CPQ December Newsletter
I always have high hopes for the holidays. Generally, my hopes revolve around getting a lot of relaxing and joyful moments with my family. But, often, the end of the season comes and I rarely feel like I got to relax, or really enjoy the season, as fully as I intended. The time of year that exudes sitting-by-the-fire-drinking-tea vibes seems to include more shopping, rushing, wrapping, baking, driving, planning, and stressing than resting.
It seems to me that the end of the year should naturally bring about moments of quiet reflection and gratitude. But, as a mom, I often find myself clawing my way into the new year gasping for breath. As I was pondering this reality recently, I had a realization. The truth is that when one thing is ending, another is beginning. We know this as homeschool moms. When one school year ends, we are busy prepping for the next one. When we’ve finally mastered elementary school, here comes jr. high and high school. When the baby finally starts walking on their own, we must start chasing them down. When the kids go off to college, we start having to navigate a new relationship with our spouse or our free-time. And when one year draws to a close, the next one begins demanding attention. Just at the moment you feel like you can come up for air, the next wave looms ahead, threatening to take you under. There is no rest for the weary.
That sounds so glum, doesn’t it? However, when I looked at my perceived lack of rest from this perspective, for the first time I felt something different. Suddenly, the voices in my head weren’t saying, “Why can’t you just relax? Why aren’t you better organized? Why didn’t you plan better? Why isn’t your house cleaner? Etc.” My endings aren’t endings at all. They are beginnings. In fact, I realized that rest doesn’t come in the endings. It is in the middle that I am supposed to be at rest. When I am right in the midst of the work that God has given me is where I should be most at peace. Of course, I am not supposing that we shouldn't have real rest. Naps are one of my favorite things, after all. And we should endeavor to plan well and incorporate rest and joy into our holidays. But if you are coming out of the holiday season feeling mentally unrested, you are not alone! A new season is upon us, and new things mean God has work for us to do. Don’t be discouraged. I could share some practical tips for how to incorporate rest and gratitude into this busy season of your life. But perhaps the thing to do is just adjust your perspective a bit. If you are feeling like you don’t have a moment to come up for air between Christmas and the start of a new year, please don’t blame yourself…Perhaps the Lord has something new coming for you. So take a deep breath, dive in, and do the next thing. My guess is that you’re right where the Lord wants you and He wants to be your rest.
Speaking of new things…this will be my last newsletter post for CPQ. I have made the decision to step away from editing the magazine. The last two years have been a gift and a joy. It has been a pleasure to read the words of so many talented, gracious, and brilliant homeschooling parents. I have been blessed by the friendship, encouragement, and prayers of Cara and Mariah. The work of the magazine has challenged me to grow and learn in ways I never imagined. I am so excited to see what’s ahead for CPQ. This year has some exciting new writers (you may even hear from me between the pages…wink, wink), artists, and layouts. I will miss being a part of this community as the layout editor for Common Place Quarterly. I am not certain what lies ahead for me, but I am taking a deep breath and diving in. Thank you for being a part of my life, reading my words, and engaging with CPQ. We appreciate each and every one of you, and wish you a blessed and happy New Year.
—Sarah
On The CPQ Blog
Behind the Scenes
Goodness is shipping
Books is in final edits before heading to print
Things articles are in layout
Truth articles are being written
If you subscribe now through the end of the year, your first issue will be our first issue of 2025: Books! We have yearly and quarterly print subscription options available on our website. Click on the “Don’t miss an issue” button above to subscribe.
Changes for CPQ
We are thrilled to announce some exciting changes coming to our magazine in the upcoming year! Our team has been hard at work to bring you meaningful content and a fresh look. Here’s what you can expect:
NEW CONTENT SECTIONS
To keep up with discussions in the CM community, we are introducing several new columns alongside returning columns in Year 7:
Modern Educational Thought - Marlon Davis will compare and contrast ideas of today with Charlotte’s philosophy.
Literary Canons - Dr. Shannon Whiteside will share how canons were formed, take it into Charlotte Mason’s paradigm, and then into our own homes to give us a better understanding of booklists and the confidence to change them as we see fit.
A Great Inheritance - Miranda Altschuler will encourage us to enter into the world as a great inheritance at different levels from individual to family to community to beyond.
Poetry - Timothy Willard will inspire us to consider poetry—writing it, reading it, the purpose of it, why we need it, and more.
Our Handicraft column is back as Sheila, Summer, Lisa, and Amber help us look at handicrafts as worship, therapy, life skills, and gifts.
Nature Chronicles - come along on some nature explorations with Mariana Mastracchio!
FRESH DESIGN
We are giving our magazine a stylish overhaul with a modern design that enhances readability and visual appeal:
New Layouts: Experience a cleaner, more organized presentation of articles and features. Some of our *extra* content will find a new home on the blog to make sure the magazine is nothing but content from our curated writers.
New size: when faced with the decision to either raise our prices or change our sizing, we opted for a cuter CPQ.
These changes are part of our ongoing commitment to provide you with valuable and enjoyable content. We believe these enhancements will enrich your reading experience and keep you loving Common Place Quarterly!
Thank you for being a loyal reader. We look forward to embarking on this exciting journey with you next year!
25% off Sale
The year 2025 will begin with our 25th issue, Books, so there’s no denying this was the perfect opportunity to have a 25% off sale on back issues in our shop!
Use code 25in2025 to get your discount when you check out now through the end of the year!
2025 Recitation Printables
Our 2025 recitation printables are uploaded and ready for use! This year our printables feature desert scenes and poetry from around the world, perfect for each season.
SPECIAL OFFER!
We have a limited quantity of our recitation printables printed for purchase in the shop, with or without a wooden stand, so head over to our shop to grab a printed set before they’re gone!
Get To Know The Editors
What’s Cara…
Reading: Flavia de Luce Christmas novels and Integrity by Henry Cloud
Eating: crackers and meats and cheeses
Making: a new CPQ
Drinking: tandem coffee roasters jingle beans holiday blend
Watching: Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors and Circle of Love
Buying: last minute Christmas presents
Learning: how fun lights and food makes people happy
What’s Mariah…
Reading: The Metaphoric Structure of Paradise Lost by Jackson Cope and Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
Listening to: the Bon Jovi vinyl my son got me for Christmas
Eating: sugar cookies (my great-grandma’s recipe)
Making: simple memories
Drinking: coffee with whipped cream on top
Thinking about: the pleasant conversations I had with my mom yesterday—sometimes it’s nice to remember, in all the caretaking and managing and frustrating circumstances, that I am also still a daughter who needs her mother. It doesn’t look like what I thought it would, but it was a nice gift from the Lord that I will tuck away and treasure.
Learning: the shift from showing up to your parent’s house with a side dish to being in charge of everything for the holidays is harder than I anticipated, and I’m afraid it will take me the next ten years to find my holiday groove. It might be wise to start preparing for next year, so I’m not an overstimulated zombie next Christmas…
What’s Sarah…
Reading: the second draft of my daughter’s book, “Pachydermia” and “The Wonderful Winter” by Marchette Chute
Making: plans for our trip to New Zealand next month
Drinking: Twinings Australian Afternoon tea
Learning: how to let go of things I can’t control
Eating: all the Indian food my in-laws can feed me
Watching: “thrifted and styled” IG reels
Buying: clothes in Australia…it’s so much easier to find natural fibers here!