school quarters that is. Actually we finished last Friday on the 2nd. It just took me a week to do reports, put stuff away and organize and get started on The Second Quarter. Next year I'm scheduling a week off between each quarter.

I am so pleased at our progress, we normally do the most in the 1st and 3rd quarters for obvious reasons(Christmas & spring fever). Jack and Lily both did a bang up job of getting all their work done and keeping on schedule.

In case you think all I read is novels- this past quarter Lily and I read A Chance to Die, Amy Carmichael biography by Elisabeth Elliot. I knew when I chose it that it would be challenging. We had to read it EVERDAY without fail or fall behind, some days we had to read 2 chapters. Some of the vocabulary was rigorous. But we persevered and had some really excellent discussions. I am so glad.

We also buddy read through Tom Sawyer. You know, I think it was the first time I'd ever read the book through. I knew most of the episodes but don't think I'd had it all strung together before.

Lily is enjoying Richard Halliburton's Complete Book of Marvels for geography. I'm pleased with her narrations, she's beginning to imitate his voice.

Jack and I endured, I mean read through Shakepeare's Henry V together. It gets a little confusing with only two- but we managed. He was always King Henry and the Chorus and I was *all* the women roles(not too many of those) and then we split up everybody else as necessary. The internet is a great thing, I found Spark's notes to help the *teacher*. Jack was getting disgusted with the anti-war bilge in Brightest Heaven of Invention, and I'd never even read the play(it isn't even in Lamb's or Nesbitt's!!!). I am eagerly awaiting his final papers on it. They are due tomorrow a.m.

Now, I'm ready to go for the next quarter(not really- I want a month off!). Lily and I will be reading Across Five Aprils and The Shaping of a Christian Family(a biography of the family Elisabeth Elliot grew up in- very good). We will all continue with Stranger on the Road to Emmaus for our Bible time. Vermeer for art, Longfellow for poetry, Schumann for composer study and lots of other good stuff....and Christmas!(vacation)