A slow death averted

This blog is sadly languishing.

One reason is my mild but chronic RSI.

The other reason is probably that I want to write serious things about education and unschooling, but I would have to spend a lot of time formulating exactly what I want to say and why, so I'm putting it off.

In the meantime, all my posts feel fairly inane and uninspiring.

Sorry Kristen, I can't do your book meme. The thought of getting out 10 books and then having to put them all away again gives me the horrors when all I seem to do all day is clean up and put other people's mess away.

As a peace-offering, let me tell you what I am currently reading.

Generation to Generation by Edwin Friedman.
All about family systems theory. It's a way of counselling where a counsellor does not look so much at the presenting 'patient' or even addresses the 'issues' at the forefront, but looks at how the person is situated in the whole of the family system. For example, a child who is acting out can become settled by the counsellor having the parents work on their own relationship. Or a mother who has depression may be helped by her own mother improving her relationship with her sister. The idea is that all our relationships are interconnected generationally. "Man is not an island" was never explained so well.

Teach your own - The John Holt book of Homeschooling by John Holt and Patrick Farenga.
John Holt is the 'father' of the unschooling movement in America. He died in 1985, but his books still sell many copies. From the back of the book I quote: "Rather than proposing that parents turn their homes into miniature schools, Holt and Farenga demonstrate how ordinary parents can help children grow as social, active learners... John Holt's warm understanding of children and his passionate belief in every child's ability to learn have made this book the bible of homeschooling families everywhere."

A Poisoned Season by someone or other
A mildly amusing novel featuring a dreadfully modern heroine smack bang in the middle of London's upper crust in the olden days. She's a scholar, a rich widow and of course, stunning to look at. Her main occupation seems to be reading Homer, fending off witty suitors, dodging scandal and solving murders. I wouldn't bother with it except that it has become annoyingly compelling.

The last chapter of John.
I never realised that when Jesus appeared to the disciples when they were fishing there were only six of them present. It's very cool that he made them breakfast. I think that shows a great deal of thoughtfulness and an ability to meet the right needs, whatever they are. I wonder why the disciples counted the fish that they caught? I would have thought they'd be so busy talking to Jesus that the mundane details of fishing would have gone by the wayside. Would they have sold them on? What did they do with the 153 big fish that they caught?
I like how Jesus basically tells Peter to mind his own beeswax at the end, when they are talking about how John is going to meet his death. We all need to do this a great deal more than we do. Why can't we just concentrate on our own walk with the Lord instead of having to fix or judge or be annoyed by everyone else's? Just be faithful and don't worry about them.