Knowing what to do
Because I’ve been wrestling with the draft of my book, going over old posts and trying to get them into order, it’s on my mind: How much better life is when you just know how do to things.
How delightful (even in suffering) our duties are when we know how to carry them out!
Out in the world, to be an expert you have to go to expert school and get certified with gold stars on your expert certificate. But at home, you can just figure things out.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve definitely come across an expert’s instructions and thought, “Well, no, not really — I think I actually know how to do this!” (Of course, most of the time, I’m just grateful that someone has explained things so that I can work my way to figuring out what to do. I don’t know where I’d be without all those knitting videos!)
As the school year gets going, I think it’s important to remember this energizing thought and draw confidence from it. For instance, educating our children is built into our very existence as parents. Other institutions and people can help us, but the overall mission is ours. Along with that charge comes the ability, however little like experts we feel.
I love that our children are pre-disposed to learn from us (even when they seem resistant — don’t let that bother you).
Simply by doing, failing, doing again… that’s how you learn. You get better and even if you remain not terribly good at whatever it is, you receive the liberating joy implicit in G. K. Chesterton’s quip that “anything worth doing is worth doing badly.”
Deirdre recently pointed out that there are not many propositions where the opposites are true — something worth doing is worth doing badly and also well!
The first harvest, on the left, was in early July. The second was in mid-August. The third was in mid-September. All from the same two hives!
We did our last harvest last weekend and got 29 more pounds, bringing our grand total up to 80 pounds this year.
So one thing is that when I melt the wax from the frames, I get a lot of what I call honey syrup — it’s cooked honey, a little bitter, just as thick but of course, boiled; so I should just use it in baking rather than the nice raw honey.
I have about a quart and a half of the stuff — so tell me all your best honey or syrup (maple, treacle, molasses) recipes!
bits & pieces
Fr. Robert McTeigue interviewed me on the subject of the US bishops’ conference. You can listen to the radio show streaming here (it aired yesterday). The article referenced can be found here.
Fr. McTeigue is a real kindred spirit. I had posted this excellent piece of his a while back: The Jezebel Tactic. He has a follow-up: The Ahab Tactic. I also highly recommend reading his thoughts on youth ministry here and here. Also just everything he writes.
These charming illustrations of the church year by the Anglican artist Enid Chadwick are now available in book form here. I’m not sure how they are reproduced (there is no preview available) and I don’t have a review copy, but I thought you might be interested.
A warning on “playing church” from Fr. Mankowski (there, I’ve posted writings from two Jesuits here today!). Don’t worry, this is not about your little boys imitating Sunday worship!
from the archives:
Apple crisp (and make extra topping for another time).
Tomorrow I’ll be making a ham I got on sale, and that means that ham and cheese and spinach pie is in our future!
liturgical year
Today is the feast of St. Wenceslaus, who loved the poor and martyred at his own brother’s hand.
Tomorrow is Michaelmas, the feast of St. Michael, though it’s superseded by the Sunday celebration. Still, I plan on making a honey cake (perhaps this one, as it uses a lot of honey, though I also have a lot of apples, so maybe this one?) — don’t forget to tell me your syrup recipes (see above). (Sadly, I don’t have a goose to roast.) Above all, remember this great archangel and call on him for assistance in everything you do!
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