Saturday, February 6, 2016

CM West :: A Beach Retreat and a Goals and Projects Update

In the interests of accountability, I'd like to share a little update with you all regarding the projects and goals I shared about a month ago.

Community Building

CM West :: A Beach Retreat is live and accepting registrations!  I'm very excited about this small, Charlotte Mason style retreat that Celeste and I are hosting in April.  We announced yesterday, and already have more than half our registration slots booked.  I think it is going to be fantastic.

Nature Study in Nevada County met for the first time in January, and we had a good turn out.  I was hoping we'd get a few more older kids, but I'm also very glad people showed up!  The next one is February 15th.

I had a decent response to the Teaching from Rest Live Online Video Discussion announcement last month and I ended up scheduling two chat times for this group because of how availability worked out.  The first sessions will meet later this month, and will continue through March and April.

I haven't moved forward with the Start Here: 20 Principles Discussion yet, but that's because I'm not planning on starting until April.  So that is still going according to plan, even though I haven't done anything!

The Shakespeare Co-op has not received the welcome I had hoped for though, as only one other family will be able to join us.  I am thankful that they are interested, but I was hoping we'd have at least one or two more families as well.  Our first meeting will be on Feb. 19th.

The First Saturday Adoration and Social is a non-starter, as Adoration doesn't actually happen on the first Saturday at my parish.  It is just listed in the bulletin, and has been for ages.  Ahem.  

Our Home
Books on the left are weeded books,
on the floor on the right are to be sorted,
and the bookshelf closer is all sorted,
the bookshelf farther is about half done.
I've also sorted a smaller one in my room, but
then there's still 3 smaller bookshelves of fiction
and one more bookshelf downstairs left.
Maybe I'm just a third of the way done?

As I mentioned in my first post, my first project was going through the books.  At this point I'm almost halfway done, and I have accumulated a prodigious pile of weeded books.  I've also realized that the real struggle is going to be in trying to figure out what to do with these books that didn't make the cut. Some are worth selling, but many will need to go to the Friends of the Library.  I'll probably try to bring a box of Catholic books to the religious education program we attend, although I feel a little awkward about it because I feel like I'm saying, "here's some books I didn't think were worth keeping on my shelves, but maybe you'll like them".  There's got to be a better way to say that!

6 comments:

  1. Hi Amber,
    If I lived closer to you, I would have been your first registration for the CM West retreat. :)
    Thanks to inspiration and encouragement from Celeste, I am beginning a Nature study group this spring with our local home school group. However, there are so few CM'ers in our group, I don't expect a very large turn-out. Admittedly, I am a bit of a pessimist! ;)But I am still looking forward to it, and I am hoping the group will grow with time.
    I have also considered doing a Shakespeare study group/co-op, but I think it's safe to say that only a few - if any - families would even show up for that. Maybe in the future..
    Thanks for this updated post.

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    1. Hi Lisa, that's great that you're starting a Nature Study group with your local HS'ing group! I tend to be a bit of a pessimist too and I don't have high hopes for mine either... but I realized when I was dithering back and forth about starting it that all I could do was make the commitment to try for a year and be faithful to that. And the place where we meet is lovely, and I certainly don't mind making a point of going there each month this year!

      I'd love to have a more fully featured co-op like Nancy Kelly's Truth, Beauty and Goodness co-op, but I don't think that would ever actually happen. But I'm pleased and grateful to at least have some opportunity to share a little of the riches with another family.

      It is good to hear from you, Lisa, I hope your Nature Study group goes well!

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  2. Oh, that is too bad about the First Saturday Adoration get-together. I had to chuckle though--how very odd to have it listed there anyway! :/

    If you open up the 20 Principles Study to non-local ladies (and if there's still room), let me know. We just got through Start Here with the local group but I could use a bit more chat about it. :)

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    1. I will most likely be opening it up more, and I will definitely let you know! I wanted to see how this Teaching from Rest group worked out, both planning-wise and technology-wise before proceeding.

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  3. Your retreat sounds like a dream! There are times I really wish we lived in the US, mostly for retreats and conventions ;)

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    1. Yes, I imagine there isn't much of a homeschooling community in Brazil!

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