A review of Tara Westover’s Educated (by a homeschooler)

On Saturday mornings, we drive our daughter down to Naples for fencing lessons. Although Naples is not far away geographically, it takes roughly 45 minutes each way to get there with stop-and-go brunch and farmer's market traffic. Then her fencing lessons usually run about two hours long. This ritual requires that I tow along a … Continue reading A review of Tara Westover’s Educated (by a homeschooler) →

Somewhere only we know

“In secret places we can think and imagine, we can feel angry or sad in peace. There is something to be said for just being, without worrying about offending anyone.”Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden For the last year that my family spent living in Southern California, my parents leased a house in a suburb … Continue reading Somewhere only we know →

Medieval literature and some seriously good South Florida cuisine

I have been slowly working my way through All My Road Before Me: The Diary of C.S. Lewis 1922-1927. These are Lewis's journal entries after he returned from serving in World War I. During the war, Lewis made a pact with some close friends that if any of them did not survive the war, the … Continue reading Medieval literature and some seriously good South Florida cuisine →

Delightful things to read, watch, and listen to lately

Scene from Netflix's The Dig I have read, watched, and listened to so many wonderful things in recent days that I decided to combine them all into one long list of recommendations. Some of them are new releases and some are simply new to me. "The Dig" (Netflix) This is a wonderful depiction of the … Continue reading Delightful things to read, watch, and listen to lately →

A tour of our homeschool room

Longtime readers know we homeschool our daughter. This is not a recent phenomenon - we have been homeschooling her for her entire academic career and we absolutely love it. We get to cover so much exciting material that is not covered in traditional schools and pursue topics our daughter is uniquely interested in as far … Continue reading A tour of our homeschool room →

A sandbar, Lebanese food, and psychiatry books

I'm not going to lie, this has been a pretty incredible weekend. Yesterday we decided to wake up early and head out to a sandbar that we've wanted to play at for many months. We originally were going to take the kayak, but I have been struggling with serious knee pain for a couple days … Continue reading A sandbar, Lebanese food, and psychiatry books →

Jordan Peterson’s Biblical Series podcasts are incredible

I would say the Bible exists in that space that is half into the dream and half into articulated knowledge. Going into it, to find out what the stories are about, can aid our self-understanding. The other issue is that, if Nietzsche was correct, and if Jung was correct, and Dostoevsky, as well…Without the cornerstone provided … Continue reading Jordan Peterson’s Biblical Series podcasts are incredible →

Over the hill (but with new tropical plants and books about opium)

Age has given me what I was looking for my entire life - it has given me me . It has provided time and experience and failures and triumphs and time-tested friends who have helped me step into the shape that was waiting for me. I fit into me now. I have an organic life, finally, not … Continue reading Over the hill (but with new tropical plants and books about opium) →

Awarding “personhood” to corporations is an ancient concept

I live in the Managerial Age, in a world of "Admin." The greatest evil is not now done in those sordid "dens of crime" that Dickens loved to paint. It is not done even in concentration camps and labour camps. In those we see its final result. But it is conceived and ordered (moved, seconded, … Continue reading Awarding “personhood” to corporations is an ancient concept →

Delightfully nerdy books on gardening and botany

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was going to compile a list of my favorite books about gardening and botany. This is quite a diverse list. Some of these books are on the history of gardening. Some are scientific. Some are practical guides on keeping a garden. Some are philosophical ruminations on gardening … Continue reading Delightfully nerdy books on gardening and botany →