Ocular Athletics

Mythology by Adam

When I think of mythology I usually see dwarfs and minotaurs and large creatures that try to eat people. Of course what daydream is complete without a large, green, scaly dragon blowing fire every which way and generally causing great havoc in its close vicinity? The heroes of mythology, Theseus, Heracles, and Jason, to name a few, championing the cause of Good and slaying her oppressors who carry the standard of their lord, Evil. These heroes were role models for ancient societies and still are today. For everyone knows that old stories never die, even as long as I think about them. They will endure the hard years that we can not and so are still there on the book shelves in the library and in your mind.

Of all the different stories out there that make up mythology, I think I like Greek mythology the best. With all its quarreling gods and fiendish monsters, evil men, pure hearted maidens, and brave heroes, it is a mix for the mind of fiction lovers like me. People who like the repeated stories of good versus evil are at home in the great, golden halls of Greek imagination. If I ever need to think up a story of my own and I need an evil villain all I have to do is look in a book of Greek mythology and there is always the perfect villain in those pages.

If you pick up a piece of good fiction and read it you will most likely find Greek monsters in it, like a mantacore or a hydra or a niemian lion, or maybe a gorgon. But the choices are almost unlimited if you add Norse and Egyptian mythology to the mix. Think of it, every culture has its own stories and all of them are well imagined if some being a little out of the ordinary don't exactly strike our fancy.


Chalk by Ken

Chalk is good for drawing and getting your hands covered in colored dust. Mom read a bit of G.K.Chesterton's book yesterday. It was about a piece of chalk.

Oh, wait! It's supposed to be me writing about chalk, isn't it? Thank you for being patient.

Also yesterday, my brothers and I drew with chalk. I drew a devil, a helmet, a sword, a beach, and several skulls. Oh, yes, and a weird cow.


An Epic Ballad on the Contents of My Pockets by Joe

For times of much strife
I have a large knife
When it's not in my pocket
I've probably lost it
It is always sharp,
And it could ruin a harp
It's got a side clip
So it won't slide around
A knife of this kind
Is not commonly found.

For times of much cold
I have in my pocket
A flame maker bold
This lighter of mine
Is cased in wood, very fine
It has my very long name
Carved deep in the back
I got it at the Benezette store
I call my valiant maker of flame
Left Footed Jack.

Ocular Athletics--revisited

Our writing has been a little non-existent this year. We have had our collective noses to the grindstone and are making great in-roads in Latin and Algebra but have not had a lot of extra energy for anything creative. Blah! However, Jen over at the 4Real forums has started a study of Chesterton's Tremendous Trifles. I asked the guys if they wanted to sign on and got a very enthusiastic response. The first essay was A Piece of Chalk where Chesterton writes of drawing with chalk on brown paper. We used pastels on old bags but it was fun. (Something we were having to little of on these dark,snow less, winter days!) Tomorrow we write!

The Dissection Question

Yesterday's poem got me thinking that it was time to order frogs for the Biology lab's dissection unit. The reaction I got from the twins was, "Seriously, Mom??" You see, they went to deer camp this fall for the first time and they helped field dress and butcher 6 deer, one all by themselves. (I'll spare you the pictures but it was delicious!) I could only agree that dissecting a frog would be a bit of an anti-climax after all that. So, thanks, Cousin Rande, for the awesome anatomy lessons!!

Poetry Monday

The Frog
by Hilaire Belloc

Be kind and tender to the Frog,

And do not call him names,

As 'Slimy skin' or 'Polly-wog,'

Or likewise 'Ugly James,'

Or 'Gap-a-grin,' or 'Toad-gone-wrong,'

Or, 'Bill Bandy-knees.'

The Frog is justly sensitive

To epithets like these.

No animal will more repay

A treatment king and fair,

At least so lonely people say

Who keep a frog (and by the way,

They are extremely rare).

Oh! My!

Columbus Day Weekend

We had a great time at our family cabin this weekend! It was perfect, warm days perfect for swimming ( in October!!) and clear, cool nights perfect for star gazing! Here's a picture of three hobbits in a boat....oh wait! Make that two in a boat and one in the water!!

It's Betsy-Tacy time again!

October is Betsy-Tacy month and once again I will be doing some nostalgia reading. Sarah at A library is a hospital for the mind is hosting the Maud Hart Lovelace reading challenge. Last year I was spending a lot of time at the the hospital with my mom who was dying of cancer ( and old age, she was 93) and it was a blessed relief to fall into Betsy's world for a few hours. It was a bookmark in time too as my grandmother would have been about the age of Betsy's older sister and it was easy to imagine life before the World Wars and radios when nearly every house had an upright piano! This year I'm reading Betsy and the Great World and Betsy's Wedding. I never encountered Betsy as a child and read my first book three years ago for the first challenge. I have enjoyed every one!

Updating the picture

I guess it was time! The hobbits sure are growing up! And Saint Anthony seems to have gotten much smaller!