"seeing beauty and value in the ordinary"

 "I wish there were more wild, undisturbed places, for both wildlife and for us as humans, and a greater understanding that restoring and appreciating nature meets needs we sometimes forget we have. Under the subtle influence of the hare, my own wants have simplified. To be dependable in love and friendship more than in work. To leave the land in a more natural state than I found it. And to take better care of what is to hand, seeing beauty and value in the ordinary."

                                          -   Chloe Dalton, Raising Hare

three good things

 It was supposed to snow lightly this morning, from five till ten. But it didn't stop, and it's been snowing all day. With no accumulation! Still, there is something about snow falling, even if it doesn't mount up. 

I made a wonderful discovery yesterday! I diligently use the little defuzzing machine on my sweaters, which works excellently, but I had the idea to try it on my opaque tights. They're made from recycled nylon and get pilly after a while, so that I have to toss them. I mostly wear longer skirts, so it doesn't show much, but eventually..........well, this worked like a charm!! My tights are like new - try it!

Rather exciting, to extend the life of your clothes.

The wrens are often found at the bird feeder, which is a new thing this year. It can't be that they suddenly have a taste for black sunflower seeds; they must be increasing in our area. I find them very cute. 

the twelfth day of Christmas

 Our priest has been saying some thought-provoking things lately - well, at least to me. (I guess that's what they're supposed to do, anyway) On Christmas he said if we want to benefit from the great event of God becoming human, we need an appreciation of humanity. He gave as an example the expression we often hear/say: "I'm only human". But it is an important part of us; we are not Gnostics. 

I am copying this from chatgpt.com:

Gnosticism was a diverse religious and philosophical movement in the early centuries of Christianity (primarily in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD) that emphasized esoteric knowledge (gnosis) as the path to salvation. Gnostics generally believed that the material world, created by a lower or flawed deity (often identified with the God of the Old Testament), was corrupt, imperfect, and should be transcended. They often taught that true spiritual enlightenment involved the escape from the material realm and union with a higher, divine, and pure realm of spirit.

For Gnostics, the physical world was not the focus; rather, the inner, spiritual knowledge was considered the key to salvation. They viewed the body and the material world as prisons for the soul, and they often promoted asceticism or other practices to distance oneself from the physical realm.

This view was in sharp contrast to the orthodox Christian belief that the material world, including the body, was created good by God and that it had a role in God's redemptive plan, including the incarnation of Jesus Christ, who took on a physical body.

To go off the subject a little, (the "subject" being the thought-provoking things Father has been saying lately), there is a movement that is gaining traction lately called transhumanism that basically believes we can raise ourselves up to a godlike state, via technology of various sorts. From chatgpt:

Transhumanism is a philosophical and intellectual movement that advocates for the use of advanced technology to enhance the human condition, particularly by transcending the limitations of the human body and mind. The central idea behind transhumanism is that human beings can and should use science and technology to improve their physical and cognitive abilities, potentially leading to a post-human future where humans surpass their biological constraints.

Where have we heard this speech before? "You shall be like god", from Genesis, chapter three. We haven't learned much, have we? 

these figures are at the Met, in New York

Today in the U.S. we observe Epiphany, which is really tomorrow, but it isn't given the attention over here as it is in Europe. Epiphany is when the three kings, or magi, or wise men arrived to worship the child Jesus. They represent the first non-Jews who acknowledged Jesus as King, above themselves. So, it's kind of our feast day. What Father said was that "Epiphany was when God made himself known. He has no hidden agenda." He wants to be known.  And this is something we can learn from in our dealings with others. He pointed out that when Satan approached Eve, he did not introduce himself. When he tempted Jesus in the desert, he didn't introduce himself first.

I just found the whole thing very interesting.

Happy New Year!

 I changed all the calendars. I like wall calendars, and we have several around the place. Some are for writing on, some not - the pretty ones. 

It was the strangest day - sunny, but at the same time, snowing. No accumulation, and no dark cloud above that I saw, but the flurries, again and again, with the sun shining, in the early afternoon. I could hear it, so it must have been sleety for a while. I was snug inside with my Christmas carols.

It seems once I started reading about enchantment, I find it in all sorts of places. 

"Yes, Samuel, dragons are real. So are angels and demons. So are high priests over heaven and mighty kings and great queens and a Savior with a face like fire and a heart as gentle as a lamb's. So much is real that is beyond our sight. The things of the earth that we understand as absolute are rooted in a reality much greater, subtler, and lovelier than we have ever experienced. But sometimes we can imagine it. When we step aside into the spacious halls of hush, when we enter a story or sojourn with a song, when we look into the heart of the beauty and drama cramming the world at our fingers, we enter that inmost room from which many doors lead onward to a world we have only begun to share."

                                             -  Sarah Clarkson, Reclaiming Quiet

Speaking of enchantment, I bought myself one of those alpine Christmas trees for a corner of my bedroom, but never got around to opening the box till yesterday. It's perfect! Five feet high and nice and narrow. It looks real to the eye, but to the camera it's lacking something. I'll keep trying. It has no lights, but I'm working on that, too.

sunning

 

She managed to insert herself on the rocker, amidst the pillow and books.

new doors at last

Right after I took this picture she reached over and flipped that tree onto the floor. For the second time. I moved it.

The snow is gone. That's okay - we had it! Once it comes, the season takes on a new aura, and winter feels like it's really here. And after a dreary and very rainy and warm day, today was bright sun and chilly. And tomorrow will be around the freezing mark. 

We now have new storm doors! My brother found a fellow who could install them, and he did the front door this morning. They are easy for me to clean! I can remove the glass myself!

The glass part goes way down, and it is going to take some getting used to. I feel exposed, and Daisy didn't feel the same when I put the chair there. If they can get accustomed to sitting on the floor, then both of them could enjoy the view at the same time. But I'll keep on the lookout for a low bench, lower than the chair. 

It affords a better view of the brave little cherry tree.

That is one deep split. I suppose eventually the left hand part will just crack and fall onto the driveway. 

Frodo and Sam have achieved Mount Doom, and the ring has been destroyed. 

I'm at a bit of a standstill with my dress; the back keyhole facing is not laying flat, and I'm going to put in a few handstitches to do the job. And so I plod along, decorating a little, sewing a little, cleaning a little, reading a little, preparing for the Child to come.

Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.

trouble and pain (but not really)

 The Thanksgiving dinner came out very well. We had leftovers once, and I had to put what remained into the freezer - we will appreciate it better after a bit of distance.

I'm taking a different approach to Christmas decorations this year, and I spent part of the day working on the living room. 

A red bow would be nicer, but this is good for now; I may change this picture anyway, but I love this one, with the warm colored flowers of late summer, something discovered at a rummage sale.

I want to start making cookies, but may have to do it piecemeal: mixing up dry ingredients ahead, mixing up the dough the day before, baking one or two batches at a time, etc.. Whatever will work. It seems I do lots of things like that. It's another way of going forward. 

I ran out at the blue hour, just to get some air. Very briefly.

Some leaves hanging on.  I keep forgetting the bulbs I just bought - will I be able to get them in before the ground freezes? It's in the twenties at night, and will only reach into the thirties much of this week! Why can't I remember these bulbs??

"On the first weekday of Advent, we are reminded that the full coming of the reign of God through Christ, for whom we long, will bring trouble and pain to all of us in whatever sinfulness we are engaged in, but only to cleanse us to dwell in justice and peace in his presence."

- Magnificat, December 2024

ready enough

 My brother: Tomorrow's going to be rainy, rainy all day.

Me: That's all right; we'll be cozy, cozy all day.

It has been gloomy every other day, it seems, but we need the rain. So it's all right. 

I was busy, busy all day. The squash pie is made, the bumbleberry pie my brother bought from a customer is cooked. I made the gravy from a very nice recipe through pinterest. The beds are changed, the laundry is done and things are clean enough, I suppose. 

We are ready, ready for Thanksgiving.

a prayer for good humor

 During his homily, Father read this poem by St. Thomas More:

Prayer for Good Humor

Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest.
Grant me a healthy body, and the necessary good humor to maintain it.
Grant me a simple soul that knows to treasure all that is good
And that doesn't frighten easily at the sight of evil,
but rather finds the means to put things back in their place.
Give me a soul that knows not boredom, grumblings, sighs and laments,
nor excess of stress, because of that obstructing thing called "I".
Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor.
Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke, to discover in life a bit of joy,
and to be able to share it with others.

preparation

 October continues in all its beauty, with the past week's temps down into the fifties, which is lovely when it's sunny. But now we're moving into a few days up into the seventies. That will also be lovely, and I can hopefully get the bulk of the windows cleaned.

There was one day last week when I got the Wordle in two tries - when that happens, it's always pure luck.

I have to work tomorrow afternoon, so I prepared a casserole for Sunday dinner, since we had leftovers from Thursday, and I had the time. I peeled and cut up one of the butternut squash I grew - amazing how things grow from seed. The recipe appeared in a magazine we get at the supermarket, and this issue has several things I'd like to make. For this one, I had the squash, I had the kale, the onion, and the exact amount of cooked chicken from the whole one I roasted the other day, after making chicken and tortellini soup Thursday. 

I only had to buy the Swiss cheese. It sure looks good!

The supermarket had a special on packages of Larabars, but not every flavor. I only have liked the peanut butter ones: the plain, and the chocolate chip. But those weren't on sale, so I took a chance and got the Chocolate Raspberry Truffle. Oh, my. They will make an excellent afternoon pick-me-up. 

This morning before rising, I read the chapter on the council of Elrond, in Lord of the Rings. So much wisdom imparted to Frodo and his fellows as they prepare to bear the ring to Mordor:

The road must be trod, but it will be very hard. And neither strength nor wisdom will carry us far upon it. This quest may be attempted by the weak with as much hope as the strong. Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere.

                                                               - The Fellowship of the Ring, by J.R.R. Tolkien

the September feeling

 Today, I think fall has really arrived. I've been waiting for that September feeling, and was thinking maybe I'd missed it. 

It's the stillness - well, there may be a breeze, or not, but the stillness is not in the air; it's just a still feeling. If you're paying attention you will notice the buzzing of the insects, but it's in the background, it's the soundtrack to the whole business.

Everything is drier, overgrown and blowsy. The sky is bluer. 

My brother went on a retreat for a couple of days; when he does this, he'll email me photos of his room, and the menus. Parmesan tilapia was something they served. I had some cod, and an idea. I spread Dijon mustard all over the pieces with some dillweed, then sprinkled Parmesan on top. It was very delicious! We had it with mushroom barley soup (also on one of his menus) and steamed broccoli (another menu item). I have fun doing this. Small pleasures.

He told me something shocking today. When he built the shed, which may be twenty years ago, the plywood cost him eighteen dollars a sheet for the larger pieces, and twelve for some that were not so big. He said the same wood now costs - brace yourself - eighty nine dollars. I'm shocked. Plywood.

keeping it all together

 Well, my time off has been lovely; a friend was over for lunch Wednesday. But then yesterday I felt like I might be coming down with something and I've been resting a lot these two days. It could be allergies, or even resulting from too many late nights and still waking up early - it does catch up with one.

I've grabbed a Jane Austen mystery for entertainment, the fourth one. I tend to forget the murderer's identity when I re-read a mystery, and just enjoy the writing. 

I desperately needed a new bedspread or quilt - whatever. I ended up getting a duvet cover. I don't have a duvet - all these European words that we didn't used to use; I always called it a comforter, or puff - I've got plenty of quilts, throws and blankets, and don't need or want one. My intention in buying this was to stuff it with quilt batting and machine-stitch it. When it arrived, I gave up the idea. It is so tightly woven, like a quality sheet, that it would be a pain to work with in that way. I love it as us, and just lay it over the bed. It's so pretty, and I got it on sale.

The colors blend harmoniously with the overall scheme of the house, which I'm trying harder to stick to.

"One can do nothing, you know, without one pays homage to the genius of the place."

                                           -   from Jane and the Genius of the Place, by Stephanie Barron

a bit of charm on the front step

 The warmth has returned, and it feels summery again; today a "severe thunderstorm" threatened. The threat passed, but the rumbles remained for a while, with dark sky hovering in the distance. It rained some, and then strong winds blew in cool, cool air! Perfect.

Way back in May I gave in to temptation and purchased a planter at the supermarket, instead of a hanging plant. It was early in the month, before such flowers are blooming, but I couldn't resist it. There was phlox in it, dianthus, some little flowers and other things I'm unfamiliar with. It did very well, but eventually things were getting cramped and shaggy; I removed the phlox, and put most of the dianthus in my backyard garden, along with some of the tiny flowers. And I added a pretty sweet potato vine to the pot. I had seen one at Debra's years ago and never forgot it. Agway had a variegated type, and it really is pretty. Now, it's curving all around the front steps. 

It has gone down the side, too.

I also have a bright yellow pansy, which still blooms cheerily. I give these a bit of chicken manure fertilizer once a week, and they have responded to it. 

There are also two or three very small pots out there with what used to be seedlings in them - I had started things to put out in my garden, but when the butternut squash started covering the whole place, I gave up the idea. So they stay in their cramped quarters in contentment, I guess, and add to the grouping, and except for the borage, I don't remember what else they might be. Except charming.

like the Little Red Hen

 Oh, my goodness, what an August we've been having! So unnaturally cool - it actually did not reach seventy on Tuesday!! August, the hardest month to bear (to my mind), so warm and humid, with nights in the eighties sometimes. Not this year! It's been into the fifties at night! 

I really can't believe it; I actually could not stand to wear my summery clothes another day; I dug out some more in-between things. If this sounds like complaining, I'm really not; it's very comfortable. We did have several humid days last week, but it wasn't hot. 

I am reading Miss Read's first Fairacre novel, Village School. The descriptions of the town, the school and church, the neighborhood and children are all so real, even though things have changed so much. I also cast on a few stitches today, to try and make a little knitted bear - isn't it cute? I have a beige yarn, and we'll see how it goes.

Since I heard the owl last week, they've been on my mind. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the library was having an owl program! Yesterday! Yes, there was a Great Horned there.

a relative of the one I heard last week

The woman said that great horned owls are so fierce, even eagles won't mess with them! 

If they settle in our area, the rabbit population will decrease.

Lately, I've had a desire to bake things for the freezer. I've made einkorn pancakes, Irish soda bread muffins and today, blueberry scones - all in the freezer now. It's very nice to have things like this on hand. In case somebody drops by, or we're still hungry after a meal, or need a snack when we'll be out, etc.. Kind of like the Little Red Hen.

the longest days

There's a bird who seems to sing when it's getting dark. He's the only one singing, and it's nice and loud, very melodious. Tonight, it made me turn to the window and there I saw a peach sky! I knew I wouldn't be able to capture it, so I just sat there, enjoying.

I think I saw our little patient in the garden this morning - at least, it was a small rabbit; there's no way I'll ever get close enough to tell if it's him.

 It's very much like summer now. We are going to have days in the nineties for the next five days; they're warning us to be careful. I made dinner early in the day, and that was the smartest thing I did. It didn't heat up the house much, and I had that work behind me.

Somebody just set off something quite loud out my window. It's nine o'clock, and dark. My brother said it sounded like a cherry bomb. It sounded to me right out my window! Well, as long as they don't do it all night. 

I am putting the green dress aside - in this weather, it seems heavy. I can't stand the thought of it! I've got some pretty deep blue lawn and I'll choose a skirt pattern for it. Something nice and floaty, I hope. 

I discovered a new bread cookbook, and the method is quicker and with a much wetter dough. The loaves are small but I don't care about that. This is something I won't mind doing in summer, if bread is needed.

summer approaches

 The birds are quieter, the fireflies are increasing and a mockingbird sang a brief concert on the power line. The air gets more humid, but nights are still pleasant; the rabbits are more used to our human noises - there was one out my window yesterday afternoon while my neighbor was mowing nearby! 

My little garden crops are getting bigger and there aren't any weeds due to the grass clippings all around.

My dress needs the side seams sewn and then it will look like something. I wake up with the sun in the mornings, but am too tired at the other end of the day.

I want to plan a menu for the longest day of the year, which is next week. It's supposed to be hot. I'll have to take that into consideration.

I suppose I could start the day with pancakes.
  

caring for the seed of eternity

 "The meaning of the Sabbath is to celebrate time rather than space. Six days a week we live under the tyranny of things of space; on the Sabbath we try to become attuned to holiness in time. It is a day on which we are called upon to share in what is eternal in time, to turn from the results of creation to the mystery of creation; from the world of creation to the creation of the world.

He who wants to enter the holiness of the day must first lay down the profanity of clattering commerce, of being yoked to toil. He must go away from the screech of dissonant days, from the nervousness and fury of acquisitiveness and the betrayal in embezzling his own life. He must say farewell to manual work and learn to understand that the world has already been created and will survive without the help of man. Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the earth; on the Sabbath we especially care for the seed of eternity planted in the soul. The world has our hands, but our soul belongs to Someone Else. Six days a week we seek to dominate the world, on the seventh day we try to dominate the self."

                                                    -  The Sabbath, by Abraham Joshua Heschel

The beauty in the world, making things fit, and life with Daisy

 "The old way of thinking about the world helped heal the 'tragic dilemma' of being human."

                                                 -  Jason M. Baxter

The cherry has begun to bloom.

I don't think any other tree blossoms are more beautiful.

Several years ago I did a repair on my bathrobe, replacing the bodice part which was worn. I traced the robe's upper part and made a pattern; I was so afraid of making it too small, that it ended up too roomy. I put up with it until now. 

It's got a dolman sleeve, with the seam going from the side neck edge, over the shoulder and down the arm. It needed taking in about an inch up there, so I just re-did the seam from the neck and then tapered it down to nothing by the time I went over the shoulder. It's just right now! 

I received the tracing paper a day late and was working, so I haven't gotten back to the dress. But I am beginning to think it would be much nicer looking if I lined it. I'm not sure I'll like the way it hangs if I don't do it. Bother. But before I put the green thread in the machine I want to make a few cleaning cloths that I like to use in the bathroom. Just seven inch squares of cotton, zigzagged around the edge. They work very well for cleaning in there.

Have you ever seen such a sight as this?

Double jointed is hardly the word to describe her. 

Anyway, before my brother came home for lunch, I heard things falling in his room; I looked, and there was an accordion file folder she had tipped over or something, and then dragged it to the doorway. I left it, so he'd see the full force of her exertions. I think he was suitably impressed. 

My "project" today was to make a special dinner just because it's my brother's name day. I was going to make chicken soup, and I did, but I had pinned a recipe for one of those vegetarian loaves, and I made on with mushrooms, brown rice, sun-dried tomatoes, kale and lots of other tasty stuff, but no cheese. I substituted different mushrooms, and kale for spinach, but recipes are just suggestions anyway. Very nice! And then I made a healthy dessert with ground up dates and assorted nuts, a kind of brownie. I didn't have pistachios, but I had cashews. I used what was around and it is good - I highly recommend it!

"The saints in heaven, as they are variously described in Paradiso, shine brighter than stars, move more swiftly than lightning, produce a more lovely harmony than the planets, glow like an unending sunrise, smile more radiantly than the sun, rush swifter than cold, mountain winds. Each saint outdoes, as it were, the entirety of the old celestial order. A saintly soul is a new creation, and the re-creation of a human being is as dramatic an event as God's creation of the first cosmos."

                      - Jason Baxter, talking about C.S. Lewis' admiration for Dante's Divine Comedy

            from The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis

earthquakes in various places

 A co-worker yesterday said to me, Did you know there was an earthquake in New York this morning? No, I was pretty busy at the main desk, handing out eclipse glasses. But those who were upstairs at the library felt it. 

California often has quakes, and when there's a northern Cal earthquake, I think of Gretchen, but she never mentions it. Is that because she's so used to them? But, it's not a pleasant thing to think about.

woodchuck in the neighbor's yard today

The water company emailed to say they would flush out the mains today between eight and four thirty. I got up early to wash the dishes and run laundry through the washer beforehand. I was home all day, and kept checking the water - it never happened. I never saw them up the street at the hydrant, and the water was fine all day (although I avoided using it, I still checked it). 

Jackson Galaxy put up a video the other day about the ingredients in canned cat food. Afterward I went and looked through the cupboard. He said carageenan is linked to cancer in cats, two ingredients with phosphate is a bad sign, or a phosphate too high on the ingredient list. Also, starches of course, like potato, pea, corn, etc.. I was surprised to see a few questionable cans in our stash. So, I threw out some of them, but the reality is, like us, cats may like the flavors of these undesirables. I mean, how much junk food have we liked in our lives? So, it's good to be aware, and then to find the balance between something more healthy and something kitty likes to eat. 

sunset tonight

The desert and the parched land will exult;
the steppe will rejoice and bloom.
They will bloom with abundant flowers,
and rejoice with joyful song.

- from Isaiah, chapter 35

building up and repairing

 When you are fasting, i.e., eating much less than usual, you find you have more time to do other things! Not to mention that I have more energy; I'm becoming more aware of a sluggish digestion, and it's just better to have less. And I never have been one to stuff myself, so - well, it's very interesting. 

When I was sick, I ordered some groceries and I got a load of bananas, thinking fruit might agree with me. Of course, one can never eat all the bananas, so today I made up a batch of double chocolate banana bread, and now it's in the freezer, waiting for Easter, or later. 

My red and green Christmas rosary, of which I'm very fond, has painted beads, not colored glass, and they've been peeling. I found matching nail polishes and am slowly touching them up. I do no more than one a day, because I don't like the smell of the polish in the house. 

So it will take a little while. 

This, from an article in Plough magazine:

"When you build a thing, you cannot merely build that thing in isolation, but must also repair the world around it, and within it, so that the larger world at that one place becomes more coherent, and more whole; and the thing which you make takes its place in the web of nature, as you make it."

                                                   -  Christopher Alexander

It sounds like God's work.