Renee and Karen explore Chapter 2, "The Word is Truth", discussing Hicks' statement that "Mythos represents man's spiritual effort to make this world intelligible."; that there is power in mythos (stories) to help us understand the world and our place in it; that mythos is the skeleton of civilization as men are inspired to good, heroic acts. Listen, and be inspired to enjoy the best stories with your children! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen as Renee and Karen chat about chapter 1 of Norms and Nobility by David Hicks. The title of the chapter is Virtue is the Fruit of Learning, and they discuss how classical education is the cultivation of wisdom and virtue and therefore virtue can be taught; how virtue is taught over time and in the community of a family; and how a mom can avoid the temptation of being a perfectionist while desiring the good life —the life of virtue for herself and her children. Hosted on Acast. See...

Listen as Renee and Karen chat with Tim McIntosh, actor, teacher, and podcaster, about his infectious love for Shakespeare. He share his favorite plays and movie adaptions and offers advice and resources for enjoying Shakespeare's plays with your family. You will be inspired to choose a play, assign characters, and jump right in! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Renee and Karen as they chat with Lily Wilmoth, owner of the Hearth and Homestead Store, about her growing family business: the products they offer and how she manages a business and a busy homeschool/family life of four children and a fifth due soon! Check out her beautiful website at hearthandhomesteadstore.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen in as Renee and Karen interview Sara Osborne about her new book called Reading for the Long Run: Leading Struggling Students into the Reading Life. Sara tells her story of teaching her son to read using the metaphor of training for a marathon to apply principles, habits, and strategies which over a period of years, did indeed enable him to cross the finish line and enjoy the reading life. This delightful memoir is not just for the mother of the struggling reader but for every mother...

Renee and Karen initiate a once a month discussion on Norms and Nobility, beginning with the good news that it is being re-published with a new edition at a lower price! In this episode they discuss the highlights of the preface and prologue and why Norms and Nobility is a helpful book for the homeschool mom navigating classical education. If you have already read it and want to re-visit it, or if you have been thinking of reading it and want to do it with friends, join us! Hosted on Acast....

Where there are two or more children, there is the inevitable and normal issue of sibling rivalry! Renee and Karen, having each raised 5 children, are sympathetic and while they don't have all the answers, they offer a few tips for handling conflict in your home and the hope that one day your children will grow up to be fast friends! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Buck Holler, Circe Apprenticeship head mentor and Latin scholar, tells the story of his journey from riding and competing in rodeos to learning and teaching Latin as a teacher in classical schools. He describes how training horses prepared him for teaching in the classroom, and reminds us that being outdoors in nature is formative to the souls of our children. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Renee and Karen chat with Alexandra Hudson, author of The Soul of Civility, Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves.They discuss how civility, the respect for the personhood of others, can bridge our political and cultural divide; they explore the difference between politeness and civility; they explain how we can create cultures of civility at home. You will be inspired to seek the good life in community with others. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

Renee and Karen are joined by Karen's daughter, Katerina Hamilton, to talk about why, what, and how to memorize all the things: poems, psalms, lists, facts... that we want our children and ourselves to learn. Katerina draws on the ideas from the medieval world to explain the benefits of memorization and techniques to help us train our memories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Renee and Karen offer five suggestions for getting through the January slump. The excitement of Christmas is past and the days can be long and grey, but with a little planning and intention you can make memories with your children and other families. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Renee and Karen chat with Karen's son, David Kern, podcaster and owner of Goldberry Books, the best little bookstore around, about favorite Christmas books. They discuss the old favorites as well as recently published books for Advent and Christmas, titles you will want to explore! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Renee and Karen and guest, Greg Wilbur, as he explains the difference between carols of Advent and carols of Nativity and offers resources and particular carols to learn about and enjoy with your family during this season of waiting and anticipation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Renee and Karen chat with Greg Wilbur, founder of New College Franklin, author, and composer, about how music fits in the classical curriculum, the importance of filling your home with music, and how it nurtures the affections. Don't be intimidated, it starts with singing and listening to music together, and it is never too late to start! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Renee and Karen offer tips from their experience: for navigating all the busyness associated with Christmas, for trying to do school and have all the fun, and for participating in your church traditions in order to help your family focus on the most important things. In short, get things on the calendar now and hold everything loosely! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen as Renee and Karen interview Jonathon Rogers, author of the Wilderking Trilogy, The Terrible Speed of Mercy, The World According to Narnia, and other books your family will enjoy. Jonathon explains how he came to be an author and how his podcast and workshops inspire and encourage writers from junior high students to adults. Find out how you and your family can benefit from all he has to offer! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you enjoyed our last episode with Valerie, you will want to listen in to a further conversation about homesteading and her micro-business of cheese importing! She talks about the grace of hospitality and offers resources to encourage you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Renee and Karen have fun chatting with the most delightful Valerie Abraham about the blessings and challenges of moving from Concord, NC to rural Idaho where she and her husband and their 3 boys (and soon to come daughter!) are homesteading and living in an RV while remodeling their house. Even if you aren't about to join her in raising goats and sheep, you will be inspired by her spirit of joy and gratitude. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen in as Renee and Karen discuss ways to bring beauty into our homes. Renee offers advice from her experience of recently building their home and how she designed and decorated it. They also talk about the need to start with an uncluttered, clean space, a challenge indeed! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Renee and Karen chat with guest, Marsha Black, about her fascinating family history dating back to the early days of the settling of Texas. She will inspire you to learn more about your family history and encourage you to tell those stories to your children. We probably don't have stories of ancestors involved in Comanche raids, but we all have stories from another time to discover! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Renee and Karen discuss Sally Thomas's new novel Works of Mercy in light of the theme of vocation; how the protagonist, an older woman named Kirsty, who having spent her life preferring solitude, finds herself unexpectedly offering works of mercy to the suffering in her community and experiences the healing of her own wounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Renee and Karen discuss life-long learning, in other words, pursuing new skills and knowledge at every stage in life. They describe how learning something new helps them be better teachers, and they offer steps you can take to fill the gaps in your own learning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a break for the summer Renee and Karen, grandmothers who still love a brand new box of crayons, are back offering ten suggestions for launching a new school year. We hope you will be encouraged whether you are homeschooling your first kindergartener or are many years in. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tonya Rozelle, host of the Hearth, an online Circe community for homeschool moms, chats with Renee and Karen about reading in community. They discuss the benefits of meeting together to discuss books and the importance of carving out time in your day to read, no matter which stage of motherhood you are in. Be encouraged to join a book club or start your own! Tonya also provides information about what the Hearth is and how you can get involved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...