Ah, Dennison. Glorious Lake Dennison in Winchendon, MA this weekend when the Russians all converge upon it. It is a decades old tradition now for a group of Russian families to come here from Boston on a weekend mid August. It is glorious for adults and kids as well.As everyone gains what they crave most– an open-ended schedule and time to spend with friends.
Over ten years ago our family began camping at a place that has never ceased to satisfy our summer need for cooler temperatures, much swimming, and a night sky free of city lights. This summer alone, I have already returned three times to this beloved ground and now I wish to wax eloquently on all her virtues.
Nickerson State Park on Cape Cod sits in the crux of the Cape’s massive elbow just a half a mile south of its bay side shore. All 1,900 acres lay available for any citizen of the Commonwealth to rent for the current price of only $22 per night (slightly more for out of state and nicer accommodations like a yurt). Just bring your tent, some folding chairs and maybe even a portable shelter and the park provides the rest: a fire pit with grill, a picnic table, and a close by water spigot, bathrooms, and even showers! And best of all, when you go for 2-3 days during the week at Nickerson, there is almost always availability to book last minute and still have a decent choice of spots.
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In the swing of summer at present, and I wish to give a shout out to all the fine institutions that make summer worthwhile for our family. This past weekend, I concluded a conference with the newly created New England Consortium of Classical Educators. It involved two glorious days of scholarly conversation around the theme of the knowability of Truth for the low, low price of only $50. Professors, tutors, and mentors from all walks of life took turns grappling with age-old questions and enjoying delicious meals around a common table. Strikes me as what colleges and universities used to be for until we turned them into educational factories for the mere acquisition of specialized skills. In any event, I kept pinching myself that I paid so little for so much.
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Saturday, October 15/28, 2023
Mother of God Who Ripens the Grain
Finally most of us are in the thick of the regular fall schedule. Since we are also in the season of electing or re-electing officials in November, it is a time to think about social change. I listened to this commentary about the lack of conservatives in the political activist space and whether or not this poses a problem. The article came down on a very interesting and subtle point: that the way to change the world is not so much by directly agitating the powers that be for social change, but by building enduring institutions which promote healthy and God honoring values. In this time of great social upheaval, I would like to express my gratitude for at least two enduring institutions that have meant the world to me and my family.
Continue readingI have blogged before about the Magic of Cape Cod. As the years go by, there is a particular part of the Cape that has become dear to us: Nickerson State Park. This Labor Day weekend marks the third time we have camped here this summer, setting a new family record.
I have blogged often here about the dehumanizing effects of Disneyland and the curious American desire to amuse themselves at the expense of sobriety, prayer, and deep peace. So one might be surprised to hear that there is one amusement park that we actually endorse enthusiastically. Storyland in Glen, NH has been a family favorite for years and today we bring our three youngest here to relish in its culture and treasures
Monday, November 28, 2022
First Day of the Nativity Fast
Commencement of Advent in the Orthodox Church
Growing up, I was taught many things about the Christian faith that did not seem exactly right. One puerile notion that was especially debilitating was this idea that fidelity to tradition was somehow antithetical to the more romantic adventure of discerning revival, i.e., what God is doing NOW, in our own day and age. According to this notion, the divine mercies that are “new every morning” have to make a clean break with what came before, and the Christian revolution should break with the old, worn out traditions as well.
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Ah, dear friends who are local to Boston, starting next Friday, December 10 in Groton, MA, four Friars (a family record!) will be performing live on stage and we would love to see you in the audience. A message lies below from the Messenger who hauntingly blesses Ebenezer Scrooge with a life-giving path of repentance. Please read it and accept our invitation to come. And a Merry Christmas to ye!
I wanted to let you know that New Life Fine Arts is again producing “Musical Theater That You Can Believe In”.
Coming this December 10 -19, 2021 we will be bringing the original adaptation of the Charles Dickens famous Christmas Classic, “Ebenezer Scrooge: A Christmas Carol” back to the stage in Groton, MA for 8 performances.
Continue readingOf the making of books there is no end and much study wearies the body.
Ecclesiastes 12:12
Another calm before the fall storm. My brilliant wife suggests squeezing at least one last trip to the beach in before the crazy fall schedule prohibits us. We go with the three youngest children and our baboushka (“little grandma” in Russian) to Old Silver Beach on Cape Cod, one of the few west facing beaches just over 1.5 hours from Boston. It’s like our back-to-school beach, as it works well to drive here on a mid-afternoon and stay until sundown. A last minute surplus from our local food pantry leaves us well supplied with road food and a picnic supper.
Continue readingWant to recommend the practice of camping out there to all of you with family looking for an inexpensive vacation. Throughout this summer, we have had the good fortune to tent and cabin up at two of our favorite sites in Massachusetts, Lake Dennison in Winchendon and Camp Denison in Georgetown, MA. One of our friends has extolled the experience of camping with kids, especially kids who usually live confined in the city, as allowing them to roam freely, like free range chickens. While camping has many challenges, this overall experience really makes it all worth it. Here are some of the best pictures from our recent outings.
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Like Mendicant Monks... 