child on the road to self-directed learning in your 20-minute homeschool starts with the 3 Rs: reading, writing, and arithmetic. If you are starting with an older child, this has probably already been accomplished. But you will want to tailor it to the routine you’re trying to achieve. What I mean by this is that you will want to have a routine where the child is reading for a certain amount of time, writing for a certain amount of time, and working on math problems for a certain amount of time every day.

This is the foundation for everything else.

Reading can be your choice, the child’s choice, or a combination of the two. Writing should be at least a full page. But not overwhelming because corrections will also need to be made in spelling, grammar, and perhaps structure. Arithmetic can just be one lesson per day. This may not seem like very much but it is an accomplishment. Especially if you are using a program such as Saxon.

This also does not need to be done in one day every single day.

You may work on reading one day, writing the next, and math the following. When you are done with your session with your child they can then enjoy looking at books, flashcards, and other manipulatives as they learn naturally through play.

If you’re starting with a young child who has not even begun school or has not mastered the art of reading, writing, and basic math functions then instead of correcting assignments, spend your 20 minutes reading to your child. Helping them learn how to write. Helping them with their math facts. Counting. Identifying letters and numbers.

In my book, I have an entire chapter devoted to free internet resources to help you with this.

Homeschooling is about the rate and the style at which your child learns.

Don’t be bullied by where other people or even your own past experience says they “should” be. Because it’s not necessarily true.

There are many excellent programs to choose from. Again, my book lists many resources for curriculum and free internet aids and where to look in the library and stuff.

For more info on how to homeschool check out my book:

The Working Parent’s Guide to Homeschooling, by Robyn Dolan. Available in Kindle and paperback versions on Amazon and other e-reader and paperback versions at books2read.com or your favorite retailer.

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Rebel Weeds

The garden is full of rebel weeds.

I love them. Dad hates them. One of our biggest disagreements is what does or does not belong in the garden.

Anything green and growing is subject to my dad pulling it out. As he declines he is not as much of a threat to my little rebel weeds as before. That brings with it both relief and sadness.

The rain has been wonderful for all things growing.

I have had to learn new ways of caring for my little plants. But I digress. Although my arugula has not yet taken off this year, the garden is full of wonderful weeds that make delicious salad. And I still have not had to buy any lettuce from the store because of that. The kale and mustard greens in the front garden and the various dandelion, thistle, and occasional arugula weeds have been supplying our dinner salads for years now, with occasional breaks of a few weeks when nothing seems to be coming up. However, right now the greens are beautiful.

The grass is long and unruly.

Rebel weeds abound. Dad complains about it incessantly but soon enough the grass will be mowed. I will take Dad out in the garden with me and I will pull up the salad greens and let him pull up the grass. All will be well. Rainbows and unicorns will appear.

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