Living Unabridged

*Taps mic* Testing, testing, one, two, three

*screeeeeeeech*

Ahem.

Hello, dear Living Unabridged readers. Yes, I still exist. And my computer didn't explode or anything.

But our summer did, and our van did, and...

It's been busy, is what I'm saying.

So, let's get back to business with an overflowing links post.

Learning

• Why School Has Stopped Working by Grace Koelma at The Mulberry Journal. Hard words, perhaps, but our children need us to wrestle with this.
• For homeschoolers: Mix Structure with Freedom by Nadene at Practical Pages. Nadene's advice is always encouraging.
• The Beauty of Unschooling Kids with Special Needs by Jamie Martin at Simple Homeschool. I don't really consider us unschoolers (Remember, I call our eclectic homeschooling "Relaxed Classical"), but the longer I homeschool, and as I learn about my children's innate differences and abilities, the more I see what Jamie is talking about in this post.
• A Word About Homeschoolers and Maturity from Tressays. I'm always excited to see another post from Tressa.
• Why Genuine Liberal Arts Degrees Are a Perfect Fit for Today's Uncertain Economy by Christine Goss at The Federalist. "The reality is, liberal arts degrees are not failing graduates and employers. Our institutions of higher education are failing to deliver on their promise to provide a true liberal arts education." Yes.

Living

• Definitely some food for thought in these two posts: The Cost of Minimalism part 1 and part 2 from This Simple Balance. I am by no means a minimalist, but I do have an ongoing desire to simplify our life and I've noticed some of these contradictions too.
• Stop Killing Summertime by Rushing Us Into Autumn in August by G. Shane Morris at The Federalist. Co-sign.
• Go to Bed for the Glory of God by Tessa Thompson for True Woman. Double co-sign. Dear fellow humans, sleep is GOOD.
• Trusting God was a major theme in my life this summer. Which is why these posts grabbed my attention: Trust When Your Illusion of Safety Shatters by Shannon Popkin at True Woman; Trusting God in the Midst of Financial Crisis by Carlie Kercheval; and When Trusting in God's Faithfulness is a Challenge by Elisa Pulliam.
• Also related to the above: The Wandering Thirty-Somethings by Jeanne Harrison. This resonated with me, although it must be noted that my husband is actually a forty-something now.

Loving

• Fascinating and sad: The Polygamous Town Facing Genetic Disaster by Zaria Gorvett for the BBC.
• I have a lot of thoughts about the current unrest in our country, but I'll limit myself to two posts that reflect some of my thoughts:  There is No Such Thing As White Cultural Heritage. The West's Legacy is Open to All by Nathanael Blake and There are Good Reasons to Consider Removing Confederate Memorials from Our Public Squares by Gracy Olmstead.
• On a lighter note: Finally, There's a Name for the Generation Between Gen X and Millennials. Someone has at last recognized the specialness of the years when my husband and I were born. {wink}

From Living Unabridged:

• One year ago: Inspiring Math Averse Children with CTC Math. My math averse child has moved on from this program but the year we used it was extremely valuable for her.
• Two years ago: The Gift of Time - 10 Reasons I'm Thankful for Homeschooling

What caught your eye this week? Or this summer?
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