The weekly “little of this, little of that” feature from Like Mother, Like Daughter!
This, my dear readers, is a picture of sunlight.
And a quilt that is ready to be bound!
It's like there's hope. A little, slanty ray of hope. With some good sewing at the end of it!
- This is a wild story about something that I have to admit I wonder a lot about. Feminine products are something we ladies in this part of the world take for granted, but somehow they have to be provided. This man in India not only thought about it but did and continues to do something, and the whole thing boggles my mind. Sorry if it's TMI, but like I said, we are spoiled.
- Did you see Sukie's post about her glucose test? Do you hate drinking that orange drink? I used to feel like I was actually poisoning my unborn child with that drink, and did my best to dodge it. Here is a good post about the evidence, which is not actually conclusive that every woman should even have a glucose tolerance test or is helped by it; but of course, crowd management trumps common sense. In any case, if substituting 50 grams of some less revolting substance will get you out of taking what really looks like radioactive toxic waste to me, then go for it!
- A ten-minute break for choral prayer: William Byrd's Tristitia et Anxietas. A beautiful meditation on God's mercy.
occupaverunt interiora mea.
Moestum factum est cor meum in dolore,
et contenebrati sunt oculi mei.
Vae mihi, quia peccavi.
Sed tu, Domine,
qui non derelinquis
sperantes in te,
consolare et adjuva me
propter nomen sanctum tuum,
et miserere mei.
Sadness and anxiety
have overtaken my inmost being.
My heart is made sorrowful in mourning,
my eyes are become dim.
Woe is me, for I have sinned.
But you, Lord,
who does not forsake
those who hope in you,
comfort and help me
for your holy name’s sake,
and have mercy on me. (I got this translation here.)
- Disclaimer: I have not seen Frozen. Have you? What do you think of this take on cynicism re: “Prince Charming”? Up until now, I've heard that Frozen is about the message that you shouldn't fall for someone you don't know (a somewhat unfair criticism of fairy tales, as distinct from Disney movies, that I may argue against another time). But this piece in the Atlantic suggests that the movie isn't aboveboard about building the character of Hans in a way that supports the revelation that he's not a good guy. I'm always behind the curve, seeing movies long after the public chatter has died down, but I did think this seems like a careful textual analysis. Am I missing something? I guess I should see the movie!
- Do not melt down any large golden eggs you might have lying around next to your cupcakes! Don't do it! Phew.
- I read big portions of this book when I was visiting my dear Nick and Natasha, admiring their various renovations in their new (to them) house (this was after FX ceased to amuse, being in fact, asleep): Get Your House Right: Architectural Elements to Use & Avoid. If you are in a position to make some decisions about porch elements or window trim, I think you would get a quick aesthetic education from reading this and looking at the drawings — all based on some sadly lost traditions in architecture. It rather boldly just goes ahead and tells you “Avoid” and “Use” — refreshing. I bet you could get it at the library (I should probably do a Library post about it but instead I'm linking here).
- By the way, thanks for your shortbread recipe suggestions in the comments of this Temptation post! As soon as I deem it appropriate (feast day ahem), I am definitely going to try some out. I froze my leftover Paczki and then thawed them, as promised, for St. Joseph's day. Bridget concurred that they needed to be heated up in the oven, and even though the whipped cream/lime curd melted, they were delectable. Just so you know.
Have a great weekend! We can look forward to the great feast of the Annunciation, right? What shall I make… hmmm….
Follow us on Twitter, where we discuss random stuff and link to (sometimes sillier or more fleeting) other things.
Like us on Facebook, where you will be advised of posts, including some from the archives that you might have missed.
Jennie C. says
I didn’t read the article yet, but loved Frozen. And I’m picky! The male leads aren’t demeaned (like in Brave), and in the end, it’s HER act of sacrificial love that saves her, and not the magic kiss of her prince(like in most other Disney tales). 🙂
Jennie C. says
Read it and still disagree. 🙂 Hans transitions easily and painlessly to bad guy before the scene in question, when we find he’s got Elsa chained in the dungeon, pretending still to be the good guy while trying to manipulate her into doing what he wants. We’ve already spent so much time rooting for Kristoff, we’re relieved by this turn of events, not frightened.
And the snowman who never has to face reality under his magical snow cloud? Actually, he was perfectly willing to melt for the people he loved. He knew what would happen by this point, and he was willing to make the sacrifice anyway.
So… completely disagree with this article! 🙂
Sarah says
I read the frozen article and I have to say I disagree as well. My two daughters are 5 and 8 and neither of them were upset by Hans.
Charlotte says
We are big Frozen fans here too and mostly because of the points illustrated in this article although we just found this article the other day and loved the movie long before. What I think happened was an attempt at a surprise ending that went a little too far. They could have foreshadowed it a little better, but when you go back and look for it, it is there. And I think they also felt like they needed a villain. In the bonus features, they talk about their first idea to play Elsa as the villain. Maybe the next phase in Disney’s maturation is for Disney to get over the idea that they have to have a villain.
Christine Guest says
We enjoyed Frozen First Dan and K saw it, then all the rest of us. K sat on his lap at the scary bits (the ship was harder on her, though she didn’t seen Hans coming, Dan didn’t either.) But IS is rated PG. So folks bringing their little kids do need to be ready to explain in whispers at the theater, or go talk it over a snack afterwards. But aren’t snack conversation part of the point of a movie?
Stephanie says
Wow – read the article about the man in India and it was fascinating! Thanks for the link!
Meredith_in_Aus says
Loved this too! I also heard about a charity that was doing a similar thing but mainly for school girls. It’s called Days for Girls (daysforgirls.org). It’s about being able to ensure that girls don’t miss out on their education due to menstrual issues. The girls don’t develop businesses out of it, but it does give girls in prosperous countries a way to minister to other girls in poorer countries. Both laudable endeavours!
Kim F. says
Just wanted to thank Sukie for posting about the glucose test. I am expecting my my 6th and was already dreading that horrible test. I do not react well to that dayglo orange beverage and it takes me to the next day to recover. I have twice failed the one hour test but have only allowed myself to be subjected to the 3 hour test once! It’s awful, awful, awful!!!! The second time I failed the one hour test I told them to just send me to the nutritionist and I ended up with a glucose monitor. Seriously, pricking my finger several times a day was better than going through the 3 hour glucose test. I feel more empowered this time…with all this information you ladies have provided. THANKS!
Jenny says
Not that this is any great loss, but I now find Kool-Aid revolting due to the memories of the glucose test that it conjures.
Virginia says
What a fascinating article about the Indian man! My family often plays the game of imagining “what would you bring with you if you could time-travel to 1915 and only bring three things?” Antibiotics are usually high on the list but my mother always said tampons and I always thought that was a little strange. This article makes me see how much better they make things! Right now, I’m inclined to say disposable diapers…
Salome Ellen says
We LOVE “Frozen”. Because it’s about real love, as opposed to “true love”, and how love can conquer fear. I was startled by the “change” in Prince Hans the first time, but after several viewings I see that he’s a consistent opportunist. Even in the first viewing I was jolted by a weird turn of phrase in his “love duet” with Anna, and there are other little hints. I actually like how non-formulaic the movie is.
Susan says
Frozen is the first Disney movie I’ve been curious about in about 20 years. Maybe because I have a seven-year-old daughter who inexplicably knows all the songs despite our lack of television, and public schooling. Do all Disney movies generate this much buzz? I tend not to be a die-hard Disney-hater but we don’t go out of our way to see any of the films. I’m sort of curious to form my own opinion on Frozen. And I’d love to hear yours if you decide to see it 🙂
Lisa says
We were blown away by how much we liked “Frozen” because of its message of sacrificial love casting out fear. When I hear reviewers coming to completely different conclusions about the message of this movie, I start wondering if we’ve watched the same movie! 🙂
Terri says
Thank you for sharing the delightful and inspiring article about Menstrual Man.
Kaitlin @ More Like Mary says
I read that same article about Frozen and completely agreed with it (before I saw it). Just watched the movie tonight and realize the author couldn’t be further from the truth. It was wonderful. Great message. And brilliant writing.
Margo, Thrift at Home says
I’m starting to hear enough buzz about Frozen that I want to see it!
Thank you for the BBC article on the Indian man and the pads. WOW. I sent that on to several people – very moving.
Sara says
I’m re-watching Frozen as I type. My 12 yo was not too bothered by Hans. My 15 yo son said he knew he was evil when he said he had 12 older brothers! I’m sure the younger viewers don’t pick up on that, though. I kind of prefer my villains clear-cut; I think a few more signs would have been better than the very abrupt change I just witnessed! Watching it closely just now, I thought he was utterly charming and believable at the beginning. But I do like that Love and Self-sacrifice win the day.
Gwenny says
I wasn’t bothered by the Hans betrayal because the central love story is about the sisters, not about the romantic love. Anna and Hans were both using each other as a means to an end, anyway.
Terri says
From a sermon by my good friend, Fr Partick Behm, Cathedral, Sioux City, Ia
Pretty Fly Catholic Guy
Credit for this title suggestion goes to my good friend, Amy Thacker.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
“Frozen” on Ash Wednesday
One of the key messages of Lent is that sin isolates us. In fact, when I sin, I become unto myself, “a kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I’m the king (or queen). Don’t let them in! Don’t let them see! Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know! Turn away and slam the door! Let it go!”
For those who may not be familiar with these lines, they are lyrics to the theme song from the hit new Disney movie Frozen. When I last checked, the official YouTube video for this song had over 135,000,000 (that’s 135 million) hits. If ever there was a video that went viral, this is it. The stereotype is that this is a girl’s movie and a girl’s song, but with 135 million views, I’m sure there is some dude out there lifting weights with his iPhone in his ear, and his buddy comes over to him and says, “Hey, what are you listening to?” And he goes, “Uhh…ahem..Fall Out Boy, yeah, Fall Out Boy.” And then as soon as his buddy turns around, he’s back singing to himself, “Let it go! Let it go!” This song, and this frankly amazing movie, sum up in a microcosm what sin does to us in leading us into a state of isolation.
To give you an idea about the plot for those who haven’t seen the movie, it is a story of two sisters, Elsa and Anna, and they are princesses. Elsa has been given a special power since birth to freeze things just by touching them, or by shooting ice out of her finger. One day when they were children and were playing, Elsa injured Anna, almost killing her. She was so afraid of where this might lead in the future, that she hid her secret power from her sister, even going so far as to stay isolated in her room, cutting off her relationship with her sister.
And yet, isn’t this exactly what sin does to us? Sin injures our relationship with God, and out of fear, we fail to rebuild that relationship. Yet God, just like little Anna, continually wants to coax us out of our rooms. It’s as though He’s singing, daily to us, “Do you wanna build a snowman?”
In a sense, Elsa was dead. Yes, she was still breathing, but for all intents and purposes, as far as her sister was concerned, Elsa was dead. Sin leads to death. But, the good news is that repentance leads to life. The Church gives us two lines we use at the distribution of ashes today, and these two lines speak to this reality. First, sin leads to death, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” These were the first words spoken to Adam after the Fall. Adam was destined to live forever, but his sin destroyed the divine life in him. Second though, repentance leads to life, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” These are John the Baptist’s words, exhorting us to conversion at the coming of the New Adam, Jesus Christ. What Adam’s sin destroyed, Christ’s faithfulness restored, and we participate in that restoration by our own conversion of heart.
It was only when Anna came back at the end of the movie that she realized the gift she had truly been given. It is only when we return to the Lord with all our hearts that we will know the depth of the gift that we have been given. Our sin is no longer something to “let go,” so to speak in the sense that it runs our lives and we don’t care who we hurt in our sinfulness. Rather, it is something that radiates the power of God’s mercy and forgiveness.
So, what do we do? Confession. Make it a goal to make a good confession this Lenten season. What is a good confession? It always starts with true repentance, a true metanoia to use the big Greek term, a true turning around. But after that, it requires total honesty and transparency. We mustn’t “conceal” as Elsa did. To put it bluntly, if you are over the age of 12 and are still basically saying the same things in your confessions as you did when you were eight, you’re either the greatest saint who has ever walked, or you’re not being honest with yourself, and more importantly, with God. In a word, you’re being like Elsa. You’re denying who you really are out of fear, shame, or embarrassment.
All God wants is what Anna wanted. He wants to have a relationship with us and to heal us. Don’t be afraid to give him deepest, darkest, secrets of your heart in Confession, to tell Him in the sacrament those things you’ve never told anyone else before. Why am I saying this? Because Father is a weirdo who wants to know every nasty thing you’ve ever said or done? No. Because Father wants to torture you and scare you away from the sacrament? No. But, because Father loves you, and wants you to be free of all of these burdens, everything that is keeping you from a deep relationship with our heavenly Father.
Fear robber Elsa of her relationship with Anna. Don’t let fear rob you of your relationship with God! Rather, “Let it go!” Let go of every sin that is chaining you, keeping you tied to the earth, when God is calling you to fly through the stars. Lent, more than any other time of the year, gives us the opportunity to let go of sin, to let go of all that leads to death, and to embrace the call to repentance and to the communion that leads to life.
Rayna says
I agree with everyone’s comments regarding the over-analytical take on “Frozen”, which we thought was endearing. And modern. And so moving for sisters! “Finding Nemo” was much more scary with the mother dying at the beginning. And my oldest son still won’t watch “Bee Movie” because he gets nightmares about being flushed down the toilet. To each child his own, I guess, plus the parent’s interpretation of her child’s take on things!
That article on purity is great for moms with boys, and increasingly, moms with girls too (all this sexting and posting party pictures on Twitter…really sad).
Also, the article on the Fabergé egg really made my day. The egg is so small! And the reaction of the man who’s now really, really rich: priceless!
Kelsey says
That article about the Menstrual Man was very interesting. I admire that man’s courage and beautiful poverty of spirit. He is undoubtedly doing a good thing for the women of his society. I can’t help but think, though, that what these people really need isn’t disposable feminine hygiene products – it’s the Gospel! So much damaging superstition!
Lucy says
In all the articles I’ve read about Frozen, none have come up with my criticisms of the movie 🙂
The animation, quite frankly, wasn’t spectacular. In some spots it was actually bad. And that “theme song” “Let it go!” was like an American Idol performance, the song, the lyrics and even (especially) Elsa’s performance. The AI judges probably would have liked it, but it wasn’t very good.
All in all, it was a surprisingly lackluster film, though I do think this time those saying it is the most Christian themed disney movie yet are pretty much on target. I especially liked the comparisons one guy made to Dante’s Inferno. (http://reflectionandchoice.org/2013/12/19/exploring-dantes-inferno-in-disneys-frozen/) I did appreciate the sister theme, it ranks right up there with Tiana working her tail off to get her restaurant as the best movie lessons from Disney.
Anna says
I know I am only 34 years old, but I find myself *tsk*ing at modern architecture and what it’s missing. I have to admit I ended up in a house with what I consider too many (fake) roof lines, but it couldn’t be helped for the benefit of the open land around us. I would love to thumb through this book.
One summer during my college years, I interned at an old mid-19th century church. Part of the coursework included an architecture class. We had an excellent teacher! We crawled around in our own church, we drove to Canada to see other examples of similar structures. It was a great experience.
Lindsey says
Auntie Leila, I’m curious to know – did you get to watch Frozen yet? I’m sure we’d all love your take on it!