5 Quick Things #276 🏕
dirt, grit, homesteads, & gnostics
Hello!
As you're reading this I'm somewhere among the trees, camping with my family for the weekend. I'm writing this on Thursday afternoon, and as soon as I'm done here I'm off to mop the floors and bake some banana bread — book club is at my house this evening, so Kyle and the kids will prep our trailer for camping while I chat with friends about Miss Prim's experience in San Ireneo de Arnois.
In other good news, our chicks are now pullets and are officially outside, and the big girls showed absolutely ZERO cares in the world about a newer, younger flock of girls joining their coop. They're all happy together, and I'm happier because our house smells less like a barn and high-pitched chirping no longer wakes me at night.
I hope you have a banana-bread-good-book-trailer-camping equivalent weekend on your agenda! Or whatever you need most right now. I'm grateful you're here.
5 Quick Things ☕️
1. New episode of A Drink With a Friend! 👈 On the trails, in silence of an adoration chapel, in the practice of shrugging our shoulders, in the dirt of the earth. In other words: practice. This is where Seth and his wife Amber have learned to search for signs of hope in the midst of despair. Tsh talks with Seth about this idea and why doing so changes everything.
2. Earlier this week I wrote a piece for subscribers and just made it public for everyone. “I know how this sounds. It’s ‘back in my day’ but on hyperdrive, using the Greatest Generations’ plight in history as the control group when considering all variables. …But I’m still concerned about Gen-Z’s grit.”
3. If you keep hearing about a trend toward classical education, you’re not alone — it seems like it’s everywhere these days. Here’s a good 101 piece on what classical education actually is and why there’s a newfound draw to it.
4. How to homestead in the suburbs: come for the helpful advice, stay for the gorgeous photos.
5. And finally, are smartphones making us modern Gnostics? Good food for thought.
Currently Reading, Watching, Listening 📚
Fast Like a Girl, by Mindy Pelz
Quotable 💬
“It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.”
— Oscar Wilde #
The Classic Learning Test 🏛
Most of today’s standardized tests have become utilitarian mechanisms that don’t celebrate the true, good, and beautiful. The Classic Learning Test (CLT) was created to radically change that. As you know, I hardly promote anything — so when I do, it's because I truly believe in it. This past month I've sung the praises of the Classic Learning Test, but that's because it really is a game-changer in the world of education, in my opinion as both an English teacher and a mom of a high school senior.
Over 200 colleges accept the CLT as an entrance exam and that number is steadily growing. Every exam can be taken online, lasts a little over two hours, and is accompanied by an in-depth analytics report. The CLT is offering all my newsletter readers 25% off any test registration with the code COMMONPLACE. They currently provide placement exams and assessments for grades 7 and up (with grades 3-6 coming soon!). Truly — I'm grateful for the folks at CLT.
Who Would Win in a Battle of the Wits? 🧐
My girl Jane for the win! Though I’m admittedly surprised Oscar didn’t score higher. He’s arguably the king of one-liners.
Find this week’s poll here.
Quick Links 🔗
Question(s) For You to Ponder… 🤔
We’re over halfway through Lent. How’s it going for you?
Have a good one,
- Tsh
Still thinking a lot about your article from earlier in the week. Thanks for that one. And I hope your camping trip is wonderful!
My lent is going awesome. I signed myself out of facebook and I haven't signed back in. I think I'm a better human being as a result. I don't think I will totally get rid of it, because that's where the local freecycle is. But I will use it much, much less. I still feel the urge to slake my boredom by scrolling something, and I will have to do something about that. But one thing at a time. Thanks for asking. How is yours going?