Plumfield Moms
We are sisters in Christ who became friends over a shared love of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, found especially in good and great books. Our primary vocation is that of marriage and motherhood, but we feel a secondary call, as educators and homeschool moms, to walk with families who are seeking to help form souls who are capable of responding to the vocation God has called them to. Our objective is to form our children and grandchildren to the best of our ability, and in so doing share what has been meaningful to us with others that it may encourage them and lighten their burden. As homeschoolers, classical educators and Christians, we have a passion for the ancient Greek paideia and the loving education of Louisa May Alcott‘s Plumfield (from her novel Little Men).
Episodes
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Book Review: Paint the Wind
Monday Mar 04, 2024
Monday Mar 04, 2024
While checking my county library catalog for Pam Muñoz Ryan’s Echo, the description of Paint the Wind caught my eye because the story takes place in Wyoming. I’m always a little skeptical about stories supposed to take place in Wyoming, but I remembered, from years ago, that Muñoz’s Esperanza Rising was surprisingly good. Echo, which I read recently, is very good. With nothing much demanding my time on the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, I picked up Paint the Wind and read the entire book before midnight.
Saturday Mar 02, 2024
Reflection: He Has Torn Us
Saturday Mar 02, 2024
Saturday Mar 02, 2024
"However torn and bleeding I find myself, believing I’m engraved on the palms of the Author’s hands, I trust he knows exactly the right number of scratches necessary to bring my story to its fitting conclusion."
Friday Mar 01, 2024
Book Club: Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen with Anna, Felicity, and Greta
Friday Mar 01, 2024
Friday Mar 01, 2024
Words On Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Plumfield Reads Guide, Words on Fire
Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Lines of Courage by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace
Plumfield Reads Guides
Plumfield Reads Guide, Resistance
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Book Review: Anson's Way
Monday Feb 26, 2024
Monday Feb 26, 2024
When the story opens, Anson Staplyton, drummer boy, is aboard ship on his way to Ireland from England where he will take his place as the seventh Staplyton to keep the king’s peace in the Staffordshire Fencibles. He has been waiting all his life to follow in the footsteps of his forefathers and win glory in battle defending the king’s realm.
Though Anson longs for glory in battle, his first assignments are anything but glorious. First, he witnesses a hedge master receiving thirty lashes, which is considered a lenient sentence compared to the usual punishment for treason, death.
Saturday Feb 24, 2024
Reflection: When Jesus Says, Come!
Saturday Feb 24, 2024
Saturday Feb 24, 2024
If I’ve been under the wrong impression about what I can expect from a life committed to Jesus, I haven’t been listening. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake” (Mat. 24:9 ESV). “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18 ESV).
Why would I come to Jesus when he promises so many hard things? Because he has the words of life!
Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
Our Librarian Life: February 2024
Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
Join us as we chat with Librarians Sherry Early and Kristi Stansfield about inventory, contract renewals, making space, organizing historical fiction, and organizing picture books. Show Notes with all of the links can be found here: https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/show-notes-our-librarian-life-february-2024/
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Book Review: Jade by Sally Watson
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Monday Feb 19, 2024
In Lark, Sally Watson took readers down a most interesting path and gave us a delightfully fun adventure. There are some aspects of the story that parents may wish to be aware of, which I note in my review, but overall, it was an entertaining escapade well-suited to teen readers. As much as I wanted to follow the family tree, I decided to read Jade next, as it is also available at Audible (recorded via Virtual Voice).
My spoiler-free review is very short: I did enjoy it. I will have it in my library. But, I will be cautious about to whom I recommend it. It is about a strong female protagonist from Colonial Virginia whose family is in the slave trade. Through a series of events, Melanie (nicknamed Jade) finds herself on a ship in the Bahamas attacked by pirates, and she joins their forces. She becomes a notorious outlaw, and this story is a rollicking fun ride. As much fun as this novel is, I found a number of challenges that mar the overall story for me, and I think parents may wish to know about some hefty content.
The rest of this review will contain a fair number of spoilers with a lot of quotes. I hope to let Sally Watson tell you for herself what she was doing in this story. You then can decide for yourself how to handle this with your readers. https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/jade/
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Book Review: The Door Before by N. D. Wilson
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Monday Feb 19, 2024
Several years ago, I mentioned to Diane that I thought The Door Before was my favorite of N. D. Wilson’s books and that Hyacinth was my favorite of his characters. She asked me why I felt that way. I struggled to articulate something tangible. I think I mumbled that it has something to do with how Hyacinth was a reluctant hero. I was never able to really figure out why I felt that way, so I never wrote my review of The Door Before. Years later, I am re-reading the Cupboards books, and I continue to be impressed with Hyacinth.
https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/the-door-before/
Saturday Feb 17, 2024
Reflection: Imitators of Christ
Saturday Feb 17, 2024
Saturday Feb 17, 2024
"The first time I read the apostle Paul’s command to the Corinthians to imitate him, I remember thinking, Wait a minute! Why is he telling them to imitate him instead of imitating Jesus? I’ve always respected this guy, but he really did have some gall."
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Book Review: Ain’t Nothing But a Man
Monday Feb 12, 2024
Monday Feb 12, 2024
"Ain’t Nothing but a Man is a 60-page version of Nelson’s 200+ page book for adults. Every page has photographs or drawings to show locations and people of the post-Civil War era, and to illustrate what the railroad slang from the songs mean.
In “How to be a Historian” the co-author, Marc Aronson, lists the six stages of Nelson’s search:
Finding what is known already
Checking their sources
Finding gaps and disagreements and formulating your own questions
Looking for new evidence
Expanding the search
Sharing what you have found