thoughts and songs from Heather
My new home is beautiful, but…I can hear the highway, and there are these flies…In this poem I contemplate the deeper meaning of these things. Like many of my poems recently, this was written on my phone (sitting outside) and … Continued
I was staring at the hills, thinking how glad I am that they are so still. And then I started thinking about the pain and darkness in different friends’ lives… Halfway through, the poem insisted on being in the second … Continued
I’m trying my hand at writing in a “traditional storytelling” style–it is a different kind of verse! Here is a fragment of a tale from a medieval Saint’s Life; my retelling is inspired by a translation in Helen Waddell’s Beasts … Continued
Sometimes holding still is the bravest thing to do. It is no joke to weep with those who weep, To let their pain be real and stay right there, Set down the urge to salvage or to sweep Away the … Continued
Do What You’re Doing! “Age Quod Agis” (i.e. be present, keep your focus) Here is a quote from Thomas à Kempis…three words of Latin to lift your hearts! I created this tiny Latin word study to post on our homeschool … Continued
Familia Romana is an amazing book, plunging the reader into actually being able to read Latin, but it does have one problem: each chapter is so rich with words and concepts that it can be hard to fully digest before … Continued
“The Ugly Sister and the Beautiful Sister” Here I try a little storytelling in Latin, telling bits of the traditional tale of “Tatterhood.”
Inspired by some great conversations recently (thanks, Amy & Janelle), here is the beginning of a piece on acedia… Have you seen those shirts that say, “I Can’t Adult Today”? Have you felt worn down by the constant choices of … Continued
v.1: When my hands are empty and aching My dream burned down to ash God’s power is made perfect in weakness He will use my “yes” at last chorus: The barren hills are holy hearts plowed up with pain this … Continued
What is fulfillment? I was recently reminded of this poem—the first thing I ever posted on this site, and probably my favorite of all the poems I have written. It is my attempt to delve into Psalm 1. This poem … Continued
One day I had an intense prayer walk. In the image of a George Herbert poem, I felt that I was thundering at heaven. As I thought about it later, I realized that intercessory prayer has shifted as I have … Continued
Reflections on the experience of isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic lead me to a George Herbert poem about being stretched, “The Temper (I)” A friend wrote to me recently about the “weight of absence,” and I am finding absence heavy, … Continued
What do you do when all your plans for education—your own as well as your child’s—are swept aside by unexpected circumstance? This “mother culture encouragement” letter was sent out to our Sursum Corda homeschool community.
Here are weekly devotionals for families to use, featuring picture study, activities, and discussion questions. This version was offered to our Sursum Corda community; a version with prayer prompts by Sarah Groot was sent to our FOL Covenant Church community.
Our Form III (middle school) history class was covering Desiderius Erasmus as we learned about the Renaissance, so I interviewed my father, Nathan Feldmeth, a professor at Fuller Seminary with a specialty in Erasmus. Several mothers mentioned that they enjoyed … Continued
Our Latin coaches asked for some “transition” phrases and other conversational Latin to use in class, so I made a set of prompt cards which we printed and put on binder rings. Printable Prompt Cards
How do you get started, reading old books? It might not be as easy as it sounds, even for those who believe in its importance… Here are some ideas and tips for Charlotte Mason homeschoolers who are practicing “mother culture”—the … Continued
This is the third in a series of illustrate-it-yourself Latin readers that I created for our homeschool community, Sursum Corda. The first was The Geography of Narnia; the second was The Dogs of Sursum Corda (featuring community input describing their … Continued
A “tiered reading” takes an excerpt of real literature, makes progressively easier versions of it, and lets students walk through from a gentle conversation introducing a few of the words, to a version in simple language, to a slightly more … Continued
While reading the beautiful prayers of Thomas Cramner in the Book of Common Prayer, I decided to try writing in his style. A Prayer for Time Almighty and Most Merciful God, who holdest all time in thy hands, and bestowest … Continued
Here is a poem first “published” as a text message! After reading Helen Gardner’s introduction to The Metaphysical Poets, I decided to write my “narration” (re-telling in my own words some of what I learned) in verse! Gardner suggested that … Continued
