Tea at Trianon: Camping: The Perfect Vacation

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Camping: The Perfect Vacation

From Seton Magazine:

Taking the kids out into the woods eliminates the usual distractions. In the woods, there is no TV (unless you go in a loaded up R.V….so don’t do that!). There is limited cell phone reception, and kids are separated physically and electronically from constant contact with their friends. It’s a natural opportunity for family time.

What my own kids love best about camping are the simple things. They love getting to explore woodsy trails on their bikes, long hikes, swimming in the clear waters of a lake, paddling off in a kayak, learning to build a fire, and staying up late telling stories under the stars. Other ideas for simple family fun while camping include the following. Play tag or teach your kids any of the other forgotten games of childhood such as clapping games or jump rope rhymes. (Read more.)