The Serenity of Properly Calibrated Expectations
“The old painters, however diverse their ideas in other matters, all fixed upon one quality as proper to the pattern of Mother. […]
Barbara Pym’s “Excellent Women” and Recollecting the Differences between Men and Women
“But perhaps Rockingham with his love of Victoriana also enjoyed cooking, for I had observed that men did not usually do things […]
Elizabeth Goudge’s “Linnets and Valerians”: Children at Their Most Magical
“Free to go where you like and do what you like.” Such a thing had never been said to them before. If […]
Homeschool Advice Gleaned from the More Experienced
The best part of giving advice is seeing the ways people surpass it. I’m giving homeschool advice monthly over at the Stella […]
The Joy of Meals and the Sad Intrusion of Snacking
In a back-to-school theme piece over at the Federalist, I examined the current sad state of snacking for American youth. It involves, […]
The Seeming Impossibility of Motherhood: Letting Go While Still Entwined
Our children are just coming to the age when everything depends on my efforts. They are delicate in health, and nervous and […]
How to Get Divorced
“How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked. “Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually, then suddenly.” Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” YouTube is […]
In Which Auntie Leila is Undeniably Correct About Tablecloths
If you came of age in the 21st century, there is a good chance you lack basic skills once viewed as necessary […]
The Homeschool Mother’s Essential Summer Reading: Sarah Mackenzie’s “Teaching from Rest”
“Restful learning is not throwing all care to the wind, eschewing worthy goals such as mastery of math facts, the ability to […]
Don’t Date to Make Friends and Other Thoughts on the Tragedy of Postmodern Dating
If you publicly advocate for marrying people you meet in college and spend most of your time singing the praises of motherhood, […]