Yesterday we spent a delightful hour meandering around a pretty botanical garden near our home. Clouds of white azaleas lined the walkways, rosebuds of every color peeked around pillars, and fuzzy gray goslings trailed after their parents in the pond.

It was refreshing to see the results of a winter’s growth in some places; but other plants were still awaiting the right time to blossom. What a picture of a growing time!

We’ve been talking about growth over the past several months, on and off. It all started with a Lesson from Frog and Toad and grew from there (pun intended). The main encouragement we want to give you is to do your part—cultivate the atmosphere, pull the weeds, and nourish the plants—and then relax and trust the process. Don’t try to force growth in your children on your own time-table.

A New Calendar Journal for You

And now we’re pleased to announce a new resource that will come alongside you for a whole year and gently remind you of those helpful principles. A Growing Time is the new Charlotte Mason-style personal calendar journal for the 2013-14 school year. This calendar journal is now out of print.

This handy calendar will take you from July 2013 through June 2014 with encouraging articles, real examples, extra Charlotte Mason quotes, and plenty of room to write your personal notes. The monthly articles will give you gentle reminders about growing, like

The gardener’s attitude greatly affects the growing atmosphere.
It’s easiest to pull weeds when they are small.
Sometimes a weed is just a displaced plant.
The best food to help a mind grow is ideas.
Growth often occurs way down deep where we can’t see it.

The year-at-a-glance calendar, monthly calendars, looking-ahead thumbnail calendars, monthly divider tabs, and two-page spread each week will help you stay organized.

Plus, special touches—like areas to jot down gentle reminders, prayer requests, and books you are reading—will combine to help you create a keepsake journal of your year. All with a gentle Charlotte Mason touch.

This year take a breather, regain your perspective, and experience a growing time with Charlotte Mason!