Jenn's Bucket List

I've been thinking of my "Bucket List," lately.

I don't know the people in the picture, it's just a kewl picture.

• (My friend Stacy cured me of wanting to jump out of an airplane)
  
• I'd like to learn to be a better kisser
  
• I'd like reassurance that my kids will be ok (I know, trust in God. That's faith, I want assurance -- this is MY list, yours can have anything you'd like.)
• I'd like to loose 8 sizes (I'm a women's 20 and I'd like to be a 12.)

• I'd like to spend a week on a quiet beach with my husband and children

• I'd like to make out on a beach (do you see a theme, here?)


• I'd like to write a "How To" book for my kids to read (how to love, how to live...)


• I definitely WANT to become a saint (I don't need canonization, just the reality of heaven.)


• I think I might want to have another baby, but it's up to God (and Dave) and I'm not really sure I even want to but I might want to and the idea of another little girl sounds sooo sweeeet and all my girlfriends have been telling me all the things I made them swear they'd tell me during my last pregnancy for when I wanted another baby.


• I'd like to go para-sailing


• I'd like to learn to like cooking


• I'd like to get more energy


• Well, for that matter I'd like to learn to like cleaning, but really I have no desire to clean, EVER


• I'd like to end abortion and have world peace, but I'm thinking those may not happen in my lifetime

Some of these seem in conflict (skinny, clean house & more energy vs. another baby) Just random thoughts...

What does your list look like?

The Iliad - Teaching Pagan Literature from a Christian World View

I'm teaching Dd#1 and a good friend's daughter Literature of the Ancients this year.

Doesn't that sound nice? Academic and high schoolish. One problem. I can't read it. I mean...I CAN sound out the words and put meaning to the words. But all of it together...nope. (It doesn't help when I set aside 1 hour of reading time and I counted 13 child-interruptions in that hour before I gave up. That's 13 times they CAME to me to interrupt me. That doesn't count the thumps, bumps and cries from the other room they didn't bring to me but I heard regardless.)

We just started. Right now, we're struggling through the Iliad. Dd#1, having been immersed in a Classical Education for the previous 8 years is doing the best. I am doing the worst.

Here are my HELPS TO TEACH THE ILIAD :

• Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature, Peter J. Leithart - although this isn't a Catholic work, this is a FANTASTIC christian author who makes reading pagan authors much more palatable by his world view. Rather than encouraging his young readers to divorce themselves from their Christianity in reading these B.C. authors, he helps students read with an understanding of a lack of Christ in these characters. This purchase will help us with Homer's Iliad, Odyssey & Virgil's Aeneid. It also contains information for reading Theogony, Eumenides by Aeschylus, Oedipus Tyrannus by Sophocles, The Bacchae by Euripides, and Clouds by Aristophanes.
• A Companion to The Iliad by Malcolm M. Willcock - This is keyed to Lattimore's translation, which is closer to the Greek. My library had a copy of this. It's all the footnotes that you wish were in the Iliad to explain places, literary references, cross-references, character information, historical perspective, etc.
• Iliad of Homer, translated by *Lattimore - It seems funny to use the book itself as a help to read the book. It's because Lattimore's introduction, while fairly boring, gives INVALUABLE help to read the book. Thematic, character and historical summaries as well as where the book fits in the literature cycle of the Trojan war...this was a BIG help and I've been referring back to the introduction over and over again as I read/teach.

*Another option would be read Fagles translation of the Iliad. It isn't as academic, but gives a good feel of the story. In the end, digesting and enjoying what is read is more important than having an erudite experience that was lifeless. Homer meant for his audience to enjoy his stories and Fagle allows you to be swept away in the story!

Dd#1 is enrolled in Kolbe and she is using their lesson plans. My friend's daughter isn't. I've been surprised that I've needed to dig deeper as a teacher even though I have access to Kolbe's lesson plans. We're just in our first few weeks of this, so I'll keep you updated.

Other teacher helps have been

• Monarch Notes for the Iliad (oop)
• Teaching Company CD's Iliad of Homer by Elizabeth Vandiver

Marie Bellet in Ordinary Time

North Carolina Students forced to buy insurance for abortion

http://www.noabortioninhealthcare.com/NC/Home.html

THE OUTRAGE

This fall, the North Carolina Board of Governors is requiring all students who are enrolled in a University of North Carolina (UNC) public institution to have health insurance. Read more here.
Students who do not already have private health insurance are required to buy a state selected policy from Pearce & Pearce Inc. This mandated policy covers up to $500 toward elective abortions and has 80% PPO coverage rate.

The Pearce & Pearce policy costs up to $750 per year or $375 a semester. The State of North Carolina will not be paying into the policy; rather, the students who purchase the insurance will be required to pay for the benefits. As a result, North Carolina students will be forced to pay for abortions, regardless of their personal views.

Paying for abortions should be not a pre-requisite to learning!

Want more information about this outrage? Click here!

The days of summer are done

School has now begun

Our time is on loan

We won't answer the phone

We'll pretend we're not home

So we can read St. Jerome

And after school we can have some fun.