(S and the boys are in a clump in the bottom left part of this picture.) One lesson from today’s free audio tour around Stonehenge: “Take away all the scholarship and archeology and myth and legend and debate over Stonehenge, and you still have a profound site.” So...

This week, we walked in the footsteps of C.S. Lewis — the very place he’d been at Oxford’s Magdalen College before writing these words: You must picture me alone in that room in Magdalen, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the...

S chooses to wander through the rose garden. W, H, and E choose to lay down on the “awesome grass.” H is standing on top of a burial mound that’s thousands of years old and yells out over the other visitors at the site: “I am standing on the dead people!” S has...

Today we tackled the Blenheim Palace hedge maze, featured in The Calder Game. Our dinner discussion included “How is life like a maze?” Some of our answers: * It’s rough when you fall. * You can’t see the whole path ahead, only to the next turn. * Sometimes you get...

A shoutout to our friends in Fairfax and Falls Church schools starting school today. “Hope they have a good...

As with the Olympics several weeks ago, this week we have been enveloped by the Paralympic Games here in London. We can see the venues in the distance from the upstairs window of the home where we are staying (thank you, Swithinbanks!), the signage around London is everpresent, and the...

We spent an epic day in central London a few days ago. Wake was our “trip leader.” It rained on us. We were on the move for ELEVEN hours. And the whole experience was truly joyful – truly, truly joyful. Wonderful memories. Please join us for some of the experience in this audio postcard....

The Gymnastics arena from our house!! The Olympic Village as seen from our house The Aquatic Center as seen from our house             The Olympic Stadium as seen from our house and Orbit             Olympic stadium   Olympic...

Yesterday,walking to the tube after leaving the tower of  london, we ran in to a guy who ran the paralympic torch. If you  don’t know what the paralympics are  it is the olympics for people with...

Julius Caesar invaded Britain the first time in 55 BC. Based on his own writings, scholars figure he arrived in the area of Deal Beach just up the coast from the white cliffs at Dover. Here is the view today at Deal Beach. The stone marker seems largely forgotten by folks walking up and down...

Suby, reading by iPad light in our tent, read “one more poem” tonight before bed: ”Mindful” by Mary Oliver. It’s a poem she and I have shared from time to time. Every day I see or hear something that more or less   kills me with delight, that leaves me like...

We’ve learned a great deal after spending a few days in an English campground. “Soccer,” of course, is “football.” “Tea” is dinner. “Cream tea” is awesome, especially after a long hike. And Jacob was born three days before Eli. We know Jacob was born three days...

A birthday shout out to Will Gaskins (jr)! Happy birthday...

We’ve just concluded another spirited game of Fictionary — joined at the table this evening by a light-up gemstone we’re calling a cousin to the lava lamp. One of our best rounds this evening came from the word GHAWAZEE. *Without* checking a dictionary — can you choose...

Three moments to share from today about the profound impact of LIGHT. We woke before sunrise today to secure tickets to one of the world’s few remaining Paleolithic cave painting sites still open to the public. “Paleolithic” sort of means “super old,” like older...

My maternal grandmother was often part of my family beach vacations. Mama Liz showed me how to play cards on those trips, usually on her bed. She floated effortlessly and endlessly on her back in the surf. And she taught me the words and music to French national anthem. We sang that anthem as...

Somehow, descriptions of new hair styles are a frequent topic on these pages. Here is the latest: E’s “faux hawk.” It’s “faux” because “it’s not a full...

This could make you a bit dizzy with the sped up camera work … but we have documented the climb up “our” chateau, complete with medieval music from a period festival in...

J is leading our first Art of Language class, seminar style, based on a journalistic view of last night’s Olympic Closing Ceremony. Apple juice provided....

Vous etes ici. You Are Here. This is a concept we have often struggled with, as a family and as individuals, throughout our lives. We want to live in the present, notice small things, enjoy our time together — instead of constantly thinking of the next big thing, wishing time away,...

A smattering of photos from our life here in Dordogne Valley — from our laundry rack to World School to wooded walks to a nearby Chateau. Click on any one image … and a larger gallery appears. Laundry … with reading boys in the background.

A newspaper that covers public radio and public television has published something about our year away. Here is a link to Current’s blurb: http://www.current.org/2012/08/aronson-promoted-at-frontline-npr-board-elections-lapin-joins-current-and-more/ And here’s the text: Jim...

Yesterday we went canoeing and kayaking down the Dordogne River! It was really fun even though it was like 100 degrees outside!!!!Here are some of the pictures we took during our trip!

Yesterday day morning during breakfast a hot air balloon came floating over the house! It was...