Keeping Company :: Spring 2019

Happy Spring! It's time for our quarterly notebook chat -- I hope you'll grab a cup of tea and join me below for some keeping conversation. :)

Catching Up

Before sharing notebooks from our home and from the community, I wanted to point you to a couple different new resources...

I hosted a week on Getting Started with Notebooks @charlottemasonirl last month. For tips on beginning notebook-keeping for yourself or for your children, you might find that series of posts helpful.

I also did a Coffee Chat on IGTV all about commonplace books with my Common Place Quarterly co-writer, Mariah Kochis. We talked about the spirit of notebook keeping as well as a bunch of logistics: how we organize our books, what we include, how we got started, how we have begun the practice with our children. If you have a chance to watch it, let me know what you think!

Speaking of Common Place Quarterly: if you are a subscriber, did you get a chance to read our column, "The Art and Practice of Keeping"? Mariah and I will be switching off quarters sharing our passion in that space. We would love to hear your thoughts on our first article, "Considering the Commonplace."

Starting the Conversation

Okay, so we're almost through the school year...what are your notebooks looking like this spring quarter? 

I find that a notebook can be such a comfort during the dreary weeks of late winter and early spring and the best companion for the fresh sunshine of spring days. I find myself gravitating toward my commonplace and my nature journal alternately, depending on the weather!

I shared this one from my pre-reading commonplace a couple weeks ago...

And this from Kristin Lavransdatter, my current fiction read, took my breath away. Motherhood is in so many ways our sanctification.

I am keeping to not-quite-weekly nature entries, which I'm pleased with. I know my nature journal will explode as wildflower season arrives!

The children have been working hard on their Books of Centuries, maps, and weekly paintings...

Il Cappuccetto Rosso - King Richard II - Mother Ambrosine
King Henry V with tennis balls - Henry V

tea in honor of the Boston Tea Party
cheeses from the Netherlands - Mr. Herriot and the Market Square Dog
Mr. Herriot and his wife on a picnic

Keeping in Community

Some inspiring shares @keepingcompanycm...

@jessarie.dawn - @jo.downing - @englishhomeeducator
@stoppingforbutterflies - @naturekeeping - @cmhomeschoolmom

And in the blog world...

Nancy Kelly has wonderful suggestions for livening up your Book of Centuries at your local museum, which is really how Mason envisioned the BoC to work. Fantastic advice here!

Minimalist Homeschooling talks about the transition to "notebooking" in her home.

It's always refreshing to see Australian Carol's summertime keeping during our winter months -- nature journals, commonplaces and more!


The Link-Up

:: For BLOGGERS: Leave a link to any blog posts related to CM-style keeping in the comments section of this post all quarter.  I will be sure to click over and read so I can highlight them here in the next edition!

:: For INSTAGRAMMERS: Tag related photos with #KeepingCompanyCM.  You can also follow my new account: @keepingcompanycm. I will be re-sharing daily on that account from posts tagged!
:: Any posts about CM-style Keeping are welcome.  Your post can be as simple as a photo of your commonplace book or your kids' drawing.
:: You can grab the button over there on the sidebar if you'd like to add it to your post or site.