The CMP Review — Week of April 7

April 7, 2025

“Spring is here. The warm sun has wooed the bare earth back to life and beauty. Like the tear-stained face of an infant, kissed by a fond mother’s lips, smiles have broken through the gloom at last.” (E. A. Smith, “My Garden”, PR16, p. 200)

@tessakeath

April 8, 2025

If there’s one word that could describe nearly all homeschool mothers it’s this: conscientious. What mother doesn’t want the best for her children? And when she takes upon herself the education of her children, she wants to use the very best resources. So when choosing a curriculum, why not choose the Cadillac?

Karen Andreola wrote homeschool product reviews for a Christian catalog for 14 years. During that time she gave countless books, courses, and curricula her sober and honest appraisal. Some of these had the hallmarks of the Cadillac — just the thing that might appeal to the conscientious mom.

But these products were a source of concern and not comfort for Mrs. Andreola. They reminded her of a serious warning by Charlotte Mason, where “a gallon of teaching produces scarce a gill of learning.” Andreola knew there was a better way. And she had to tell mothers about it.

In today’s exclusive episode we are delighted to share a true story by Karen Andreola. A story of warning and inspiration. Are you about to be embraced by the clothes of the Cadillac course? Read or listen to Mrs. Andreola tell you how to escape. Find it here.

@artmiddlekauff

April 9, 2025

It’s that time of the year! What have you found on your nature walks?

@rbaburina

April 10, 2025

Back in 2015, it was hard to get access to Charlotte Mason’s poetry volumes. I had the scans and the transcripts, but I didn’t want to keep them all to myself. I wanted everyone in the world to be able to read these poems. I had the idea of a website. But what should I call it? What would be the easiest way for people to remember where to go to read Charlotte Mason’s poetry?

The date was April 11 and Charlotte Mason Poetry was born. Ten years later, we have not only the poetry volumes, but also the entire Home Education Series and Charlotte Mason’s First Grammar Lessons. We have more than 300 Parents’ Review articles, most of them not found anywhere else, along with L’Umile Pianta articles and other transcriptions.

If you had told me on April 11, 2015 that in 10 years we would have a wonderful team of volunteers, a podcast with over 400 episodes, and host original articles by celebrated authors like Karen Andreola and Jennifer Pepito, I would have said you were dreaming.

But I suppose that’s one nice thing about dreams. Sometimes they come true. Thank you to everyone who has made this possible. Happy 10th anniversary Charlotte Mason Poetry!

@artmiddlekauff

April 11, 2025

Our local maple syrup / sugaring off festival at the “cabane à sucre” last weekend was delicious and fun, as always!

Have you ever tried making “tire sur la neige” maple taffy on snow?

It is pretty simple. All you need is some fresh snow packed down tightly in a bowl or pan, some maple syrup cooked to thicken it up a bit (one trick they told us at the festival was to add a little pat of butter before cooking it), and some popsicle sticks. When the syrup is thick and ready to go, pour it over the snow in a small lines, put a stick on one end of each strip, let it cool and harden for a minute, then roll it up, and voilà!

I expect that most of you don’t have freshly falling snow right now, so you may want to make a note for next time you do! ❄️

@antonella.f.greco

April 12, 2025

You probably know the adage “April showers bring May flowers.” Spain has the proverb “I will give you the whole world if you will give me April and May,” while the English inform us:

“A growing April and a dry May
Are good for wheat, but bad for hay.”

Learn more proverbs and poetry, as well as the habits of birds and appearance of flowers from the naturalist Florence M. Haines in her “Walk in April.”

@rbaburina

Johannes Vermeer’s 1668 oil on canvas The Astronomer resides today in the Louvre in Paris. Arthur Wheelock says of it and its companion piece: “One senses in the scholars’ purposeful expression as they lean forward, with one hand firmly grasping a solid support, the excitement of intellectual inquiry as their inquisitive minds actively search for answers to questions they have posed about the earth and the stars.”

It’s a wonderful picture of the thirst for knowledge which compels people to “discern the face of the sky and of the earth.” But does that thirst also extend to discerning the face of God? It’s the question Christ asks in Luke 12:57, paraphrased by J. R. Dummelow as, “Why, even without signs, do you not judge rightly of Me and My doctrine by the natural light of reason and conscience?”

Charlotte Mason’s poem “Weather Signs” helps us meditate on these verses, and encourage us to actively search not just the heavens, but the words of the One who made them. Find it here.

@artmiddlekauff