A Personal Calendar Journal

At the store yesterday I noticed a display of 2013 calendars. Most were the kind that you hang on the wall, but I’ve come to prefer the kind that are printed like a book with plenty of room to write.

It’s gratifying to think that Charlotte Mason preferred a book-type calendar too, for she kept one each year. If you visit the digital archives of her personal papers, carefully collected and provided at Redeemer University College, you will see her calendar diaries.

I was looking through her 1890 diary and noticed that she recorded expenses, appointments, reminders, summaries of the day’s activities, even snatches of poetry and meaningful quotes. Her calendar diary was her personal journal, which seems to have served her well during her lifetime and through which we are privileged to have a glimpse into her daily life.

Simply Charlotte Mason is pleased to continue in that tradition by producing a Charlotte Mason-themed personal calendar journal each year. And we are happy to announce that the 2013 calendar journal is now available. This calendar journal is now out of print.

Wisdom for Moms 2013 Calendar Journal

The 2013 Personal Calendar Journal centers around Charlotte’s wisdom for moms. She had so many concise bits of counsel for us as mothers and teachers! With Wisdom for Moms you will be reminded of her gentle wisdom all year long, in an article each month and poignant quotes each week of the year.

The short articles provide her everyday encouragement in many areas of life for a homeschool mom, such as

• Don’t despise the day of small things.
• Never be without a really good book on hand.
• Remember, no one is made up of one fault.
• Do not stay up late preparing lessons.
• Think out your opinions modestly and carefully.
• Even in mature life, it is possible to acquire a desirable habit.

Plus, the calendar and journal portions offer lots of attractive space to record your own reminders, appointments, daily summaries, and personal notes. I like to jot down what I’m thankful for each day; and on looking back, I’m usually thankful about something that occurred that day, so it becomes a record of the year’s events too. Then I use the monthly calendar grid to note who visited in our home, and I add poems, quotes, reminders, and Scripture in the journal pages. But you can use it however you like.

That’s the beauty of a yearly calendar journal; it becomes a reflection of yourself, serving you well during the year and providing a keepsake glimpse into your daily life. Such a special tool that Charlotte Mason modeled for us!