The weekly “little of this, little of that” feature from Like Mother, Like Daughter!
Last night was One of Those Nights. And, coincidentally, this morning was One of Those Mornings.
I won't rehash it all. You'll get the picture if I tell you that I arose (note I didn't say “awoke,” because that would imply that I'd been sleeping) from bed at 11:30 pm to address the sounds that were reminiscent of that elephant brigade from The Jungle Book emanating from my living room the apartment next door no, the apartment downstairs. It was something like a Mariachi band having fallen in with the members of the Big Band who didn't make it to rehearsal because they were stumbling drunk in the alley. When I knocked on my neighbor's door in my bathrobe, I was greeted by a man with a saxophone. Yes, a saxophone. And glancing into the room, looking for the responsible party, I glimpsed several other middle-aged men all wielding large wind instruments.
Call me a party-pooper, but babies' schedules don't differentiate for weekends. Also, as I mentioned, the music was detrocious. Excellent music at 11:30pm would be problematic, but still a different matter from this.
Anyway.
The evening was pleasant, however. It was pizza night.
Pizza: easy for meatless Fridays; an old stand-by in LMLD households.
The upside to me being late with today's {b&p} is that I have some links that were worth waiting for!
Some historical (or history-related) items:
- A radically prosaic approach to civil rights images.
- A Little House virtual field trip! (As in: Laura Ingalls Wilder, people! Someone figured out how to track her all around the States, online!)
- A Tiny Essay on Taking Offense.
Some miscellany:
- The author of this article examines some of the most apt uses of punctuation ever: the Five Best Punctuation Marks in Literature.
- DIY: how to make your own wool-stuffed pillows on a budget (with an emphasis on toxin-free).
- Coming across this tasty-looking recipe for “Hobo Beans” reminded Auntie Leila of how clever it is to have appealing names for dishes. If it were just “beans” it wouldn't be nearly as appealing for the little ones as “Hobo Beans” is. I've been trying to work on my recipe for chocolate pecan pie and last night The Artist said it reminded him of turtles, which made us think that “Turtle Pie” could be a fun household treat that our kids could enjoy being confused about. Auntie Leila thinks that maybe her Boston Baked Beans should be called Paul Revere Beans for more excitement. I'm on the fence, though, because Boston Baked Beans sounds pretty good to me.
- “Hobo Beans” remind us of this truly excellent (but pretty intense at parts – let's say it's for Kids of All Ages… unless they're little kids) movie, which you should see if you haven't yet: Kit Kittredge: An American Girl I guess I was in my late teens when I saw it and I LOVED every second of it and definitely both laughed and cried.
- The Allure of the Map.
And now, my favorite picks from this week!
- One Flesh and Other Household Mysteries: uniting theology with economics, related through marital union. This is a chapter of a book, apparently, and now I am anxious to read the whole book!
- Did anyone else see that trailer for Gravity that had no dialogue and was just visuals set to ethereal, evocative music? I wanted to link to it but I can't find it online, but I feel sure that I saw it once when the guys were watching a football game. If you saw it, perhaps you remember that there was something about the music that was so simple and yet drew one in so intensely. (It's in this teaser here, but only for a few moments at the beginning). Well, that music was by Arvo Pärt, a contemporary Estonian composer. I submit that even if you're entirely unfamiliar with his work, you will enjoy The Sound of Spirit, a NYT article about him, his studies, his creative process, and his approach to art. It is beautifully written and the subject matter is fascinating. There's a great line from his wife: “without discipline, freedom is very dangerous.”
To get a taste, you can hear some of his choral music here: Most Holy Mother of God, Save Us.
- I was very interested to read Do the Poor have More Meaningful Lives? Because I often find myself with suspicions along these lines. Of course we all know, at least in theory, that money can't buy happiness. And yet it's an easy trap to fall into – not just to wish for more money oneself – to think (arrogantly) that if only we could provide poorer people with money, they would be “just as happy as us.” But happiness is not simple to define, nor is it everything. I hadn't before made this particular, interesting distinction between happiness and meaning.
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Kathy@9peas says
Lots of great links here, and having started out our family with apartment life I had to smile and feel sorry for you all at once. Our noise makers were Sailors, the middle aged man with the saxophone – that is priceless!
I hope you get some rest today!
Becky says
I think the thing with Boston Beans being exciting or not has to do with a- if Boston is exotic land and b- how exciting you consider history of place rather than individual and c- the oddities of a child’s mind when exposed to books. Boston made me think of glamorous colonial ladies with powdered wigs and the Boston Pops and big ships and the smell of the ocean and very smart people and all manner of glitter and excitement. Boston was my New York city. 🙂 However, Revere mostly makes me think about Johnny Tremain which makes me think about horrific silver working injuries. Hence, I would lean toward the Boston Beans being intriguing and the Revere Beans being looked at with great suspicion.
Jesaica says
Thank you for the wool pillow link! I have been wanting to make or purchase non-toxic pillows for a while, but the cost and not knowing what to buy has always put me off.
Back to read through the other links…thank you for collecting them! It usually takes me all week to read everything, so I don’t comment. It’s a highlight of my Saturday, though!
Becky says
Another blogger I read just posted a link to her pinterest boards. I thought you (Deirdre) would like the Valentine’s ideas- especially the doily envelopes! http://www.pinterest.com/prudent/valentines-day/ It’s the sort of lovely one can achieve in the 5 minutes you have when also tending a baby. 🙂
Deirdre says
I do love those ideas, thanks! 🙂 I love making valentines.
Natalie says
Yes! I love the links as well:) thanks for posting/collecting. As far as the Friday pizza night, do you make your own sauce or recommend a store bought brand? I seem to always strike out and the homemade pizza doesn’t come off as well;-)
Deirdre says
We usually used crushed tomatoes. I do 98% of my shopping at Trader Joe’s and my branch doesn’t have crushed tomatoes. So I (at Suki’s suggestion) just puree canned diced tomatoes with my immersion blender. They can use some seasoning, though.
Natalie says
Thanks! going to attemtp pizza tomrrow in the LMLD tradition:-)I think I tried a tj pizza sauce once…I love love that store!
Mary says
Could you please provide your recipe for not only pizza dough, but also what sauce you use/make and what toppings you like best? Thanks so much!
Deirdre says
I’ll give it a shot sometime! The dough is so simple but it’s an all-day process. My mom might be the better source to go to… we’ll see what we can do.
Woman of the House says
I remember Vic Firth as the maker of drumsticks, so it’s funny to see your rolling pin made by the same company!
Nancy says
Excellent link to” Building a House” from The Imaginative Conservative. I am forwarding it on to the young adults in my life. Thank you!!!
Jennifer says
Enjoying the links as usual! Here is a post I just read that echoes the voices of LMLD:
http://www.itakejoy.com/civilizing-our-children-through-love-compassion-and-relationship. Thought you might enjoy it too. Have a wonderful Sunday!
Deirdre says
Love it!
Janet says
Oh my goodness, one of my favorite Lenten meals when I was a kid was “Hobo Stew”. It was part of my Mom’s “Depression Cuisine” repertoire. Onion, garlic, celery sautéed in olive oil with lentils, canned tomatoes and water. As I recall, it didn’t take long to cook and was always served over stale Italian or French bread. Delicious and insanely good for you too.
Virginia says
Loved the link on taking offense. Yay for Eva Brann!
Terri B. says
Thank you for the link to the story on Arvo Pärt. It inspired me to add some of his music to my collection.
Jennifer says
Who made the Hobo Beans, and what did you think about them?
When I mentioned picking up a few ingredients for Hobo Beans, my daughter exclaimed, “ooh, like Kit!”. 🙂
We ended up adding Mexican hot sauce to our servings because they were sweeter than we would care for. Overall, we liked them, but we all decided that dessert should be sweet, not the main meal. Next time I make them, I plan to omit the brown sugar.
CarlynB says
I made the Hobo Beans for supper last night and it was a HUGE hit with my family. However, I didn’t have any brown sugar, but I did have almost a half cup of maple syrup that I used instead. We thought the level of sweetness was just right, so I don’t think I’ll ever add a whole cup of brown sugar when I make the dish again.
Jennifer says
I used the leftovers tonight, and it went over nicely!
I warmed the beans a little then spread them out in a 9×13 casserole dish. I mixed up some cornbread and spooned it on top. I popped them in a 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes (I kept checking them), and it was a delicious, easy meal. Yay! I think Auntie Leila would approve. 🙂
Marilyn H says
That beautiful piece by Avro Part is entitled “Spiegel Im Spiegel”. You can find it in its entirety on YouTube Thanks for the link to the interview. I love this blog. Always finding helpful and thoughtful information here