Leisure, Liturgies & Cut Flowers

Welcome to A TRUE GOOD BEAUTIFUL LIFE podcast! 

Here we will discuss all things Charlotte Mason in light of the ideas of the TRUE, the GOOD, and the BEAUTIFUL! I am your host, Jennifer Milligan, and throughout this series I will share with you how to find and cultivate various elements of TRUTH, GOODNESS and BEAUTY in our homes and classrooms through conversations with homeschooling parents and classroom teachers; interviews with experts, entrepreneurs, and artists; discussions regarding the great books, great minds, and great resources; fun travel and field trip summaries; and practices and creative experiences that embody the TRUE, the GOOD, and the BEAUTIFUL life. Over 100 years ago, British educator, Charlotte Mason, declared that, "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life," and so today, I hope you will join me on this adventure in education.

 

ON THIS EPISODE

I have spent the last three summers working on my Masters Degree in Teaching in Classical Education at Templeton Honors College and I only have a few more classes to go.  And through this experience, I have meet so many wonderful dedicated educators, both as classmates and as professors.  Dr. Fred Putnam is one of my professors and I learned so many fascinating things in his classes.

Today, you get to taste a drop from his well of wisdom as he shares with us some deep thoughts on Leisure and practical tips for the classroom. Because we ended up running out of time, I have split this interview into two episodes so as not to cut our conversation short. Today, in our segments on the TRUE and the GOOD, we chat about instituting a Class Liturgy, why engaging in Leisure (the Classical way) is vital to human flourishing, and how to incorporate these ideas in our homes and classrooms. I end our BEAUTIFUL section with a fun note on the different types of plants you can use in your cut flower garden. So get your pencils out!

Next week, we will continue our talk with Dr. Putnam, or Mr. P. as he often prefers, on "Learning to See Again" with regards to the BEAUTIFUL; along with an interview with my own flower-farming friend, Leslie McCardell of Hopewell Flower Farm so make sure you don't miss it!

My favorite book on cut flowers is Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden and I have learned a lot from Erin. She explains that there are 8 Types of Cut Flower Plants:

1. Tender Annuals
2. Hardy Annuals
3. Biennials
4. Bulbs, Corms, and Tubers
5. Perennials
6. Vines
7. Shrubs
8. Flowering Trees

Some of our favorite resources:

• The Count of Monte Cristo (Penguin Classics) by Alexandre Dumas
• An Anthology by Josef Pieper
• Only the Lover Sings: Art and Contemplation by Josef Pieper
• Leisure: The Basis of Culture by Josef Pieper
• The Age of Martha: A Call to Contemplative Learning in a Frenzied Culture by Devin O'Donnell
• Every Moment Holy, Volume 1 by Douglas McKelvey
• The 1662 Book of Common Prayer, International Edition 
• Teaching With Your Mouth Shut by Donald Finkle
• Cut Flower Garden by Floret Farm
• The Flower Workshop by Ariella Chezar
• The Flower Recipe Book by Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo
• A Bulb for all Seasons by Quin Ellis

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COMMONPLACE QUOTES

We are not-at-leisure in order to be-at-leisure. - Aristotle

Have leisure (be still) and know that I am God. - Psalm 46:10

Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest. - Jesus Christ, Matthew 11:38

Our hearts are restless until they can find rest in thee. - Augustine, The Confessions, 1, 1.5

Leisure means an attitude of celebration. And celebration is the opposite of exertion. - Josef Pieper, An Anthology, p. 140

Bustle does not make a festival; on the contrary, it can spoil one. - Josef Pieper, An Anthology, p. 151

Every object shelters and conceals in its depth a sign of its divine origin. He who beholds it sees that this and all things else are good beyond all comprehension. He sees it and is happy. - Josef Pieper, An Anthology, p. 148

. . . we are not yet what we already are. - Josef Pieper, An Anthology, p.  4

. . . give a child a single valuable idea, and you have done more for his education than if you had laid upon his mind the burden of bushels of information . . . - Charlotte Mason, Volume 1: Home Education, p. 174

 

APPLICATION

1. Consider how you can add some sort of liturgy in your classroom or home that will serve to create a time and space for learning. Is there a string of useful questions you could use to help teach your students material for your course? Or do you simply need to show that this particular time is set aside for something sacred? Pick your favorite poem or one that coordinates with your subject matter and start reciting it every day. See how long it takes to learn it.
2. Purchase or barter for some flower seeds or plants and start your own mini cutting garden. You will find yourself smiling everytime you see the blossoms.
3. Think of something you can do just for the sake of doing it, with no utilitarian goal in mind. Put your devices away and really engage with nature or the dear ones around you. Can you find time to celebrate this week?