Making time for culture. . .

I've noted in this space several times the importance that "the arts" has in our lives, and therefore in our approach to homeschooling. Belle started piano this year and also sings in our local childrens chorale. We go out of our way to take all three to concerts, plays, puppet shows, etc. Some of these are intended for young audiences, but often we take them to programs primarily intended for adults (not to be confused with the "adult programming" on your hotel-room TV).

The response we get when we arrive at the "grown-up" programs varies. Walk into Atlanta's Symphony Hall on a Friday evening with three kids under 10 in tow and you too will garner some attention. Some patrons prefer to look the other way and pretend they didn't see you. Other's go out of their way to congratulate you on introducing your offspring to the wonders of the arts at such a young age. That latter comment is much more likely to be heard during intermission if the three young-un's in question remain on their best behavior throughout the first half. Then you just hope they can make it through the second with similar results.

A few observations:

• symphony orchestra concerts are far more interesting to a 4-year old than a choral concert by his cousin's college choir. Choirs just stand there and sing. No cool instruments; no loud timpani or cymbals. No harps or stringed basses. Fortunately, the concert in question was at a church with a nursery; Tink and The Boy were much happier there for the second half!
• plays typically work out well. It's dark (always good for hiding wiggles and such) and there is usually LOT'S to watch on stage.
• ditto for puppet shows.

Tonight we went to a wonderful concert that was local! (new readers should know that we live at least 30 minutes from anywhere anyone has heard of; longer if it's rush-hour). To attend a good concert at a small church in the mountains of North Georgia just 15 minutes from home was too good to pass up.

First half: an extremely talented, 16 year old cellist from Atlanta. He played beautifully, with both accuracy and passion. He will go far. The kids did well. It helps that a cello looks a lot like a stringed bass (the hit of the afore-mentioned ASO trip).

Second half: a wonderful soprano soloist who also has a regular program interviewing artists on the Atlanta public radio station. Her repertoire ranged from Handel and Mozart to Chinese folk-songs to French cabaret tunes to spirituals. Amazing! Unfortunately, it was late and the kids were largely unimpressed. Plus, the sanctuary was small and well-lit. Nowhere to run to; nowhere to hide.

We live, we learn, we go on to mercilessly expose our children to "culture" again another day (perhaps in another way). Meanwhile, the adults in the family will definitely return. Did I mention that it was local? And it was free? Both, in the same night!!!!

Carnival of Homeschooling is up. . .

This weeks CoH is up over At Home with Kris. My entry on the 1900 predictions is included. I haven't had a chance to look at the other entries, but they include some good info, so stop in and browse around when you can.

Predictions from 1900

I was rummaging about on the internet this weekend (admit it, so were you) when I found this interesting article.

Imagine it's 1900 and you're writing an article for the Ladies Home Journal. (interesting tangent: note that the article is written by a man. I wonder how many ladies were writing for LHJ in 1900, and how many men are writing for LHJ today?). Anyway, back to the article. Your subject is "what may happen in the next hundred years?" After surveying prophesies and predictions from a multitude of "experts", you settle on the critical few.

It is fascinating to see how some were so accurate ("wireless telephone and telegraph circuits will span the world. . .We will be able to telephone to China quite as readily as we now talk from New York to Brooklyn") and how some were so far off ("there will be no C, X or Q in our everyday alphabet. . .English will be more extensively spoken then any other; Russian will be second"). Hmm, so one out of three on that last one.

It's interesting that everything is bigger. "Stawberries as large as apples." "Peas as large as beets." "Roses as large as cabbage heads." I guess that, even in 1900, progress was defined as "bigger is better".

Some sections start out with an accurate premise, but miss on how we actually get there. "Ready-cooked meals will be bought from establishments similar of our bakeries of today." As a society, we eat out A LOT. And in some communities, "gourmet to go" is the primary provider of the family dinner. However, check out the predicted execution of such a future state.

Of particular interest is the paragraph titled "How Children will be Taught". It is striking how the focus is on free access to everyone (K thru University) while "medical inspectors" will be visiting the public schools to provide "poor children" with glasses, dental care, and free medical attention of every kind". Free transportation, free lunch, even free vacations for poor children. It's fascinating that, even in 1900, "experts" were predicting the dramatic rise of the role of government in education and in the general welfare of all children. After all, this is being written prior to the rise of communism and socialism in Europe, before either WW1 or WW2, and before the Great Depression. Many of the events that triggered the New Deal, the Great Society, and all of the other well-intentioned government programs that drove the increasing role of government in all aspects of life had yet to occur. Amazing.

And yet, we still have presidential candidates who would see us take it even further today.

Oh, and that last part about etiquette and housekeeping is pretty hysterical. So close, and yet so far - all in the same paragraph.

What's your favorite section?

Hat tip to Jonah Goldberg's "Odd Links Gal" over at The Corner for this.

Surging toward 1,000

This is a rather humble milestone to reach, given that I started counting "hits" in October, but I'm just about to 1,000 on my "hit-o-meter" at the bottom of the page.

Go team!

The intrepid blogger who is the 1,000th visitor will receive 1) my eternal appreciation and esteem, and 2) nothing else. Sorry, we're on a budget here. Still, if you end up being that person, leave a comment and let me know.

Chris

Spring in the South

I love Springtime in the South. Rather than a gradual increase in daily temperatures over a period of time, we get wild swings in temperatures in just a few days. Last Tuesday it snowed, Monday it was 72 degrees and sunny, this Saturday we're supposed to get snow flurries again with a high of 34. This morning it was sunny and beautiful when my wife too The Boy to Mothers Morning Out. Make that sunny, beautiful and COLD.

Here's a belated shot from our surprise snowfall OK, it was half an inch. Give me a break; we live in Georgia! It was still pretty. The daffodils were quite surprised.

A fun clip to start your day. . .

OK, YouTube could be addicting. The question is no longer "what can you find on YouTube", it's "what can you NOT find on YouTube".

Here, in my first attempt at linking to a YouTube clip, is a really funny video of a comedian who grew up playing the cello. (Hmm, I wonder how many of those there are out there, really?)

He loved the cello, and he loved the repertroire available to him with one exception.

Pachelbel's Canon in D.

Enjoy.

My Desk, part 2

To follow up on a few comments from that last post:



1) no, my desk is NOT usually this neat. I did some severe tidying-up before taking pictures.



2) When Arby posted his desk photo's, he had my blog up on his monitor. I left a comment wondering what it would look like if I took a picture of my monitor showing his blog with his monitor showing my blog. Like a reflection of a mirror in a mirror ad infinitum. Well, here it is!





3) I also failed to mention one of my other regular office-mates. Here she is, napping on top of the wireless router. Her name is Sassy Belle, and she belongs to Belle (our eldest). One of her other favorite spots is right next to the phone, especially when I'm on a conference call.




4) Since it was dark outside when I took the previous pictures, you couldn't see the view. Here it is from just outside the office door. In the foreground is our big project from last Spring - the playground.

I still owe Tim a response to his "Sordid" meme. That will be coming soon.

Noisily being quiet,

Chris