Four Cardinal Virtues, Thrifting, Knitting, Sourdough, and links!
Long ago I had the idea to write about the Four Cardinal Virtues for the Homemaker, and I think I did do it, but by weaving them into other thoughts and not by addressing them all directly.
(The Four Cardinal Virtues are Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude.)
My plan now is to go over them on my Substack, The School for Housewives; hopefully the very abbreviated format will help keep me on track! If that appeals to you, follow me over there! (It would also help me greatly for you to share that project with any mothers’ or girls’ group you might be involved with, or send to a struggling young lady!)
The only thing that makes life worth living is to try to be good (which is another way to say “strive for virtue” but sometimes I think we complicate things). Only God is good, which is why we need His life in us. But He made us, so there is good in us just on that account. (There’s a theological point in there about the error of total depravity but let’s keep going.)
Everyone everywhere can ponder the good and try to live it.
One symptom of failing to do our part, of turning away from this effort, is when we find ourselves lapsing into whining! Of thinking that there is some ideal, magical solution to the human condition!
Women tend to do this, and feminism makes it much, much worse.
I see it all the time: a woman becomes convinced of the lies she’s been told since forever, ratified by the unhappiness she feels within herself and can clearly see in the previous generation and all around her.
Yet she cannot break free of a debilitating dynamic of questioning everything and seeking some outside validation — in the end, validation that comes in the form of worldly honors and a paycheck. Her initial sense of freedom, glimpsing the truth, devolves into a paralyzing effort to parse all the opinions about how women should live instead of just living the way she sees is good (and that’s why I don’t want to validate that fake conversation by my participation).
It’s just too hard, it seems, to give those affirmations up or even the agonizing (its own obsession), even when one’s own children are begging to be nurtured and educated, one’s husband could use some attention (the third rail! the forbidden question! what makes a man happy! only we are allowed to feel miserable — don’t go there, not allowed!!) and one’s home dwindles from the sacred place it ought to be, a holy place in service of the hungry, lonely, and needy.
These problems pretty much disappear, truly, when we think in terms of Prudence — seeing things as they are and knowing how to put big principles in practice; Justice — giving everyone, God, others, ourselves, what they are owed; Temperance — reining in our cravings, including for affirmation; Fortitude — emulating the Mother of the Maccabees, who “bravely exhorted every one of [her seven sons] in her own language, being filled with wisdom; and joining a man’s heart to a woman’s thought.”
I got a few treasures on recent yard sale/consignment forays, including a black cashmere cardigan for me for $1.50 (totally unphotogenic, due to blackness), a beautiful woolen vest for the Chief, who likes to wear them with his tweed jackets when he’s off to teach his course at the college, and a few little gifts as well.
I’ve only ever thrifted yarn once before (awesome New Zealand wool that I used for my “Breaking Bad” afghan, so-called because I knit it while watching that show, as there was no way I was going to make it without some sort of protective intensity layer, IYKYK).
But at the consignment store I found this cone of 2-ply fingering wool yarn (it does seem like wool from the burn test I applied). If the info I found online about the weight of the cardboard is correct, more or less, it seems to be about 400 g.
I’ll think about what to make with it when I’m finished with my big project for Christmas involving these yarns:
Sneak peek… shhhh…. :
Is your sandwich bread starting to look like this? Squishy but with good structure (i.e. holds up in a sandwich and doesn’t sort of disintegrate, lasts for days), nice flavor, even bubbles throughout, not heavy?
If not, try again!
Checklist:
Rise your starter just until it reaches its peak, then put it in the fridge.Use your levain after it just starts to look puffy (even just an hour in a warm spot like your oven with the light on will do the trick).Rest the dough for 25 minutes after you mix it, then give it a bit of a knead (1 or 2 minutes)Gently fold it in on itself after it has fermented for about 45 minutesLet it rise (ferment) long enough to reach its peak — the surface should be smooth, the dough should have risen double, it should look neither pillowy (overproofed) nor heavy (underproofed) — you will start to get it if you practice!You can quickly move on from your less optimal loaves by cubing the remains for stuffing for Thanksgiving and of course making breakfast casserole, breadcrumbs, and toast.
Or are you having great success? Let me know!
bits & piecesSome cakes are better when you leave them be for a bit. Knowing this takes the pressure off entertaining. I like to make dessert first when entertaining, even a day or two before. Some cakes “rest” better than others — one thing the article doesn’t quite say is that the less leavening a cake requires, the better it is for keeping. So a sponge is nicer after a day or two than a cake with fewer eggs and more baking powder.
A very soothing video of how cranberries are harvested.
I’m not an indoor plant person, but I am super cheap. Therefore, I bring certain plants inside to try to avoid buying them all over again in the spring, including my red geraniums (do we think it’s posher to say pelargonium the way the Brits do?), the two big hibiscus trees, and some herbs. However, as we have discussed (on my IG), I am just hopeless at keeping herbs alive. But I got some actual information about rosemary from this post and will try it: they prefer getting moisture from the air!! What do you think? (NB: I also really, surprisingly, enjoy the plants indoors. Until Spring.)
Some things should just be obvious, but nevertheless: ‘Gender-Affirming Care Is Dangerous. I Know Because I Helped Pioneer It.’
The Relic of St Peter’s Chair Exposed in the Vatican Basilica — interesting history and pictures of the newly deep-cleaned shrine.
from the archivesI’ve updated this post so you can find resources for a really engaging, interactive civics lesson for the whole family: printable electoral college maps. I recounted how my two youngest, who were keenly interested in the election back there in 2012, kept track of what really matters: the electoral vote. I also mentioned other important lessons to be sure to include in your civics curriculum.
What can children do? A guide
liturgical living
Today is All Souls Day. Some notes.
follow us everywhere!
Here is all the info:
Visit me at The School for Housewives and recommend it to your young friends!
My “random thoughts no pictures” blog, Happy Despite Them has moved over to Substack! — receive it by email if you like, or bookmark, so you don’t miss a thing! The old one is still up if you want to look at the comments on past posts. It will take me a while to get things organized, but you’ll be patient, I know!
There you will find the weekly podcast done by Phil and me, called On the Home Front. Do let us know what you think!
My book, The Summa Domestica: Order and Wonder in Family Life is available from Sophia Press! Also in paperback now! All the thoughts from this blog collected into three volumes, beautifully presented with illustrations from Deirdre, an index in each volume, and ribbons!
My podcast, The Home Truths Society, 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!
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