photo source In the past few years Carrots has grown from one reader (my mom) to thousands and yet I often forget that not everyone reading today has been with us from the beginning of this blogging journey. So for all of you who are new and might not know our story, here’s a little post about who we are and what we’re doing. I’m Haley Stewart, a Catholic convert, and wife to Daniel … [Read more...]
Want to Know Yourself Better? Jane Austen Is Here to Help.
image: Jennifer Ehle in ‘Pride and Prejudice’/Image © BBC Every time I re-read Miss Austen’s novels (ahem, every single year), I find something I hadn’t noticed before. I uncover another layer with each return to her works and this year what I’m most drawn to is the theme of self-knowledge. I’m not alone in considering Austen to be a philosopher and she follows in the footsteps of the ancients … [Read more...]
Anne of Green Gables and the Right Way to Share Things on the Internet
In L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of the Island, Anne pours her little heart and soul into a novel which gets rejected by the publishers. In an effort to cheer up her downcast chum, her best friend Diana Barry sends the manuscript to the Rollings Reliable Baking Powder Story Contest with a few additions to the original: scenes in which the main characters discuss their love for the product. “Sweetheart, … [Read more...]
Tips for Reading More This Year
While I know my personal reading lists are always overambitious, I love making them and I find that I DO read more when I have a list. It's like my own little personal syllabus (because you don't have to be in grad school to have a life of the mind, right?) But whenever I post a yearly reading list, I get a lot of questions asking, "how do you get so much reading done?!" Because yes, there are … [Read more...]
9 Reasons the Weasleys Are (Probably) a Catholic Family
I first read the Harry Potter series before converting to Catholicism and the Weasleys were my favorite family in the books (obviously). Imagine my delight when I discovered that they’re a big Catholic family! Well….OK, the books don’t come right out and say they're Catholic but I think there's some solid reasons to assume they are. Reason #1: They’re open to life, even to the point … [Read more...]
The 10 Most Popular Carrots Posts of 2015!
In typical Haley fashion, we're well into 2016 and I'm just now posting some year in review kind of posts for 2015. "Have You Ever Felt Like Being A Mother Has 'Ruined' You?" 2. How a Family of Five Got Rid of Half Their Stuff 3. It's OK to Skip Your "20s" and Start Your Life 4. Why Voldemort Hates Homeschooling 5. When You Leave Your Comfortable Life and Change … [Read more...]
My Reading List for 2016
Happy New Year, sweet readers! I've finally put together my 2016 reading list. I didn't finish my 2015 list (although I read 24 books, so that's not bad!). I always start out planning to read two books a month, but then I add all sorts of books spur of the moment because if you can't read what you want when you want, what's the point of being a grown up? I always try to tackle one big classic a … [Read more...]
My Reading Goals for 2015 (and How I Didn’t Meet Them)
Every year I make a list of reading goals for the following year. And every year I fail to meet them. But I still like doing it! Looking back on this year with homeschooling the three kids, a chronic illness rearing up it's ugly head after a few years in remission, the stress of selling our home, getting rid of half our stuff, major financial and job changes as Daniel began a 13 month long … [Read more...]
Your Blog Post Wasn’t About Me and Other Illogical Complaints of the Internet
image source I used to see a lot of strong opinions and challenging ideas shared online. Now, I see more watered down posts full of caveats as the author apologizes for what they’re about to say. And I get it. Because unless you try to address every possible variation in situation, someone is going to be offended. And you’re going to hear about it. It gets exhausting. But you know what? … [Read more...]
Hallowmas with Harry: What Harry Potter Taught Me About Death and the Communion of Saints
“ And in many ways, all of my characters are defined by their attitude to death and the possibility of death.”- J.K. Rowling Hallowtide, the three days of All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day (or Hallowmas), and All Souls Day, is an ancient part of the Christian Year. Before becoming Catholic I thought of Halloween as morbid and I couldn’t understand how to celebrate All Souls, or the Day of the … [Read more...]
