Leila Marie Lawler's Blog, page 22
October 10, 2020
Rest in peace, Habou
Starting in early December of last year, my mother’s health began to deteriorate. She had a valve replacement in her heart the day before the Covid shutdown here in Massachusetts.
She seemingly recovered well enough from that procedure in the following days, but soon began to have other symptoms, which after many delays as resources were directed elsewhere, became evident as some sort of incipient cancer.
She had a long summer of dwindling energy and ability to eat. Pancreatic cancer was taking its toll. At the start of the Fall she could barely keep down the small amount she felt able to eat. Last week we initiated hospice care; the nurses barely had a chance to visit when my mom, late Tuesday night, drew her last breath.
She died here at home. She wanted it that way; we wanted it that way. She didn’t think she was dying until the very end, but she wasn’t interested in pointless interventions.
My mom’s life was a difficult one. She wasn’t well taken care of as a young person and maybe someday I will write about that.
The one thing her life demonstrates is that we can repent and find God — and He will bestow abundant grace if we allow Him to. Once she found Him, in middle age, she followed Him. Her faith grew until she prayed constantly, and in her last months I always found her with her prayers, her Magnificat, and her Rosary beads. (Sometimes, it’s true, she was “liking” your Instagram posts or watching videos about painting!)
She prayed for everyone and everything, and she offered up her sufferings with a continuous act of will.
I don’t know many who would undergo the discouraging events of the past year (and really, of various illnesses including heart surgery and Lyme Disease in the past 20 years) with such cheerfulness and increasing serenity.
On her last day, she told me “I just can’t cope anymore” as she vomited every 15 minutes, yet still she listened and prayed quietly to the Divine Office we took turns praying with her. God heard her and at last let her rest.
Please pray for her soul. That is what she would want.
Elizabeth Edwards
Dec. 11, 1936 – Oct. 7, 2020
The post Rest in peace, Habou appeared first on Like Mother Like Daughter.
October 3, 2020
Pear Custard Pie
Okay, well, sorry, WordPress is being super unresponsive, so these pictures are all you’re getting. I will post the rest on IG later, because if I keep trying here this post will never happen!
This is the yummy pear custard pie I have now made twice. It’s really perfect and I highly recommend it! I made it with almond which is the perfect accompaniment to the delicate pear flavor.
And it’s more like frangipane — almost a custardy cake, rather than a true custard. In other words, not eggy or runny at all. I love the texture of it.
Yes, there are a few extra steps to this pie, but the result is well worth it in terms of the perfect melding of tastes and a company-worthy presentation.
This is the view in my garage fridge:
Beautifully formed pears from our trees (that I do nothing to other than the chickens did range around them, and maybe that helped with pests?). What a gift this year!
They keep in there because I picked them in an unripe stage, which is what you have to do to keep them and avoid the dreaded mushy brown core. This sort (I don’t really know exactly what variety they are) look green but have a yellow blush and are really perfectly ripe just like this, once they have sat on the counter long enough to warm up.
I recommend using pears that are not soft-ripe for this recipe.
Pear Custard Pie Like Mother, Like Daughter
One pie crust, unbaked (I use the standard American pie crust found in Betty Crocker or any other such cookbook, or the French pâte brisée, using 3 parts butter and 1 part lard or bacon fat. I never ever use vegetable shortening — just use all butter if you don’t have those other fats). Don’t use a store-bought crust. Even a not stellar homemade one will be much better — butter fixes everything!
Filling
7-8 not quite fully ripe Bartlett pears
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
Topping
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Prepare pie crust.
Topping: Add all ingredients except butter and almonds and pulse in your food processor a couple times to combine. Add butter cut in cubes and pulse until it resembles small pebbles. Add the almonds.
Alternatively, add all of the topping ingredients except the almonds to a large bowl and mix with two forks or a pastry cutter. Add the almonds.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 350℉
Roll out pie crust and place in your pie plate, crimping the edges attractively.
Slice the pears and place in crust to fill it almost to the top but not quite. Thin slices will make the nicest texture for the cooked filling. If you don’t have the filling ready, sprinkle with lemon juice.
Filling: Add eggs to a medium bowl or food processor and lightly beat. Mix in all remaining filling ingredients.
Sprinkle 1/4-1/3 cup of your reserved topping mix over pears.
Evenly pour the filling over the pears. Spread it evenly with a spatula.
Spread the rest of the topping over the filling — you may not use all of it.
Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the filling has puffed up in the middle and has firmed up.
Check after 40 minutes and cover the top of pie with foil if needed during baking to prevent excessive browning, or broil the pie at the end of baking (without moving oven position) to brown the top — just watch it closely and see what it needs.
Let the pie cool for 2 hours before serving it. Store it in refrigerator — it’s even better, if possible, the next day.
{bits & pieces}
An important post from Msgr. Pope on premarital sex
Excellent, on “Cuties” and why we should rightly be disgusted
An older piece by Gilbert Meilaender on dying: I want to burden my loved ones
If you can’t find the reverent worship you long for (I would add, be sure to have a little oratory at home)
Strong argument on theological grounds on the subject of “ordinary and extraordinary means” when it comes to preserving health and life, from Bishop Paprocki
What does it mean to be magnanimous? It may mean spending large sums on beautiful things!
from the archives
Worried about the new baby when you have a toddler?
Dating rules for teenagers
liturgical year
Blessed Columba Marmion, Abbot (see this post about this great spiritual director’s advice on prayer and devotion — very helpful for the busy person in discerning what is the right way to approach the problem of nourishing the interior life in our state)
follow us everywhere!
Stay abreast of the posts when they happen:
I just share pretty pictures: Auntie Leila’s Instagram.
If you want politics, rants, and takes on what is going on in the Church:
Auntie Leila’s Facebook (you can just follow — my posts are public — sometimes I share articles here that don’t make it into {bits & pieces})
The boards of the others: Rosie’s Pinterest. Sukie’s Pinterest. Deirdre’s Pinterest. Habou’s Pinterest. Bridget’s Pinterest.
And the others on IG: Rosie’s Instagram. Sukie’s Instagram. Deirdre’s Instagram. Bridget’s Instagram.Habou’s Instagram.
The post Pear Custard Pie appeared first on Like Mother Like Daughter.
September 19, 2020
Showing respect for the father of the family
A priest recently asked me what advice to give to a bride who wanted to know how to demonstrate to her husband that she accepts his headship.
My answer is too long for here, and probably is not what you think, but one aspect of it I would like to discuss briefly: it’s up to the wife to make sure that her husband knows he is seen, especially as he comes and goes.
A bride must be patient while obtaining some children. When this is accomplished, she should set about gently teaching them to part from and greet him in a manner that makes him feel armed for the battle and truly appreciated for conquering the dragons, respectively.
When he’s heading off to work (even if he’s working from home), the children should pause from their activities and say goodbye. (Studies show that men who kiss their wives before leaving for work have lower rates of heart attack; my husband, whose commute is approximately 28 paces to his study, never omits his “medicine.”)
When he returns, their joyful greeting should resound in his ears.
A little sacrifice is offered, pulling oneself away from an activity; temptation is resisted, to assume that his departures and arrivals are to be taken for granted. Some wives might even say, “Oh, he doesn’t mind… ” or “He is fine with it.”
It can seem more natural (whatever that means) to have him slip in and out, as if he doesn’t matter all that much, as if he isn’t the protector and provider, as if his own assessment of his humble service is the only measure the family has for him.
But who would not be happier with a demonstration of appreciation? I’m not a man, but I imagine that coming home to shouts of gladness and tight hugs is recompense for a lot of what the world hands him every day.
Eye contact should be made. Kisses should be given. “Bye, Daddy, I love you!” “Daddy! You’re home!” I think there are days when the children’s momentary expressions can make or break a man’s will to go off and/or to come back…
A ritual is the way to accomplish a more loving and appreciative mode that demonstrates esteem for a person. But rituals don’t make themselves! In this case, Mother makes it happen, though Father can assist: my father used to come in whistling the same four notes — that was the alert that offered a couple of seconds to put down the book and welcome him.
Other cultures are a bit better about these rites of “passage” (not death of course… well, we hope not). Life together can’t be only ritualistic, but eliminating rituals impoverishes us. One thing rituals do is acknowledge hierarchies, which is what that bride was, perhaps unbeknownst to herself, wondering about.
“Say bye to Daddy!” “Here comes Daddy! Run and give him a kiss!” Once established, the family pattern keeps itself alive (with only a few quiet reminders now and then).
Little rituals keep love alive. The glory of the family is its sovereignty in these matters of little expressions of esteem and affection — you can make them exactly the way you want. But do incorporate them!
{bits & pieces}
A nice cutout collection: “Fr. Peter”
If you have followed the controversy surrounding the Covington boys, you might be interested in the outcome of a court case regarding the “duty” of those in Congress to defame citizens; the court ruled against them using a similar case in which my husband was the lead plaintiff.
Why do we search for subtle arguments about justice, natural law, and political theory? We need the 10 Commandments.
The Blessed Virgin was not an unwed mom. Those who oppose abortion have taken to saying that she is because they mistakenly think that they are helping women who are in fact unwed moms. Even when the ancients (particularly in the Byzantine tradition) speak of her as “unwedded bride” they are not using the term the way we do — they mean something more like, well, Virgin and Mother. Sadly, the word virgin has fallen into desuetude, tracking, possibly, with our willingness to rob Our Lady of her title. Cardinal Burke gave a beautiful sermon on the subject; let us think with the mind of the Church. (Because abortion is an election topic, the subject has come up — it will only intensify as Advent comes upon us. I just want to say that we cannot err by speaking with more respect and honor for sacred persons, not less… )
from the archives
Green tomato chutney of deliciousness
From the LMLD Library Project: Two of my favorite children’s books
liturgical year
St. Januarius — miracles are all around us
follow us everywhere!
Stay abreast of the posts when they happen:
I just share pretty pictures: Auntie Leila’s Instagram.
If you want politics, rants, and takes on what is going on in the Church:
Auntie Leila’s Facebook (you can just follow — my posts are public — sometimes I share articles here that don’t make it into {bits & pieces})
The boards of the others: Rosie’s Pinterest. Sukie’s Pinterest. Deirdre’s Pinterest. Habou’s Pinterest. Bridget’s Pinterest.
And the others on IG: Rosie’s Instagram. Sukie’s Instagram. Deirdre’s Instagram. Bridget’s Instagram.Habou’s Instagram.
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September 12, 2020
{bits & pieces}
Pears still in process over here — the gratifyingly numerous nice ones have been eaten or are tucked away in the fridge awaiting their moment to ripen for our enjoyment.
The less-perfect have been cored and cooked. The first batch was normal, below; above you can see that my second pot got cooked to the caramelization point which also means that some burnt on the bottom of the pan!
I do this every time I make pear sauce. The truth is that it’s much, much better when this happens — all the sugars bloom and the final product looks more appealing and less like convalescent food!
I don’t do it on purpose but I sort of do…
But how to clean the pot, Auntie Leila… well, you need to read this post about cleaning your cast iron, because the scrubbing part applies to stainless too. If you try to use your plastic scrubber you will indeed despair; if you use your flexible metal spatula (with a flat edge, almost unavailable anywhere other than thrift stores or Phil’s bachelor stuff) and your steel scrubber (with an assist perhaps from a metal spoon with the right curve to fit into the edge of the pot), the job will be done very quickly. Soak the pot and then have at it.
Next up, canning it all (I will mix the two batches and try to get it all put up in one go).
I’m also hopeful about the winter squash out there… we shall see soon!
bits & pieces
I’m not a Catholic, but I’d have liked to live in Catholic England
A delightful essay about Little Women, by Susannah Pearce
What makes a kitchen look not old, necessarily, but classic? Kitchen Cabinet Design for Period Houses (or for new houses that would like to use an aesthetic rooted in actual tradition rather than just what builders do because who knows why)
I found the above article linked by an Instagram account I follow, that also posted a list of affordable cabinets of that kind for direct purchase
Fr. Sebastian Walshe, a Norbertine Canon of the Abbey of St. Michael in the Diocese of Orange, California developed his book, Understanding Marriage and Family (affiliate link), by teaching moral theology to high school boys. This interview with Jennifer Roback Morse is a must-listen. Fr. Walshe is impressive in his ability to speak clearly and simply on difficult moral topics. Towards the end, he speaks strongly about relativism as a totalitarian philosophy. This interview would be suitable for older high school students who are aware of the current controversies about marriage and gender ideology. Parents should definitely listen and consider buying his book.
from the archives
Seven strategies for dinner with the barbarians
Last week was the feast of St. Gregory — I’m sorry I didn’t post about it. But let’s let his spirit and intercession work for us as we make new friends and establish little pockets of like-minded people around us!
liturgical year
follow us everywhere!
Stay abreast of the posts when they happen:
I just share pretty pictures: Auntie Leila’s Instagram.
If you want politics, rants, and takes on what is going on in the Church:
Auntie Leila’s Facebook (you can just follow — my posts are public — sometimes I share articles here that don’t make it into {bits & pieces})
The boards of the others: Rosie’s Pinterest. Sukie’s Pinterest. Deirdre’s Pinterest. Habou’s Pinterest. Bridget’s Pinterest.
And the others on IG: Rosie’s Instagram. Sukie’s Instagram. Deirdre’s Instagram. Bridget’s Instagram.Habou’s Instagram.
The post {bits & pieces} appeared first on Like Mother Like Daughter.
September 5, 2020
{bits & pieces}
We have three pear trees. The one with red fruit usually yields about a bucketful of pears that I think we never pick quite early enough — did you know that pears need to be picked unripe? I have taken to trying to think about them on the Feast of the Assumption (August 15), but maybe the red one needs to be attended to a week or so earlier. If they are left on the tree they get mushy.
But the other two are ready at that time and wait for a couple of weeks afterwards. Their pears are green, and the one is so reliably prolific that what you see here was only about half, despite having been strictly pruned in the late winter.
This year, I think because of the chickens ranging around them, they are amazingly unblemished. I didn’t spray or do anything else, and the majority are sound and quite large. Today I will try to rally the troops to help me sort through them — we will give the little wormy ones to the chickens and most we will make into pear sauce (like applesauce) and maybe spiced pears. They keep in the fridge too — just take them out to ripen a bit and they are good to go.
I am hopeful about our little apricot that we planted last year — maybe next year it will bear fruit! One of the cherries made it, the other didn’t. I’ll have to plant another soon.
My word to you young people: Plant your fruit trees now… just plant them! In 20 years you’ll thank me!
And thank you for all your suggestions about posts you remember and want to see in the book. I think we have them all covered (but will keep the comments handy to be sure). You’re the best!
bits & pieces
Phil and I were grieved and shocked this past week to receive the news that our close friend Fr. Paul Mankowski SJ was suddenly stricken with a brain aneurism. He was 66. Below I will post what I wrote at his passing. Please pray for his soul — that is what he would have asked from you — a quick prayer for him!
He was good and kind — and mercilessly sharp towards anything that was evil and wrong. He did not spare the wicked the edge of his wit. This satirical talent of his caused him much searching of his conscience — he feared leading anyone astray. But I know concretely that many were saved by his willingness to serve charity with truth, truth like a burning fire. He considered himself a surgeon, not a nutritionist (this observation is elaborated on in a reflection published in my husband’s obituary, linked below).
Yet, his intellect, comprising both native and academic brilliance, offered vast nourishment for anyone encountering it. I told him that the best book reviews give the reader the benefit of the reviewer’s expertise and wisdom as well as the author’s, and his always deliver. I hope you will dip into some of his writings linked below.
My husband’s farewell to Fr. M — at the end he links to three classic Mankowski pieces.
Kenneth Craycraft’s Memorium — I did not know the detail about his belongings fitting into a medium-sized suitcase, but I suspected as much.
Mankowski: Waugh on the Merits — this book review reveals Father’s attitude about satire, his own tool of choice after he had made ample use of the sharp but more straightforward ones of scholarship and refutation in his own toolbox. He knew that sometimes (more and more often in our era), the evils we are confronting don’t arise from a defect of understanding and are not offered in good will — he strongly held that the devil must be mocked if we want to regain ground, all the way up to the gates of hell.
Mankowski: What Went Wrong — a must-read to understand the issue of clerical abuse. No one — no one — was quicker to understand the issues confronting the Church in the matter of sexual laxity and the concomitant structures supporting and abetting it.
Fr. M offers a reading list re: Communism.
Mankowski on one manifestation of our obsession with “playing church”.
Other links I wanted to share with you, not Mankowski-related:
The fatal Lambeth Conference on allowing contraception, 90 years later. I urge you to read the encyclical Casti Connubii yourself. You owe it to yourself! If you would like to read it in a group or would just like help reading it by yourself, I have a guided reading for you — here on the blog or in a more edited form in my e-book, available on Kindle. (affiliate link — and if you have read it, please consider leaving a review on Amazon! Thank you!)
A beautiful and ancient Kyrie chant, predating the Gregorian form we are more used to.
Could bee venom cure breast (and other) cancers?
Dedication of the church that honors the Coptic martyrs. So joyful and inspiring.
The riddle of Bach’s “Lutheran” Mass
from the archives
Start thinking about how to keep your house warm in winter, thriftily
Easy — really easy — and good — really good — pot roast
liturgical year
St. Teresa of Calcutta (Novus Ordo)
St. Lawrence Justinian (Traditional)
follow us everywhere!
Stay abreast of the posts when they happen:
I just share pretty pictures: Auntie Leila’s Instagram.
If you want politics, rants, and takes on what is going on in the Church:
Auntie Leila’s Facebook (you can just follow — my posts are public — sometimes I share articles here that don’t make it into {bits & pieces})
The boards of the others: Rosie’s Pinterest. Sukie’s Pinterest. Deirdre’s Pinterest. Habou’s Pinterest. Bridget’s Pinterest.
And the others on IG: Rosie’s Instagram. Sukie’s Instagram. Deirdre’s Instagram. Bridget’s Instagram.Habou’s Instagram.
my reflection on the passing of Fr. M
Fr. Paul Mankowski SJ passed away today. It was very sudden, shockingly sudden (he suffered a brain aneurysm and was gone) — but he would be the first to emphasize the Gospel warning that you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect.
I thought it could happen to me, with the usual amount of denial in practice, but wasn’t ready for it to happen to a friend whom I expected to be there for a long time yet. That hurts.
He would also be the first to ask for prayers for his soul. Please spare a prayer for him.
But I believe that we will find out soon how this soul of granite really lived. His academic and intellectual achievements were vast, and he never let a wrong go unrighted or a pretension unmocked (you really must read his verse play The Tragedy of MacDeth). He defended the doctrine of the Church with precision — you did not want him to detect any falseness in you.
Since for a long time he was silenced by his superiors, we don’t even know the extent of his work, I believe. Perhaps it will come to light now.
At the same time, there was no condescension or arrogance in his manner (even to enemies of God); he graciously acknowledged those crossing his path with a courteous and gentle interest. Without a shred of sentimentality (I remember him warning me not to give the gypsies in Rome even a glance, much less money), he served Truth and the poor alike. He really lived the Evangelical counsels — I know that we will find out that he possessed not too much more than his threadbare shirts.
Phil Lawler and I are sad to be left behind without his cheerful fighting spirit to encourage us.
The executioner is relentless, it seems; but “We may yet hereafter in heaven merrily all meet together, to our everlasting salvation.”
The post {bits & pieces} appeared first on Like Mother Like Daughter.
August 22, 2020
{bits & pieces}
Pounding away on the book. Do you have a post you love and think should definitely be included? Let me know — I think I have all of them (well, all the important ones) but after more than 10 years, I worry that I’ve forgotten something! Which one got you to come and read here? Which one do you share with your friend? It would help me to know!
bits & pieces
An Irish priest made short films recording various cultural phenomena and they are incredible artifacts of the now-distant past (my childhood, not that I lived in his milieu at all! Man, that happened fast). In this one, he explores a town with a staggering number of vocations to the religious life. Even if you feel that there is a certain gloss (or even sentimentality) to the presentation, it’s worth thinking about the elements he uncovers that contribute to the flourishing: A good priest, families who live simply and pray devotedly, nuns who live cheerfully, a certain beauty in what we would probably feel is poverty.
Maybe someone you care about just won’t read Leila Miller’s Primal Loss book (affiliate link), on the devastation of divorce on children, but would listen to her talk on the subject.
Another video (but you can just listen) from 2018 — timely now that race issues are to the fore: Thomas Sowell speaks about his book Discrimination and Disparities, making important distinctions that we just have to understand if we are going to heal.
A must-read: The Health-First Heresy, by Douglas Farrow.
Also compelling, in a different way: A Pandemic Observed, by a mother grieving for her husband and baby.
I was looking for something else, and came across this essay, written by my husband quite a while ago, on the occasion of the editor of First Things Magazine, Jody Bottum, supporting gay marriage. I want to share it here because I think it’s good: To defend marriage, the truth is enchanting enough
from the archives
Postpartum: give yourself time!
A science curriculum recommendation
liturgical year
The Queenship of Mary (Novus Ordo); Immaculate Heart of Mary (Traditional)
follow us everywhere!
Stay abreast of the posts when they happen:
I just share pretty pictures: Auntie Leila’s Instagram.
If you want politics, rants, and takes on what is going on in the Church:
Auntie Leila’s Facebook (you can just follow — my posts are public — sometimes I share articles here that don’t make it into {bits & pieces})
The boards of the others: Rosie’s Pinterest. Sukie’s Pinterest. Deirdre’s Pinterest. Habou’s Pinterest. Bridget’s Pinterest.
And the others on IG: Rosie’s Instagram. Sukie’s Instagram. Deirdre’s Instagram. Bridget’s Instagram.Habou’s Instagram.
The post {bits & pieces} appeared first on Like Mother Like Daughter.
August 15, 2020
{bits & pieces}
If you are the winner of our giveaway of the lovely Stella Maris print from Jubilate Designs, an email has made its way to you! If you are wishing you had won, here’s your chance! Jamaica is running a sale through Monday, Aug. 17th. All prints are 20% off and the Stella Maris is restocked!
In other news, I finally decided to stop dabbling in making mayonnaise, on and off over the years, and finally commit. I probably shouldn’t have chosen a week when Deirdre and her family were gone to make a double batch, but I have found that it keeps in the fridge very nicely, so it’s okay.
The main thing is to know what ingredients are going in there. Since even the olive oil version of the nicer mayo has soy oil, and I am not made of money, I’m getting serious. Using my trusty immersion blender* and a wide-mouth quart jar makes it all super easy and low-clean-up.
*Mine is really old and seemingly not available anymore in its exact model, so you are on your own. I think the advice to get one with a cord still applies (unless you can tell me otherwise) — the battery-powered ones are just not strong enough. Yeah, the cord is annoying.
I’m using the recipe from my Fannie Farmer Cookbook — doubled, be forewarned — but it’s basically as follows, for about a quart of delicious and stable mayo (but it calls for boiling water to be added at the end and I leave that out — one Tbsp, two in the doubled one here if you want to know)*
*And here we have a good example of why I’m not sure that anyone should follow my recipes, but I feel compelled to give them anyway
Mayonnaise
2 whole eggs (if you are using a food processor, the recipe calls for 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks — remember, this recipe is doubled)
3 Tbsp cider vinegar (this vinegar has a higher acidity than wine or rice vinegar; the final product tastes like it should in your mind)
1/2 tsp salt (don’t be stingy though)
1 tsp dry mustard or 2 tsp dijon mustard (next up, making my own dijon mustard)
2 cups oil (I prefer to use peanut oil; the time I used extra-virgin olive oil, I didn’t actually like the taste, and I’m not sure other oils are stable enough)
Put the first 4 ingredients in the jar with 1/2 cup of the oil. Blend and then begin adding the rest of the oil slowly. I’m far too hasty to do the “one teaspoon at a time” thing and it’s fine.
If the oil starts collecting on top, pause your adding and work the blender up and down within the nascent mayo until it is incorporated, then continue.* As you get to the end of the oil this will actually happen, but do as I say and add it all without losing your nerve — the oil is what gives the mayo its body so you can spread it and work it into slaw and so on.
*Immersion blender pro-tip: Always keep it immersed. If you lift it up out of what you are blending, it will spew oily things everywhere!
I tend to err on the side of a little more salt, vinegar, and mustard. And that is it!
bits & pieces
What if I told you it’s a good thing (albeit painful for now) that schools aren’t opening up?
This writer is edgy but she gets her point across! “Perhaps some fresh madness will take its place, but still: the future will arrive. Your future… Which is why you need to have a baby. Or have another one. Start tonight!”
An interesting explanation of why in the ancient rite, the Gospel is moved to the north side of the altar (not a matter of “right and left”). These observations resonate with then-Cardinal Ratzinger’s explanation of why the celebrant ought to face East (or “liturgical East”) for the Mass (not “towards God” or “towards the Tabernacle” per se) — an explanation that is bolstered by a passage from a homily by Origen that is in the Divine Office readings.
It’s still hot! Make your own backyard water park! (I doubt the water blob would really work, but if you succeed, let me know!)
It’s important to have context for your data.
from the archives
IMPORTANT PANDEMIC INFORMATION: If you can’t host a real baby shower for your dear friend or sister or daughter, due to you-know-what, do a virtual one! Deirdre orchestrated one for Rosie when she was far from us, and Rosie posted about it: Showered from Afar
I’ve gotten a fair amount of messages about “what the normal homeschool day looks like” — thought I’d pop this post in here: Five quick answers about homeschooling from my friend Therese
Are you making learning to read too complicated?
liturgical year
It’s the glorious feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary!
follow us everywhere!
Stay abreast of the posts when they happen:
I just share pretty pictures: Auntie Leila’s Instagram.
If you want politics, rants, and takes on what is going on in the Church:
Auntie Leila’s Facebook (you can just follow — my posts are public — sometimes I share articles here that don’t make it into {bits & pieces})
The boards of the others: Rosie’s Pinterest. Sukie’s Pinterest. Deirdre’s Pinterest. Habou’s Pinterest. Bridget’s Pinterest.
And the others on IG: Rosie’s Instagram. Sukie’s Instagram. Deirdre’s Instagram. Bridget’s Instagram.Habou’s Instagram.
The post {bits & pieces} appeared first on Like Mother Like Daughter.
August 8, 2020
Mary Star of the Sea giveaway with your {bits & pieces}!
I love this print of Our Lady Star of the Sea — I had just been listening to the chant of the Ave Maris Stella when Jamaica and I had a conversation about her sweet painting:
She has graciously offered to give one away to a winner here — please leave a comment and we will choose one winner at the end of the week!
The print is 9 x 11″ on heavy stock — it would be a wonderful graduation gift! I keep thinking of a young person setting up a new home… or for anyone who loves the various titles of Our Lady.
Jubilate Designs has some really fab earrings now too. Do go over to her shop to see!
(You can listen to the chant here. Traditionally it is sung at the end of Vespers).
Don’t forget your comment for a chance to win the print!
{Speaking of comments, please read the comment guidelines on the sidebar. If you are tempted to leave a comment that violates them, just know that I will delete it! As always, happy to discuss things in a civilized manner! MWAH!}
bits & pieces
When you listen to the chant, above, and then listen to this Palestrina motet, you begin to understand how Christian culture is meant to be: the faithful soul humbly enters the Form that is given, and then (at the very best), is able to create something that radiates the beauty of it. This pattern is the one to pursue on every level, even if we are not Palestrina! God will provide the increase.
The real Damien of Molokai — a well told account of his life and virtue that also serves as a sort of examination of conscience for how we approach each other when we fear sickness
A beautiful first poem: A Serious Call to a Close Reader
I don’t know if you heard that Loyola College re-named a dorm on the pretext that Flannery O’Connor was racist. A good take-down of their action: The ‘Cancelling’ of Flannery O’Connor? I would only add a serious caution that we are mistaken if we think that we are not open to the censure of future generations. The mere passage of time does not guarantee progress in “values” — certainly it doesn’t guarantee that we who have arrived here in the glorious present know how to read even the private correspondence of a thinker like O’Connor.
Thomas Sowell — The Nonconformist. A longer, well written piece about a great thinker.
Sanofi Pasteur Discontinues Aborted Fetal Polio Vaccine — and replaces it with a moral version!
The Moral Case Against Mask Mandates And Other COVID Restrictions. Even if you think masks and so on are a good idea, it’s important to understand why, given human nature, they will not work when mandated.
The Great Books Core Program from The Aquinas Institute offers a two-year online curriculum that initiates students into the great intellectual tradition of the Western world. Featuring real-time conversations, this program could be the answer to the uncertainties of in-person learning this year.
A Baroness on Barrenness. Mark Steyn writes about the new relevance of P. D. James’ Children of Men
from the archives
To new readers: In order to finish up my book (based on this blog), I have pulled back on posting — BUT the archives are full of content on the remote and immediate preparations for educating children, not to mention just living family life! So do go poke around.
Be less exasperated with life in general by instituting these two rules
All the homeschool planners sold out? I never used an official planner, but the site I talk about here helped me immeasurably
liturgical year
Today is the feast of St. Dominic — pray pray pray your Rosary!
follow us everywhere!
Stay abreast of the posts when they happen:
I just share pretty pictures: Auntie Leila’s Instagram.
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The boards of the others: Rosie’s Pinterest. Sukie’s Pinterest. Deirdre’s Pinterest. Habou’s Pinterest. Bridget’s Pinterest.
And the others on IG: Rosie’s Instagram. Sukie’s Instagram. Deirdre’s Instagram. Bridget’s Instagram.Habou’s Instagram.
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July 25, 2020
Scones with your {bits & pieces}
An Instagram friend, lexysauve, shared that
“These oatmeal scones are perfect. And I will forever be doubling my scone recipes for #saveastepcooking which @leilamarielawler taught me about! The second batch of unbaked dough freezer perfectly on a piece of parchment lined plate, then you simply wrap the parchment over the round and pop it in a labeled plastic bag for the freezer! You need to lengthen your cook time.
I appreciate the tip on freezing, because I’m always unsure about whether this sort of dough will really freeze properly (though I often freeze baked scones and find they reheat perfectly).
So of course I had to ask her for the recipe — the idea of toasting the oats really appealed to me — and try them myself! Deirdre says they are indeed “perfect”!
You can find the recipe for Toasted Oatmeal Scones here at Creations by Kara. I did everything as she said!
My notes:
Really cool the oats completely or they will melt your butter, defeating the point of the scone, which is the flaky, buttery texture.
I like to divide my dough in half or even fourths and then form the scones by cutting each disk into sixths (it’s not hard once you get the hang of first cutting in half and then each half into thirds) — I just like mine a bit more bite-sized. So my batch here yielded 12 scones.
I used “raw sugar,” i.e. large crystal sugar, to sprinkle on top for a nice texture.
Next time I will double!
Enjoy!
bits & pieces
I want to offer a few articles that pertain to Covid, but hopefully not in a contentious way. I know our readers always read before commenting and I trust this excellent habit will continue!
From Msgr. Pope: Coronavirus Stalks in the Darkness, But Do Not Be Afraid
The burden of proof is on those who impose burdens — from Edward Feser, professor of philosophy and defender of common sense: “Everyone should make an extra effort at showing humility during this crisis, but especially those who are imposing enormous costs on others, where reasonable people can disagree about the necessity and efficacy of those costs.”
Infants learn from facial expressions and their development depends upon them.
Widespread daycare has really drained our common sense about babies. We take all sorts of things for granted that don’t hold up to scrutiny or even what we know to be right, because no one can just say that it’s not good for babies to be away from their mothers.
But I have to say that I reached a new level of shock upon reading the tweet of a working mom who mentioned that her very young baby used to get sick with a fever once every two weeks at his full-time daycare, but since Covid, the daycare workers have been wearing masks, and baby hasn’t gotten sick at all!
Presumably they have also been washing their hands, which I think matters far more to contain the spread of disease. But what makes me physically sick myself is the thought of a baby spending all day every day with “caregivers” who are wearing masks!
If you do a search on the importance to their well being of infants (and children, and adults) seeing the human face, you can only find evidence for the proposition. No one holds that it doesn’t matter or isn’t harmful to deprive human beings of this sort of interaction.
We can’t let fear of disease — remote fear in the case of young people under the age of about 26 — wipe away the basic human need to see faces.
“Around eight to 12 months of age, infants learn that they can use information from other people’s faces – especially their mom’s – to help them figure out what to do in new situations.
“For example, when infants who are first learning to crawl and walk are presented with a possibly dangerous slope, they look to their mothers’ facial expressions for cues.”
And a few on politics more broadly:
The Cato Institute did a poll: 62% of Americans Say They Have Political Views They’re Afraid to Share
Two reviews/critiques of books on race that are best sellers and ubiquitous amongst students (due to propagandizing institutional efforts): The Dehumanizing Condescension of White Fragility (White Fragility) and Ibram X. Kendi, Prophet of Anti-racism (How to Be an Antiracist). Our country has struggled from the beginning with racism. We have to think well on what the right approach is, lest we harm the very bonds that we are trying to heal.
A cautionary tale for today’s ‘woke’ movement, a review of the movie Mr Jones, about “Walter Duranty, who as the Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign correspondent for the New York Times led the cover-up of the 1932-3 famine in Ukraine, [and for whom] mass starvation was a career opportunity.” Updated to add another review of the movie — the Mr Jones of the title is Gareth Jones, a Welshman who went to Ukraine to see for himself what had happened. “Walter Duranty led the ferocious, Soviet-prodded attack on Jones’s credibility. He also bullied most other Moscow-based Western journalists—to their enduring disgrace—into doing the same, lest they lose their visas. Jones, however, had a spine. He did not back off. He continued writing and speaking about the famine in Ukraine with lasting effect, until his death under suspicious circumstances two years later.”
Dept. of Misc:
From Leila Miller, important words to clarify what loving your erring son or daughter really means: The biggest mistake of modern Catholic parenting.
A 360° view of the walls of Church of St Peter and St Paul, Chaldon, UK, painted around 1200, depicting purgatory and hell.
Did you see the evocative photo of the priest heading towards a major pile-up to offer last rites? Steve Skojec writes a moving reflection on “just doing his job.” We all have a job to do — let’s do it and not be afraid.
To share with a friend who just isn’t sure about homeschooling: Kristina Hernandez: Homeschooling during coronavirus – here’s why my kids will be with me this fall
from the archives
Now, more than ever, you need our wedding advice — that venue is closed and you’re looking at a small social-distanced event with disgruntled and frightened relatives. Deirdre’s here to sort out your priorities! {pretty, happy, real weddings}
My most basic parenting advice: Act, Don’t React
liturgical year
follow us everywhere!
Stay abreast of the posts when they happen:
I just share pretty pictures: Auntie Leila’s Instagram.
If you want politics, rants, and takes on what is going on in the Church:
Auntie Leila’s Facebook (you can just follow — my posts are public — sometimes I share articles here that don’t make it into {bits & pieces})
The boards of the others: Rosie’s Pinterest. Sukie’s Pinterest. Deirdre’s Pinterest. Habou’s Pinterest. Bridget’s Pinterest.
And the others on IG: Rosie’s Instagram. Sukie’s Instagram. Deirdre’s Instagram. Bridget’s Instagram.Habou’s Instagram.
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July 18, 2020
{bits & pieces}
We harvested the garlic this week, opening up a bed for other things! It’s my granddaughter (age almost 7) who pulled it all out and arranged it on the old shelf that I use for various purposes in the garden.
She chose to spend hours carefully stripping any messy leaves and placing them just so… and thinking her thoughts!
The shelf is across the sides of my compost bins, if you can’t quite figure out what you’re looking at here!
This week some men in our parish got together to formulate a plan for protecting the physical church and grounds. They also discussed what to say to the bishop if he considers shutting the church down again (although he was one of the better ones — our doors never closed and the other sacraments were available in a limited way).
This morning’s news of arson at a cathedral in France prompted me to plant the idea in your heads, if you haven’t already thought of it, of encouraging the men in your parish to think and talk about possible violence directed at the church.
bits & pieces
The Hagia Sophia is about to become a mosque again, after decades as a museum. Here’s a virtual tour. Here’s why you should care.
An important article in the Wall Street Journal (sorry for the paywall — I will quote some here) on The Ideological Corruption of Science, by Lawrence Krauss, theoretical physicist, is president of the Origins Project Foundation and author of “The Physics of Climate Change,” forthcoming in January.
In recent years, and especially since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, academic science leaders have adopted wholesale the language of dominance and oppression previously restricted to “cultural studies” journals to guide their disciplines, to censor dissenting views, to remove faculty from leadership positions if their research is claimed by opponents to support systemic oppression.
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When scientific and academic leaders give official imprimatur to unverified claims, or issue blanket condemnations of peer-reviewed research or whole fields that may be unpopular, it has ripple effects throughout the field. It can shut down discussion and result in self-censorship.
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Actual censorship is also occurring. A distinguished chemist in Canada argued in favor of merit-based science and against hiring practices that aim at equality of outcome if they result “in discrimination against the most meritorious candidates.” For that he was censured by his university provost, his published review article on research and education in organic synthesis was removed from the journal website, and two editors involved in accepting it were suspended.
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Whenever science has been corrupted by falling prey to ideology, scientific progress suffers. This was the case in Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union—and in the U.S. in the 19th century when racist views dominated biology, and during the McCarthy era, when prominent scientists like Robert Oppenheimer were ostracized for their political views. To stem the slide, scientific leaders, scientific societies and senior academic administrators must publicly stand up not only for free speech in science, but for quality, independent of political doctrine and divorced from the demands of political factions.
The opposite of the politicization of everything could be called “unwokeness” and there is a new site for finding a job or hiring in an “unwoke” way.
David Clayton (my co-author, The Little Oratory — affiliate link), on Marxist Iconoclasm:
What began over 100 years ago as an intellectual exercise in our art departments, in which traditional representational art as an idea was discredited in favor of abstract art, has turned into all-out iconoclasm which aims to destroy all images that symbolize or uphold Western values as part of the mission of destroying Western civilization itself. By this, there is a clear logic to the destruction not only of the statues of Junipero Serra, Washington, and Jefferson, but also of statues of Abraham Lincoln, and even Frederick Douglass.
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[Opposing this logic] means building up the natural institutions of Western civilization, and especially the Church, the nation, and the family in a cultural war (and which includes as a vital part of this the erection statues in the town square). Images are a vital part in this cultural war….
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The domestic church is the starting point for our radical transformation of society.
‘Celestial sleuth’ sheds new light on Vermeer’s masterpiece ‘View of Delft’
Interested in Charlotte Mason homeschooling? Follow Celeste Cruz on Instagram for some visual inspiration from a mom of many.
from the archives
Wondering about staying home but feeling guilty about the impact on your finances? I answered a question about that!
Thinking about homeschooling? Here are my education archives — take a stroll!
I’ve written in general about homeschooling and have lots of reading suggestions for you in those posts. Don’t miss this one with answers from Auntie Therese.
liturgical year
follow us everywhere!
Stay abreast of the posts when they happen:
I just share pretty pictures: Auntie Leila’s Instagram.
If you want politics, rants, and takes on what is going on in the Church:
Auntie Leila’s Facebook (you can just follow — my posts are public — sometimes I share articles here that don’t make it into {bits & pieces})
The boards of the others: Rosie’s Pinterest. Sukie’s Pinterest. Deirdre’s Pinterest. Habou’s Pinterest. Bridget’s Pinterest.
And the others on IG: Rosie’s Instagram. Sukie’s Instagram. Deirdre’s Instagram. Bridget’s Instagram.Habou’s Instagram.
The post {bits & pieces} appeared first on Like Mother Like Daughter.
