The one good bit

So, I'm reading my second disappointing book in a row. My biggest problem with this one is that although it's good enough, it isn't telling me much I don't already know. When I read history I want to gain some new insight or learn something new. And it seems a bit repetitive. But there is one gem that I've discovered in the book:

"They lived a cloistered, segregated, and selfish life, much like Ivy League professors today."

(And, I dare say, other liberal elites.)

Book: The Last Knight: The Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era by Norman Cantor

Remembering

It is a beautiful day today, but not quite as gorgeous as it was in 2001. That was a fabulous morning. I spent about 15 minutes walking around our then acre+ yard, enjoying my flowers and the flawlessly beautiful September day. The sky was a brilliant blue. The air was crisp, but with the promise of a warm day. I remember feeling energized and ready to get busy on all kinds of things.

I went into my office to check my email and turned my radio on to WLS to listen as I did every morning. A couple of minutes after I turned it on, they broke in with a report that a plane had hit one of the towers of the world trade center. They thought it was an accident with a small plane, but I decided I would go turn on the news to see if there was any more information.

I turned on the TV and went and grabbed a cup of coffee. I came back in and sat down just in time to see the second plane hit the other tower, live on FoxNews. After the plane hit the Pentagon I went upstairs and woke up Bethany, who was 15 then, and Patrick who was 11 and had them come downstairs with me.

We spent the next several days mostly glued to the TV. We worried about family members and friends who were traveling. We walked out side of our house, which was in the approach path for O'Hare and felt the bizarre stillness as no planes passed overhead.

I think that day was a wake up call for many of us. It was probably the first time many people my age felt unsafe. For many of us it was the first time that we considered that evil from overseas could affect us here at home.

And this, too....

I have mentioned before how much I love Touchstone magazine. Those of you who know me well know I'm a history buff. And some of you know how I've struggled to find history curriculum that I feel comfortable with.

Touchstone has a piece this month on one very popular history book used by many homeschoolers. It explains quite well the problem with this book and many other history books available from popular homeschool publishers.