This and that — chatty!
(I don’t have a place for this little white table, which had been in the den. I reorganized that corner — have I shown you? — and now I’m not sure what to do with it, so it’s… in the middle of the pantry!)
Like you, I’m getting ready for Thanksgiving. My Western military families (Suki’s and Rosie’s) are staying out there, and Nick and his family will visit them, respectively. So the “littles” (can’t help calling them that!) will be coming… looking so forward to that!
I probably won’t see you here next week, so I am ducking in now despite not having anything particular to say, so we will chit-chat a bit!
I am hoping for some crafting time. My room is taking shape. I guess by now I have to resign myself to the fact that I get the crafting bug just before Thanksgiving, which is not the most helpful time (February would be better!).
Last week we visited Nick and his family in Virginia, and I made Sunday dinner for these lads! (Hence the missed post, sorry!)
What did I make? An old-fashioned American menu my mother pulled out one day long after I was grown up, but which has made its way into the rotation in the cold months: Meatloaf, baked potatoes, peas, and applesauce. Such simple fare was what she grew up with in upstate New York.
Last week I made a sort of Waldorf Salad for the adults in place of applesauce, but was happy to know that the kids really enjoyed it, inhaling the baked potatoes especially.
I always think it’s so amusing when the fancy cooking sites get around to this sturdy side dish, comparing methods and so on. To me, it’s all about choosing the right potato (Russets all the way for their dry, fluffy interior and crisp skin when baked) and that is it!
It’s the one food that’s so simple, not only do you not need a recipe, you don’t even need a baking tray! You can put them right on the oven rack! Just remember two things: bake thoroughly (for 45 minutes to an hour depending on size, at 375 or whatever your oven is on for whatever else is in there) and prick with a fork beforehand! Serve with butter, salt, and sour cream.
When I last posted, I was remembering how November is traditionally a time to contemplate death, our own and those of our loved ones. I posted a picture of the site of my mother’s grave, and since then, the headstone has finally been placed!
This is the same angle as that photo, so you can see the statue of the Blessed Mother that made me sure this was where I wanted her to be laid to rest (it’s the white granite stone in the foreground):
This is the front:
There is room on the other side for Phil and me if we are still here (both of us can go in the same spot, we just have to remember that whoever goes first has to be buried deeper!).
It took me forever to choose the design. If you know what you want, leave a note and visual for whoever is left to deal with it!
It’s not easy! The lady at the monument place suggested that I walk around the cemetery and take pictures of what I liked, and that was good advice. I found that in the older sections the stones are so beautiful, with recurring elements (like those stylized roses) that I realized I wanted and that made it feel more traditional.
Besides the statue in this section, another factor that decided me on this particular place in the rather large cemetery is the proximity of many in our community who have passed before, in the 20+ years we have lived here, including one of my mother’s dear friends and several children.
I went from having no idea how to choose a plot to feeling that “this is the neighborhood”! I think that helps me reconcile myself both to death and to the fact that we are not near family, nor are we living where we grew up.
Anyway, now it is done.
Keep in mind that The Summa Domestica is now available in paperback! More affordable! Easier to hold maybe?
bits & piecesDon’t miss my latest podcast, “Is Chastity a Ministry?”You can open in your favorite podcast app.In the “train your eye” department of design (also “cleanse your consumer/Instagram-influencer palate”!): Bible of British Taste (summed up as “they don’t give a damn” and that is sometimes what we need to hear!).
“In a scientistic-technocratic regime, the naked individual—reduced to “bare biological life,” cut off from other people and from anything transcendent—becomes completely dependent on society. The human person, reduced to a free-floating, untethered, and uprooted social atom, is more readily manipulated.” A longer read: Technocracy and Totalitarianism... that will hopefully restore our determination to devote ourselves to what is small and hidden, to home and solving the little problems we find there, while celebrating the joys.
A short video showing one particularly beautiful vestment from a church that saved many that were being discarded.
from the archivesWe live in an age that is oriented towards adults, not children. This means that the world around us often has a snarky and even cynical attitude towards the past, tradition, and things that ought to be holy, as if we can make worthy things on our own (or as if we never make mistakes!). But if we want our children to keep their natural wonder towards the beautiful, true, and good, we have to fight to keep our own innocence and not be disposed to laugh at or dismiss simple and holy things just because we can. To teach reverence we must be reverent.
A post that rounds up my Advent posts! Which is right around the corner, so this is my alert for you to get your candles and calendar and be ready!
liturgical living
follow us everywhere!
My book, The Summa Domestica: Order and Wonder in Family Life is available now from Sophia Press! All the thoughts from this blog collected into three volumes, beautifully presented with illustrations from Deirdre, an index in each volume, and ribbons!
My “random thoughts no pictures” blog, Happy Despite Them — receive it by email if you like, or bookmark, so you don’t miss a thing!
My new podcast can be found on the Restoration of Christian Culture website (and you can find it where you listen to such things) — be sure to check out the other offerings there!
Stay abreast of the posts here at LMLD, when they happen:
Consider subscribing to this blog by email. In the current situation, if we can’t meet here, it would be good for us to be connected by email!
We share pretty pictures: Auntie Leila’s Instagram, Rosie’s Instagram, Deirdre’s Instagram. Bridget’s Instagram.
Auntie Leila’s Facebook (you can just follow)
The boards of the others: Rosie’s Pinterest. Sukie’s Pinterest. Deirdre’s Pinterest. Habou’s Pinterest (you can still get a lot of inspiration here! and say a prayer for her!). Bridget’s Pinterest.
The post This and that — chatty! appeared first on .
