Catching My Breath

Well, it's been a busy time since I posted last. Two of those weeks were spent in France and England with my eldest. It was glorious. We went to Lyons (well, actually an hour outside of) and Paris, Oxford and London. We were obsessed with going to the Globe (as we were when we lived there). We saw All's Well that Ends Well twice and Hamlet once. Just fabulous! We always get the cheapest tickets - the Groundlings - because it only costs 5 pounds (that's about $8.50 for the highest quality theater a person can get anywhere on the...well...globe!) That means you have to stand the whole time (except for the 15 minute intermission), but you also get to lean against the stage and you begin to feel a part of the story. It's not the only way to experience Shakespeare, but it's the best. :-)

A couple of pictures from France. We ate here one day - Le Relais Hotel - they served us the best Mousse de Foie Gras I've ever had:

I had to take a picture of the public toilet. Isn't it nice that they provide those places for you to set your feet on as you squat over this hole?

At least it's clean.

Kiernan was embarrassed that I took pictures.

But I just couldn't use this restroom. I just. couldn't. And that's how we discovered the lovely hotel restaurant.

We stayed at a lovely organic farm B&B in a small town near Lyons. To have had such fabulous food in a small, quiet town (which is where the above two places are) is amazing to me. We just don't have that sort of thing in the States.

Also during this time there was the ending/finishing up of many activities for the year and all of the requisite closing ceremonies --

piano recital:

soccer:

This wasn't an actual tournament game (I haven't gotten those pics yet) -- it's just a regular game.

KCC:

CC, judging for two speech and debate tournaments, flying down to Dallas and the two day drive back with my daughter from UD, spending a too-short time for his 80th birthday with one of the best men who has ever lived (my dad :-),

and celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

I've also got to plan for going to NC to this next week with my eldest. Bryna will be in Shakespeare Camp I at Cincy Shakes next week (thanks for doing all of the driving for that, Jillian!) which means we unfortunately will miss her performance at the end of the week. Jared will be in Camp II the following week and I'm glad to say we won't be missing that. We go out of town the following week as well for...a long time.

Hopefully we will have internet and down time while away so I can read and write because I am eager to get back to that. It helps me to really think through things when I determine to also write about it. I'm wishing now I had a Kindle so that my luggage isn't so heavy with the books I want to bring with me!

Well, I'm rambling.

I really want to talk about classical education and Charlotte Mason. So I'm going to go work on those posts now.