Friday | Foliage Update; Book Nook; Independent Learning Plan

Good morning, friends! My notebooks are all telling me that today is Friday and that feels impossible. This week has flown by so quickly and the time has slipped away. I don’t have a lot to report, so this will be a fast post. Today I’m sharing an update on our maple tree, a glimpse into my newly forming book nook, and a little idea about how my independent learning goal for next year is shaping up. I’m still sipping on my morning latte, so I hope you have a good drink to keep us company too!

As you can see in my opening picture, the weather has been brilliant this week. The leaves in our maple tree have all turned dark orange but have yet to fall off, despite the hundreds of leaves on the ground around it. It seems like our neighbors’ maple trees have lost their leaves already but our big one is still hanging on. It is gorgeous! Walking across the yard with those leaves crinkling underfoot feels exactly the way I wanted Halloween to feel when I was growing up in Texas. I am so happy to live in New Hampshire.

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Book Nook:

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One project I’ve been working on for about a month is creating a little book nook in the basement. This is the area that used to hold my sewing machines and all of my quilting equipment. Well, I haven’t really quilted in a very long time and have been wanting a bookish space for myself in the house. It made sense to start packing up my sewing stuff and start building the space I’ve been wanting. I put 2-3 items on my to-do list for this space every day and I’m slowly getting there! Last night I finally got the shelves that previously held fabric totally cleaned off and was able to bring down my first two armfuls of books. That felt really nice. For the last week or so, I’ve been able to write my daily journal entries and blog posts down here, which is exciting!

And soon, the hope is that I’ll be able to start recording YouTube videos down here as well. I’ve put a pause on that endeavor because it was such a production to bring out the lights and set up everything after the kids went to bed. It will be much easier to do that sort of thing in this dedicated space.

Little by little, it’s coming together and I couldn’t be more thrilled. And don’t worry – I’m not getting rid of all of my sewing stuff. I’m keeping my machines and all of my expensive cutting equipment, as well as the majority of my fabric. But I’m winnowing it down to what I consider to be “essentials” that will fit into just three storage bins, just in case my ever-changing mood swings back.

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Independent Learning:

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I have gone back and forth so many times about what I want to study in the new year. The one thing that held constant: I knew I wanted to read The Iliad in 2025, especially since we’re going to be dipping into it in our ancient history curriculum this year. This felt really overwhelming to me, so I started looking into what a first year classics or literature student might also be studying when reading this at school. I downloaded an MIT Course on Ancient Greece, copied its syllabus, and am working on building a plan from there.

That course suggested the Greek World, Greece in the Making, and of course, The Iliad. In other places I’ve seen that the Stephen Fry books are helpful in understanding the context of The Iliad and are approachable, so I ordered those for Bryce and me.

Then I thought, I am going to feel like a classics student! What else did the students in The Secret History study? Because clearly, that’s the vibe I’m going for, minus the murder. They were also studying Greek and Latin – and because I have a tiny background in Latin (one semester as an undergrad), I decided to try to pick it up again. Don’t worry – I recognize that The Iliad was originally written in Greek but that feels way too overwhelming to learn on my own at this point. So I found some used Latin textbooks on Thriftbooks, plus I have a DuoLingo family plan, and am excited about making progress with a new language.

Is it a lot? Yes. I’m hoping to spend some very early morning time, just a couple of times a week, on this new endeavor in the new year. I’m planning to take at least 6 months on The Iliad so I have no intention of rushing this. And the good thing is that I’m tackling this in the winter months so we’ll likely be spending a lot more time inside anyway, which makes it feel more possible.

Are you interested in joining me?! A buddy is always good motivation!

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Friends, we have a morning of school ahead of us. Fridays are our Day of Beauty, so we’ll be focused on creative writing and Shakespeare this morning. I’m looking forward to a relaxed school session, full of snacks, candles, and a pot of tea (and pitcher of lemonade for Bryce). This weekend I will be working at the library, cooking, and cleaning. I’m also hoping to resolve a long-standing issue with my headphones so I can get back to my audiobook!

Whatever your weekend brings, I hope you find time for the things you love. Take good care!