Leila Marie Lawler's Blog, page 25
February 15, 2020
bits & pieces
My husband gave me a special bottle of mead for Valentine’s Day, and I had to tell you about it — if you are near Tyngsborough, Massachusetts, it’s worth the detour to the Honeybound Meadery!
He has ordered bees from them before, and sometimes stops at the store to get some equipment on his way up to Thomas More College.
Recently, as he was buying whatever it was, the owner asked him what he thought of mead. “The truth is I really don’t like mead,” was his answer. “I love it when people say that to me! Would you try some now?”
Well, he tried it and Reader, he liked it a lot! I laughed at him for not making a purchase then and there (in a loving way of course — this is a running joke at our house that we have incredible sales resistance, sometimes against our own interest).
So it was pretty cute that he surprised me with a bottle for Valentine’s Day! (At breakfast, bless his eager heart.) (I didn’t have it until dinner time — so restrained.)
It’s not at all fizzy — the bubbles are just from me moving it around to get the picture. It’s smooth and sophisticated, like honey bourbon but not so strong, or like sherry but with honey instead of grapes. How do you describe mead? (Hmmm… maybe we should make mead…)
Their website says that they will have online orders soon. I’m really excited about this business (I have no connection with them other than as described above — just letting you know of a promising local enterprise)!
bits & pieces
President Trump proposes restoring classical architecture as the preferred style for federal buildings, causing our elites to have a conniption. City Journal:
“One thing to be borne in mind at this politically charged juncture in our national life is that classicism is not an “ideology,” as some critics are charging. It is a formal language, with a vocabulary and syntax—originating with the classical column and its superstructure—geared to the idealization of structure in anthropomorphic terms. In other words, the classical language makes its appeal to us as embodied beings. It has shown itself supremely adaptable to changing social and technological conditions, and thoroughly receptive to regional inflections. Classicism is not, and never has been, a closed system.”
If you’ve been following the case of Cardinal Pell’s conviction of sexual abuse, or if you haven’t and just think you know he’s guilty, an important read: The Crown Prosecutor’s Retraction.
Do you enjoy Antiques Roadshow? Every once in a while, I do! This episode with the rarest watch in the world…
A periodic table of the elements showing their relevance to our lives. Worth hanging up in your school room, I think!
A fun video about an old-fashioned baseball league:
Two desserts I made in the past month, both scoring high points especially considering their simplicity: Victoria Sponge and Gateau Basque. Need to get these sweets in before Lent!
This lady knits very, very small objects. Seventy stitches to the inch!
The history of the color blue.
Now, as we move into Lent, is the perfect time to begin or begin again with family prayer and personal devotion. I came across this review by Peter Kwasniewski of our book, The Little Oratory, from when it came out (affiliate link). It’s everything an author could hope for in a review — but really, it’s about you making that little place in your home, a place of beauty, so you can connect with the liturgical life that unites heaven and earth.
from the archives
Nine hospitality thoughts — as I reread, I was struck anew by how liberating and beneficial (in the sense of conferring blessings) rituals are.
Lent is coming — choose your devotionals well. It’s a season of purgation, not of feeling good about yourself! Go to the desert, go with Jesus. I would add to the suggestions I gave in this post about How to Choose a Devotional this one: Jesus of Nazareth by Benedict XVI. (affiliate link)
liturgical year
Today is the feast of St. Claude de la Colombière.
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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.
The post bits & pieces appeared first on Like Mother Like Daughter.
February 8, 2020
bits & pieces
Just getting some bread out of the oven.
This bread came about in this wise.
I made enough dough yesterday for two 16″ pizzas and these loaves. However, when I divided the dough, I realized as I placed it on the pizza pan that the first bit for the pizza was too much — the pizza was going to turn out too doughy. I had already put a lot of olive oil on the pan (as is my wont), but… I wanted to start over.
So I pulled that dough off and gently re-formed it and put it into the banneton. So this loaf has some olive oil folded into it:
I then redistributed the rest of the dough to make two smaller portions for pizza and one larger for bread, to rise in my bigger banneton. So that and “olive oil dough” went into the fridge (yes, lots of times I raise the dough in the fridge, especially if it’s high hydration aka wet and hard to handle), and this morning I baked them.
The larger portion I split for “hacked” baguettes — you can read about how I do it in this post: Baguettes and how to fake them.
If your starter is strong, your dough can take this sort of handling.
I also have found that if I do two or three “coil folds*” as the dough is first developing, my gluten structure is much stronger and the dough can be handled more.
*Something like this only I’d never make this tiny amount of dough, nor would I use such a narrow deep bowl.
This time I stretched the resulting narrow shapes to be even longer.
Not perfect — you can see that the one loaf did split a bit across the slashes — but good enough for a Saturday morning!
This dough has a little whole wheat flour and a little dry milk powder, which I find makes the resulting crumb very soft but not gummy, even with a wet dough (this one was about 75-77% — mostly all-purpose flour). I’m happy with this crumb development (the open holes, which makes this a baguette and not an oddly shaped roll).
bits & pieces
Do you know about “telling the bees”? Relatedly, the survival of the bees on a roof of Notre Dame Cathedral seems miraculous.
How two women pulled off a medieval manuscript heist in post-war Germany
Local politics really matter and as we move into the national election cycle, I would urge you to consider that our limited political capital is better spent closer to home. Equity Warriors: The “equity” movement is “an unfalsifiable idea: if you reject the contention that unseen bias is at work in your school system or court or city hall and demand actual evidence of discrimination, it’s either because you are a part of the supremacy culture or have been co-opted by it.”
Jerome Lejeune, doctor to those with Down Syndrome, on the path to sainthood.
from the archives
In the Traditional calendar, tomorrow is known as Septaugesima Sunday, a sort of “early distant warning” about Lent. We who run households do have to start getting our heads in the game and out of the Christmas candy (although I do have one or two more desserts I want to try before, well, you know). We love soup, and I welcome a season to just have more soup! Lenten soup ideas.
Common sense care of your sick child (because we need to know these things that have flown out of the collective memory, and really, truly, if we look at this rationally, the worst idea of all is needlessly dragging sick people to the doctor to be told “he has the flu, he needs rest and liquids” — talk about vectors for spreading germs).
liturgical year
St. Josephine Bakhita — pray for 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.
The post bits & pieces appeared first on Like Mother Like Daughter.
February 1, 2020
{bits & pieces}
Early distant warnings:
Well, this one is immediate: Tomorrow is Candlemas and also the beginning of the Seven Sunday’s of St. Joseph.
If I can figure out how to do it without too much time (since I’m still trying to get my book manuscript out the door), I’d like to do a Lenten reading on A Return to Modesty by Wendy Shalit.
If you think you’d be up for that, maybe start the process of getting a hold of the book. (affiliate link — probably also available at the library — and the new edition is apparently only different in that she added a foreword, so the first edition can work fine for our purposes I think).
On to decorating news flash: I have long been hunting for a pair of comfy chairs for this spot in my living room. Two weeks ago I found this one, just one, on facebook marketplace. The lovely lady who was selling it (her house is gorgeous) told me in response to the question “do you have another one” that if she had, she would keep them, and I quickly made the deal lest she change her mind anyway.
It was wicked cheap and sturdy and also reupholstered, which as thrifters know, upholstery is where great old furniture goes to die. Deirdre says the chair balances the piano, and maybe another chair is not needed.
Anyway, I love this chair and am super happy to have gotten it, and had to share!
Notes: Rug and piano from the Chief’s parents. Painting over mantel (partially obscured) by Habou (she also painted the thrifted magazine rack). Icon from Rosie and Philip from their Florence trip. Antlers found in the woods by the boys in days gone by. Curtains in dining room from World Market, wish they would have more in this vein. Yes, we need to paint this room and maybe in the process repair the hole in the plaster where the new thermostat got put in… five years ago.
bits & pieces
Progesterone can help with miscarriage.
Underground graffiti in Moscow — icons in the streets and abandoned buildings.
One minute (but watch to the end) — a beautiful film about marriage. I’m not crying, you’re crying. Iranian filmmakers are the best. I highly recommend Children of Heaven as well — and again, watch to the very end.
Jane Stannus: there is no Catholic feminism. A sober analysis of the inherent contradiction between the ideology of feminism and the truths of Christianity, and the implications for the future of the Church. So what is the vision for women? I am working on trying to articulate that, but truthfully, this whole blog is my answer…
from the archives:
February homeschool burnout avoidance.
Frugal soup (Lent is just around the corner!)
Living Lent with older children.
Auntie Therese’s advice for homeschooling moms.
liturgical year
Today we celebrate St. Bridget of Ireland!
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.
January 25, 2020
Baguettes and how to fake them
Today I am going to share a shortcut that I am really proud of. I feel like I’ve really pulled one over on the unsuspecting.
I’ve always struggled to make baguettes — with yeast dough and then with sourdough. And I’ve always been somewhere on the failed-to-mediocre spectrum.
Maybe you can do it — if so, post about how! I find that it’s almost impossible to work with a dough that’s wet enough to result in the nice holes and open structure that a baguette should have (and not just be a long dense bun). Such a dough is just too hard to shape as a baguette should be shaped, and keep its shape through the rise, let alone be slashable.
I just can’t do it! I’ve watched all the folding tutorials and all the videos and I’m convinced there is some magic I’m just not worthy enough to access.
But one day I realized that a big fat risen dough can be cut with a bench scraper — for instance, you could cut rough rolls from a batch of risen dough and they’d bake up just fine.
So why not cut one long risen loaf lengthwise and have two — ta-da! — baguettes? Or maybe they are more like bâtards; I am on the lookout for an even longer proofing basket (called a banneton, although almost any basket works). (I do see that there are specific bannetons for baguettes. Maybe I need those.)
Here are close-ups of my normal sourdough loaves, turned out of their respective bannetons and baked as usual. (My bannetons are all of slightly different sizes because I got one as a gift and then added as I was further into sourdough baking, and it sort of makes my OCD twitchy but there it is.)
This is my longest proofing basket. I dust it and the others with rice flour. I also have a regular basket with big holes that I use — that one I line with a clean cloth napkin dusted with rice flour. The dough doesn’t stick, either way, as long as I don’t skimp on this step:
Using the bench scraper (I like this one, affiliate link), just quickly and confidently divide the dough in half, lengthwise:
Gently transfer the dough to parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Place the dough with the cut side down and using your hand or a pastry brush, even out the flour that’s dusted on top, adding some if necessary.
Slash the tops, using a sharp razor blade (I use this one, affiliate link)
You’ve already pre-heated your oven to 450° and placed two pans of boiling water, one on the one rack right up at the top and and the other on the floor of the oven. The dough pan goes on the rack in the middle.
Bake for 12 minutes with the pans of water, and then 10 minutes without. But don’t go by me because my oven is wonky (hence the different levels of browning on all those breads above). Get a good instant-read thermometer (I have this one — it really needs to be fully immersible — affiliate link) — seriously, it’s one of my most-used tools, what with bread, yogurt, roasts, and what have you.
I’m still working on this, but I thought I’d share my progress this far! It’s my best hope of making these thinner and trickier French breads!
bits & pieces
Mark Helprin on Pride and Prejudice at Harvard. He was a few years ahead of my husband, so I’m already familiar with stories of the Bust and so on. Helprin’s essay describes how the PC culture came to ascendence there. It’s worth reading for the incandescent prose as well as a glimpse into every elite university in our country, for they march in ideological lockstep.
An article about the history of the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris with amazing graphics.
Your guide to not getting murdered in a quaint English village (I suppose it goes for Oxford too, which is more of a city, but apparently quite dangerous).
Most scientists can’t replicate their peers’ studies, apparently. (I mean, it’s a study; don’t know if it’s replicable.)
I share this article for the implications about the presence of others’ DNA in one’s body: When a DNA Test Says You’re a Younger Man, Who Lives 5,000 Miles Away “Within four months of the procedure, Mr. Long’s blood had been replaced by his donor’s blood. Swabs collected from his lip, cheek and tongue showed that these also contained his donor’s DNA, with the percentages rising and falling over the years. Of the samples collected, only his chest and head hair were unaffected. The most unexpected part was that four years after the procedure, the DNA in his semen had been entirely replaced by his donor’s.”
liturgical year
Today is the feast of St. Paul.
from the archives
I got a sweet message from a reader who found the blog from Twitter — she has a newborn and has been reading the nursing posts “for motivation when nursing seems really hard or when I doubt it’s all supposed to be like this.” So wonderful to hear! You can find (most of) the nursing posts here (in reverse order, sorry).
Don’t know how to clean your house (but it really needs it because now there are no decorations to distract you)? Here you go: The Reasonably Clean House
Easy and good pot roast. No really. VERY easy and VERY good. With the secret to solving your “my pot roast never comes out right” issue.
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 Baguettes and how to fake them appeared first on Like Mother Like Daughter.
January 11, 2020
{bits & pieces}
I went into a store the other day and chuckled at the clean sweep that had been effected — from cozy holiday-mode to bright spiff-it-up and start-your-workouts mode. I admit I’m ready (well, maybe not for workouts per se).
But we’ll stay Christmas-like for a few more weeks anyway!
The liturgical year still has little gifts to offer us: the theophanies of Christ’s baptism, finding in the Temple, and miracle at Cana. The readings emphasize these manifestations, exhorting us to turn away from idolatry and worldliness.
And Candlemas is coming! Now is the time to source your candles for the coming year so they can be blessed. (I found those green ones on my mantel in a thrift store. Now I want all green candles!)
I am finishing up the gargantuan draft of my book to send to the publisher, and trying my best not to add any content here until I do!
But I am thinking ahead to a possible St. Greg’s Pocket “Pocket Book” (as Deirdre calls it) — a reading we could do together. Have you ever heard of Wendy Shalit’s A Return to Modesty? (affiliate link) I was thinking of our reading that if there was any interest. It always astonishes me that modesty, which after all is a virtue, is entirely rejected by many, and that fact alone makes me want to forge ahead!
Past guided readings have included The Spirit of the Liturgy (both books, by Ratzinger and Guardini, linked here). You can find a good round-up of my suggestions for your Pocket/book club here — suggestions that go to our need for deep (not necessarily long) reading that will significantly further our spiritual and moral development. This sort of reading helps bond our community, I think. We have a basis for going forward, which is important, because I consider these communities as the bedrock of the renewal of life together in these difficult times. Any of the readings can be done at any time, and I’m always here to discuss/answer questions to the best of my ability/find someone to help.
bits & pieces
A good explanation of the workings of conscience from my friend Leila Miller, using the rather macabre example of clinic workers laughing at dead babies. Yes, it’s disturbing, but it can help us understand ourselves and give us insight when we encounter someone who laughs evil off — knowing when someone suffers from a bad conscience can help us be better parents and neighbors. Leila breaks down conscience (following the teaching of the redoubtable J. Budziszewski) — this is a must-read.
The best New Year’s resolution, in my humble opinion, is to get serious about rooting out sinful behavior and living a life in union with God. In this way we will transform the world around us! Only personal sanctity matters! An examination of conscience based on the 10 Commandments. Here’s another one, with a shorter one linked at the end.
We probably all think we would oppose any political attempt to override our parental rights and duties. But what if the usurpation occurs as a matter of bureaucratic fiat and under cover of something that seems unobjectionable, like routine medical care? Be aware of bills like the one discussed in this article, perhaps already passed or coming up in your state soon.
How a Catholic Monk Saved Honeybees From Near Extinction: “After 70 years of apiarian work, Brother Adam succeeded in developing one of the most popular bee strains used today, known as the beekeepers’ bee: docile, disease resistant, and fertile, with a high production of honey.”
Erasing Thomas à Becket from medieval manuscripts “can be seen as part of the Reformation’s project of iconoclasm, and the efforts to eliminate idolatry and ‘superstition’ from the religion of England. Like Mother Like Daughter.
December 21, 2019
bits & pieces
Working contrariwise, as sometimes happens to me*, I made a big batch of sweet dough, stuck it in the fridge, and will now figure out what Christmas wreath/breakfast spirals/pull-apart breads to concoct with it.
*I had some eggs mixed with sugar in the freezer, left over from some project of Bridget’s; I defrosted them for another dough (a sourdough Panettone which I will probably report on after Christmas on IG) — and then some left over from that project, so needed to mix them up STAT. See how it goes? Nothing like multiplying projects to save a few little leftovers…
Any tried-and-true recipes? I gotta get going with it — it’s going to start rising!
bits & pieces
Just in case you are going to give your 11-year-old son a hatchet (and I would not dissuade you), a classic humorous short story alert.
The Last Supper, painted by a nun, 450 years ago.
The Spirit of the Liturgy at 20. Don’t forget that I have “readings” of both SotL’s here on the blog: Guardini’s and Ratzinger’s.
Junior Deluxe Editions of children’s classics — do you know these? Maybe they’d make good gifts for Epiphany if you can find them!
One friend wrote on Facebook that the locusts that St. John the Baptist ate were locust beans, not bugs — phew, am I right? But another friend, a scholar of Greek, took exception and wrote that no, they are bugs. Boo linguistic accuracy!
I missed posting this for December 8, but it’s worth reading (and listening to) now. Beautiful motet, wonderful and intelligent explanation. “If you already love sacred polyphony, read no farther. Just lean back, sip your wine, and let the music flow over you. But if not, bear with my attempts to convince you it’s worthwhile.”
I point you to good books for children, but also away from bad books. I myself don’t want to read Philip Pullman; thanks to Fr. Faulkner for doing the heavy lifting here. Do not give The Golden Compass to your children!
A quick exhortation from an experienced mom, to read the good, hard books with and to your kids!
Something to take to heart when you feel you have disciplinary problems with your kids.
The dramatic story of how Handel’s Messiah came to be written.
from the archives
Before the kitchen gets piled with dishes, give a thought to the flow.
Housewifely.
liturgical year
Christmas is coming, and I will be off the blog for a while — due to it being on a Wednesday, it’s unlikely I’ll come up for air until well into the new year! We wish you all a blessed Christmas!
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.
December 7, 2019
What is Common Experience?
What is common experience? Some people say generalizations, some say stereotypes (when it has to do with people) — but these words are pejorative.
Yet there are certain realities we all actually know without prior analysis. We can hardly grasp how we know; we can’t explain it; still, we all live our lives based more on common experience than on anything else.
To recover the order of reality — the hierarchy of being and the importance of common experience, something so pervasive that we don’t see it and don’t know how to speak of it — is the pressing challenge of our day. Because most accept the premise of materialism, which in turn flows from the premise of modernism (approaching everything with doubt), we are singularly hampered in even making a start.
Vestige of Eden, Image of Eternity: Common Experience, the Hierarchy of Being, and Modern Science (affiliate link) by Daniel Toma is a valuable resource.
Toma explains why we find it hard to articulate a response — and then gives a vastly satisfying one. He had sent me his manuscript a few years ago to read and comment upon. I found his words inspiring and elevating; the book really excited me.
Toma deftly connects his own experiences as a boy becoming aware of the beauty and order of the natural world with the science that he has devoted his life to studying and teaching. Remember this little curriculum I recommended for your middle- or high-school student? Vestige of Eden, Image of Eternity is in the same vein, but in the form of a sophisticated and academic volume that directly confronts the entire monolith of scientific materialism, subjecting it to a vigorous check from the cosmological synthesis of ancient and medieval philosophy.
Toma, a behavioral geneticist and professor of biology, offers a book to satisfy other academics, but with readable and accessible prose, drawing the lay person in and sustaining his interest throughout. He manages to get across the scientific and the philosophical arguments to the lay person, and I don’t know that there are many who can do that at this level. (The hardcover version also a handsomely produced book that is a pleasure to hold in one’s hands — I assume the paperback is of high quality as well.)
I would love to see Vestige of Eden be widely known. I have no financial stake in promoting it (other than the small affiliate fee for its purchase on Amazon using my link).
Perhaps you have someone on your gift list who is a little hard to buy for, or who would simply enjoy a wonderful book about science and philosophy written by someone who knows both very well.
Perhaps you have an older student who has been studying science and wants to pursue it. He will need grounding in reason if he is going to be able to withstand the assaults on his faith in this field. And frankly, the sorts of apologetics he’s likely to have encountered in well meaning curricula (mostly from Protestant authors) are not going to do the job (this goes back to the opponent having the “home field” advantage, a baseball argument made with dry humor that I’ll let you enjoy in the first chapter).
This book would be perfect for such a student — an older high schooler or someone already in college, who is a committed reader. I would consider it an educational investment. I am hoping that Dan will produce a video class based on his book, aimed at the college level. It would fulfill a great need we have to grapple with the causes of things.
bits & pieces
I found this new podcast called Freed from Feminism, and suddenly they had me on! It was a blast. Theresa Lane and Beth Langdon are two young women who are determined to get to the bottom of what feminism is and how we can escape its ill effects. I am honored to have been on their show.
And we had a twitter discussion as well — look up the hashtag FreedFromFeminismwithLeila over there!
We’re learning this beautiful Kodaly Veni veni Emmanuel piece in choir — the alto part in the second verse is tricky. This is a rare “modern music” recommendation from me and notable for the fact that I definitely have Kodaly PTSD as a piano study alumna, so take note.
An interview with Stephen Mosher, expert on China’s one child policy, on the current situation with the Catholic Church in China and that country’s persecution of they Uyghers.
From the First Things archives, an older piece by Sally Thomas, on homeschooling and its “greatest efficiency” which “lies in its capacity for a rightly ordered life.” To her list I would add “be interesting parents” and I try to help in that regard. NB: She mentions an interesting book, now out of print: Famous Mathematicians (affiliate link). I’ve already ordered a copy — maybe you have someone who’d be as interested as her son was.
Fr. Scalia’s sermons are always edifying.
Elizabeth Anscombe is a fascinating character and admirable philosopher. I appreciated this essay about her and her thought.
The town that inspired It’s a Wonderful Life, one of the greatest movies ever made.
This really is a lovely commercial! (And incidentally, perhaps inspiration for you to let your own two-year-old do more — maybe even run the store!)
The 11 churches in Ethiopia made by angels.
If you haven’t gotten your copy of Planet Narnia (affiliate link) yet, do! Here’s Michael Ward talking about his book and how it came to be written.
Read this before you shop: The five best toys of all time.
from the archives
Here’s me going on about Planet Narnia.
I thought I had squirreled away a plum pudding in my deep freezer, but it turned out to be a tin of Christmas cookies. (Usually I keep it in the fridge but this year my outdoor fridge had to be replaced long story.) So now I’m eating old cookies and putting this Plum Pudding tutorial right here where I can get to it soon!
liturgical living
Take a peek at next week’s feasts — Advent is full of wonderful commemorations that increase our love for the coming festival of the Nativity. (Two feasts of Our Lady! for the Immaculate Conception, here is a little gem of a piece with some Josquin for you.)
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 if you like — 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 What is Common Experience? appeared first on Like Mother Like Daughter.
November 23, 2019
Don’t let go of Advent for anything!
{COUPON CODE ALERT for St. Augustine Academy Press, good for their Black Friday sales! Scroll down!}
Trying to get some crafting done! How about you?I have some Collective Memory thoughts that relate to the liturgical seasons…
Advent begins next week, and I may not be able to check back in here for a while. Not only do I want to work on gifts, I also need to finish up the draft for my book — down to 750 pages, go me.
So let me give one last try (for now) at encouragement in beginning or renewing a deep devotion to the ancient liturgical year.
The world has something to sell, and that’s fine, because we certainly need to prepare for Christmas and it takes time to figure out what we need to buy (even if it’s supplies for making!).
We could succumb utterly to their ways by going full Christmas already, by decorating and listening to the “holiday soundtrack” that certainly does not contain any actual religious content but I digress.
As adults we feel that we could do that. It’s tempting. Many of us are tired and demoralized; and the reason Christmas endures, even in our utterly secular and pagan times, is that it offers respite and solace on a natural level (for that is the point — God made man — but don’t forget the rest — that men might become divine).
Advent feels like a denial of all that. And because the Church herself has relinquished some of her ancient wisdom, even she seems to acquiesce in putting this season to us as a sort of blank, a waiting period in a dreary bus stop. Who wouldn’t rather just go ahead and, well, not celebrate (Holly Jolly Christmas always seems forced, to me) but… anesthetize?
But Advent is not just four weeks of waiting; it’s not a pinched denial of pleasure (as paltry as the “pleasures” of the commercial season are). And each week is not just like the others.
If we pay close attention, trying to recover what was lost, so much will be gained. The liturgical year actually offers us a chance to enter into God’s will for our spiritual life at every moment and to ponder truths and realities that, if approached analytically, would fill encyclopedias of theology and never be complete. How can we reject that offer? And still claim to want to know His will and to learn more about Him?
During Advent, if we care to hear, the messages offered in the liturgy have to do with salvation history, prophecy, darkness, light, Our Lady in her splendor, the angels in their myriads, the impending Incarnation, the Second Coming… each week has its own texture and emphasis. Each week also has its own feasts to lighten the gloom. St. Nicholas, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, St. Lucy’s Day — each one with its own message of the Kingdom of God. If we are jingle-belling ourselves into jolliness prematurely, we will miss it all.
But most importantly, if we recover all this along with the season’s own music, traditions, and anticipation, our children will benefit from the only “curriculum” that has the power to sustain them as the world tries to steal them away.
The world also effectively deprives us of Christmas, for it folds down its festivities, such as they are, on the 25th of December. Our children will wake up on the 26th to its dryness.
We may feel safe from worldly ways (hubris, perhaps?), but our children have no defenses, other than what we give them — and make no mistake, very few ramparts are built with words and admonishments. They are built with our way of life. Past generations gladly denied themselves and held sloth at bay for the privilege of passing along this patrimony intact.
There must be a few who will stay with the old ways, keeping the “for every time there is a season” verities alive. We said we would, we like the idea in theory, but at the first striking of “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” we surrender to the mall mentality, which may I point out is itself on its last legs! Talk about selling your birthright for a mess of pottage!
So let’s enjoy Thanksgiving, and a week from this Sunday, let’s begin by lighting a purple candle, starting some crafting with the children, and singing, through the season: Sleepers, Wake! Lo, How a Rose ‘Ere Blooming, Alma Redemptoris Mater chant, The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came, On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry, Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus, Comfort, Comfort Now My People, and maybe only beginning on the 17th of December, O Come Emmanuel. (Here you can find a treasury of resources for music in the season of Advent. Or see if you can find an old Anglican hymnal for Advent carol completeness. My list here follows the Propers of each Sunday… )
Order a sweet Advent calendar now, either a religious one or an old-timey one (affiliate links), but not one with chocolates. How much we will enjoy our chocolates when the Christmas season begins on the 25th!
The liturgical seasons are rich, with richnesses beyond imagining. Only by living them will we begin to uncover these treasures! And our children will accompany us — truly, the consolation of their wonder, of the light in their eyes, will give us more heart than any blandishment the world has to offer.
The giveaway of My Book of the Church’s Year is now closed. If you won, an email will be wending its way to you — please be sure that LMLDBlog at gmail dot com is not going into your spam file! (Confidential to Mary Ann V: check your spam file for a message about the previous giveaway.)
For everyone else, I am delighted to offer you, courtesy of St. Augustine Academy Press, a code for 15% off the book and everything on their site, good through the Black Friday sales! So go scoop up all the treasures! The code is LMLD15.
bits & pieces
Last week I linked to an excellent interview with Bishop Schneider, in which he encourages families to recover the home as the domestic church. This week they have an interview with me on how The Little Oratory (affiliate link) can help put his advice into practice.
I guess it really is up to us in our domestic church (the home) to keep the liturgical seasons as best we can.
Our dear friend Paul Jernberg (whom you’ve read about here over the years) has started a blog on which he will offer the fruits of his vast experience in sacred music for the purpose of recovering beauty in worship. He is looking for your thoughts!
Knitters, you might be interested in this article about the expert who knit the sweaters for the new Mr. Rogers movie.
A glimpse of how carpenters of the past made post-and-beam structures, with marks that you might come across in your own attic!
I highly recommend that everyone watch this speech by a priest on the subject of morality and conscience in decision-making, specifically as they relate to vaccines derived from aborted fetal tissue.
A thoughtful blog post about what the author, Niall Gooch, calls “the bourgeois virtues.” Almost like the Four Cardinal virtues…
from the archives
If you don’t have one stashed away from last year (I do — it’s in my freezer as we speak!), now is the time to get started on your Plum Pudding, or “fire pie” as my granddaughter called it yesterday. Here is a tutorial from moi: Plum Pudding
Archives and liturgical living: Make your crown cake for tomorrow’s feast of Christ the King (in the Ordinary Form).
I have a ton of posts on Advent, besides the ones I linked here. Search that tag and see if something encourages you. Keep it simple, but keep it!
liturgical living
Today is the feast of St. Clement.
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 if you like — 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 Don’t let go of Advent for anything! appeared first on Like Mother Like Daughter.
November 16, 2019
My Book of the Church’s Year: A giveaway of a beautiful book!
Readers probably have sensed my wistful longing for an In Real Life Version of these images I often link to here: My Book of the Church’s Year by Enid Chadwick.
I admit to fantasizing about taking that PDF file to the local copy store and getting a set of posters made.
But now, I am thrilled to say, St. Augustine Academy Press has produced a nearly perfect new edition in hard cover, alleluia! (Follow the link to see the whole book and how well they reproduced the original.) My grandson has already absconded with my copy multiple times to pore over its beyond delightful illustrations. (That St. George, right?)
A new Foreword by Peter Kwasniewski introduces the reader in justifiably glowing terms to this treasury of liturgical wisdom and beauty. He offers brief explanations of the differences we encounter between the High Anglican tradition presented in the book and the Roman Catholic one; far fewer than we would expect when we have recourse to the Traditional Latin Mass calendar.
Every two-page spread draws the reader in with just the right touch. This is a world we want to inhabit — how blessed we are to discover that we do dwell there in the Kingdom of God, and have only to live along with the Church year to have eyes to see our surroundings as they really are.
Your copy can rest right by your Little Oratory, and the little hands can reach for it and spend time with it for a quiet half hour. You will also bring it out at the start of each season or month to enjoy its glimpses of coming liturgical commemorations with your children. As Dr. Kwasniewski recommends, a Lives of the Saints (affiliate link) next to it will enable you to answer questions about “But what did St. Magnus do?”
We are giving away one copy of this precious book! Please leave a comment here — and do tell your friends!
And do poke around the site — they have many treasures and I am very excited for the reprint of the book on Confession!
bits & pieces
A must read that doubles as spiritual nourishment, from LMLD friend Elizabeth Lemme (we have featured her sweet greeting cards here before): Maria Lactans: How Our Lady Feeds Her Son, and Us. Be attentive! Beauty!
A short and excellent (and not only for the very kind reference to yours truly) talk on the importance of the mother in the home from Dr. Jeanne Schindler.
Did you know that Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote a book demonstrating the harm done to society by basing family life on two incomes? Yes, that Senator Warren (the one whose policy goals now are in opposition to what she wrote). Serena Sigillito on not penalizing moms who stay home with their kids (great example of the virtue of solidarity displayed by this author, who is a mother who works; she has in mind the common good).
John Cuddeback with wise words on our right not to know. “It will take a choice—both to say no, and to say yes. The two go together: carving out a space, then filling it with richer fare. Deeper things can seem impractical or even out of place in a media induced hurly-burly.”
Well, it’s not summer anymore, but something tells me that William Fahey would recommend his favorite book for winter fireside reading too: Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island. “I present Treasure Island as a touchstone or perhaps better a vademecum, a work you should carry around in life. Never let a copy be too far away, gentle reader. The reason is simple but profound.”
Speaking of treasure: Hoard of golden treasure stumbled upon by metal detectorist revealed to be most important Anglo-Saxon find in history
from the archives
Thanksgiving is late, very late this year — and close on its heels, the First Sunday of Advent! So Be Prepared! Here is my classic guide to hitching up your big girl pants and getting that turkey in the oven: Ask Auntie Leila: No, really, how do you prepare for Thanksgiving?
Have you gotten your Christmas card thinking cap on? Here’s Deirdre’s suggestion.
liturgical year
St. Margaret of Scotland, lover of the poor.
Keep your eye on the calendar; things are hotting up! And do be sure you have your Advent candles! I like these for their tapered ends that stick well into my wreath’s holders (affiliate link).
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 if you like — 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 My Book of the Church’s Year: A giveaway of a beautiful book! appeared first on Like Mother Like Daughter.
November 9, 2019
{bits & pieces}
I’ll close the giveaway for God’s Wildest Wonderment of All (affiliate link) tomorrow night — do be sure you’ve left a comment on the post!
I’m so happy to offer you a code from TAN publishers for 20% off your purchase of the book from their site : LMLD20. This code will be good for the coming week!
My squash did not do well this year. I think my garden is actually getting shadier maybe. What a disaster! I had so many unripe tomatoes when the frost hit, and these squashes were totally green.
Do you think they will ripen in the house? And be any good at all?
In positive news, I planted 80 cloves of garlic in between the rain and the hard frost, so, feeling accomplished! And I got my DIY greenhouse frame back up and ready to go in the late winter.
Now turning my energy to knitting as the days grow decidedly colder…
bits & pieces
I want to highlight this interview with Bishop Schneider. All of us, at some level, feel that we are fighting off some serious evil outside of our home, but we’re not sure we can do it. Bishop Schneider draws on his own experience growing up with a committed, faithful mother and father to offer sound advice for all of us, no matter what the particular challenge we face might be. It’s not long — please watch and share!
Some gems:
“I had the privilege of living in a time of persecution.” “The children have to receive the faith with the milk of the mother.” “Establish a culture of domestic churches.” “You must withdraw your children [from schools pushing sex ed] — you cannot expose your children to a moral danger… be ready to suffer.”
I had great success teaching my 6-year-old granddaughter to knit Continental Style (as I do), using a rhyme I found in this helpful post. She is off to the races — she already finished her second dishcloth!
Our schola is (at last! I’ve been hoping for this!) learning the Bogoroditse Devo, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Ave Maria from his sublime All Night Vigil.
I need a mini cow, don’t you?
The politics of Prince Caspian.
My 11-Month-Old Baby’s HR Discrimination Complaint – McSweeney fun
from the archives
Do you wonder how to begin a life of prayer with your family? I have lots of posts about just that, and of course our book, The Little Oratory (affiliate link), will have you on your way in no time!
Sex ed outside the home is completely unacceptable.
Here’s how I did my greenhouse. I am pondering some sort of solar-powered battery-operated heater in there. Any thoughts on that?
the liturgical year
Prayer, to be something other than a good intention, quickly dropped (like most good intentions), needs to be grounded in the Liturgical Year. This is one of those things that the more you delve into it, the more important and fruitful it becomes. Today is a great example — it seems almost absurd to have a feast day for the dedication of a church! What will those Catholics think of next! But read the readings… soon you will get the hang of it and see how deep it goes.
Monday is the feast of St. Martin. Make your lanterns (lots of tutorials for jars and tissue paper — try this one, and please do use real candles!), have your procession! Sunday night is perfect for this!
Here’s what I have posted in the past about this feast:
I know that interest in celebrating Martinmas (November 11 — also — and not merely coincidentally! Veterans’ Day) has grown along with Waldorf schooling*, and that’s understandable! It’s so appealing for children to have a lantern procession along with a charming story of charity — a soldier who, for love of God, is renowned for cutting his Roman military cloak in half to give it to a naked beggar – Christ in disguise.
*not that I endorse Waldorf, which has a surface appeal but is deeply misguided — just remarking on how this particular tradition came to be revived.
I have been asked on several occasions about music for the celebration and especially for the procession. I’m hardly any kind of expert, but I came across two hymns that I think would be great — if we start learning them now, we should have them memorized by November 11! The first is the traditional ancient hymn for a saint, Iste Confessor. Here is the Gregorian Chant. Here is a transcendent rendition of the Scarlatti setting by The Sixteen:
The other is a hymn which I think is perfect for the day: The Light of the World is Jesus. (There’s a whole choral wiki page for music for Martinmas!)
Perhaps a special libation is in order to keep the grownups bonded… let’s not make the mistake of turning these things into “kids’ activities” — they are meant to appeal on all levels, organically and in a way that everyone misses them if they don’t happen. My suggestion would be to think of it this way: We aim to incorporate the children into a universal celebration, not to rope adults into a kids’ event.
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.
