The regular “little of this, little of that” feature from Like Mother, Like Daughter!
Last week Deirdre posted pictures of one of her beautiful eggs that she made for her midwife to thank her for her amazing care (someday I will write a post about Cindy!).
This is mine. She made it for me! Isn't it amazing?
The hart in particular speaks to me (I was hoping that she'd make me one like this, as I watched her in process, little knowing it was for me!), and someday soon I hope to try to explain what I see in its significance. It is a symbol of Christ, did you know?
On to our links!
- Habou sent me this lovely reflection on making mosaics and contemplating creativity, imperfection, and reconciliation. I liked this point, especially thinking about a favorite thought from Roger Scruton, that ordinary beauty helps us with the imperfection of real life: “8. There is a perfection in imperfection. The interstices or gaps between the tesserae speak their own language in mosaics.”
- We loved this letter of J. R. R. Tolkien on married love and its secrets. Realistic and sweet.
- Do you get excited by maps? Maps can seem very cut-and-dry and objective, but they are about point of view. This post helps you see that.
When I read an article like Esolen's, all I can think is that we can't wait for a mass movement of some sort to revive good things. What he's saying is, start with yourself, with your family, with your community — start living life as it should be lived, with confidence and energy.
Are you thinking, “If only there were a way to do what he says!” “If only I had some sort of guide!” “If only I knew a few other people who thought the same way!”?
We've put it together for you, actually. We've been talking about these same things, little by little, for years now, right here on Like Mother, Like Daughter.
And I encourage you to be that friend who starts the conversation with others; who makes a little pocket, right where you are, of like-minded culture warriors.
But we didn't go about it in the usual way, so you might not realize it. What do I mean? I mean, there's no national headquarters or newsletters or dues or membership forms… it starts with you, just like he's saying. The thing is, movements as such take a lot of energy. You know we only have so much energy… best concentrate it on the actual project, and not let it get sapped by the process.
Reading Esolen's piece yourself, and reading it with your husband, and reading it together with friends would be a spirited start for your St. Gregory Pocket, which is Like Mother, Like Daughter's suggestion for putting these important ideas into practice. (You can read all our thoughts and suggestions by perusing the archive, starting from the bottom up.)
We are providing you with the encouragement and the object lesson of just beginning, yes, from the ground up. There are already many Pockets! Maybe there is one near you (scroll down the post to see) — yes, even in Europe! If not, start one with bold friendship!
Here's a thought from Deirdre: As you get together with your friends, why not take a few pictures — pictures of the couples reading together, the friends discussing, the children running around. Make an effort to get a Pocket meeting in before the summer is over (at least one!), and then send us a picture or two of what's going on. It can be in your backyard, it can be at the beach, it can be blueberry picking! We'll include your pictures in a post!
The feast of St. Gregory is at the beginning of September, so let's use the rest of the summer to be ready to celebrate with what he would love best, a recovery of the “city” — the city of God, which is simply Christian living together with others — one foot here in the world, one in our heavenly home.
A glorious feast of St. James the Apostle to you! And tomorrow, please join us in begging St. Anne for her intercession for all the needs of our readers. We love you!
~We’d like to be clear that, when we direct you to a site via one of our links, we’re not necessarily endorsing the whole site, but rather just referring you to the individual post in question (unless we state otherwise).~
Tia says
Those are beautiful, Deirdre! One question: is the white and yolk still inside? And if so, how come it doesn’t rot/degrade over time? If not, how do you suck out the contents without damaging the outside shell?
Deirdre says
Hi Tia! I answered a similar question on the last post that featured pysanky, so I’m copying it for you here:
“I have always blown out eggs (using a pump like this: http://www.allthingsukrainian.com/Supplies/EBB.html) and then cleaned them out thoroughly. I’ve heard about leaving them whole, but that makes me nervous. On top of the issue of rot, I think I’d be more likely to drop a full egg than an empty one.
I keep mine submerged in my dyeing jars by pushing them down with a spoon and then holding the spoon in place with a rubber band around the jar and over the spoon handle (hope that makes sense?).”
Thanks for the compliment! (It’s just one egg though – just several views of the same egg. 🙂 )
Becky says
Thank you for sharing the Tolkien piece! I loved it! I have also enjoyed this letter that John Steinbeck once wrote to his eldest son upon hearing that he was in love…not quite the same message, but I enjoyed reading it, none the less. http://www.lettersofnote.com/2012/01/nothing-good-gets-away.html
anothermom says
Thank you for your timely words Leila. Just opened your page after a stressful afternoon grocery shopping, where it seemed like EVERYONE and their distant relatives had the same idea, in spite of scorching heat and humidity. Two incidents while shopping and driving home verify the difference we CAN make in this world both involved “the kindness of strangers”! I drove home smiling and contemplating the difference small acts of kindness really do make in this life! I also find grocery shopping a blessed opportunity to practice, and notice, kindness and patience ~ as well as a wondrous chance to pray for souls we might otherwise never encounter on this journey to Heaven! I’m hoping and praying I might be able to attempt a small St. Gregory Pocket if I can gather a few friends at our local blueberry farm, where the bushes were planted in 1956, the year I was born, and only cost $1.25 a pound! Thank you for always brightening our weekends with bits & pieces of your lives! I’m looking forward to reading the links later, and savoring each & every one!
Evelyn says
Great Esolen article! Definitely a must read for everyone!
Mary Lou says
There actually is a worldwide movement, I do believe it is begun also in the East, and is already 100 years old, but anyway it is called the Schoenstatt Movement. God calls into these times people who answer the needs of the times. There is so much good literature on this movement of renewal ~ the books are many and can be found at any local center. We’ve been so blessed to have raised our family in it and wish so many more people knew of it. It helps practically, spiritually and naturally ~ all levels of being human and is a gift to our times as are The Little Oratory and all of you … I’m sorry if I keep writing about this parallel, but it is so very parallel to LMLD! And it’s all about family and Christ at the very center ~ so much love to you too!
Diana says
Thank you for the Esolen article! It was wonderful!!
Cheers,
Diana
(resident Protestant fan)
Libby Jane says
Of course! The hart and the monk from The Herb of Grace!
Celeste says
I just finished Pilgrim’s Inn — not my first Goudge, but my first of the Eliot trilogy — and I found the whole St. Eustace legend absolutely fascinating. Besides adoring the book, of course!
Libby Jane says
Yes! The way they reclaimed, and uncovered, and restored the old Inn inspired me as we got our much abused- century old home ready to live in. “To the glory of God!” Is the cry for pulling plastic aqua tiles off a mouldering kitchen wall!
Leila says
Yes, Libby Jane, that was my first introduction to the meaning of the hart! Love those books!
Laura Jeanne says
Thank you for the links this week, they were especially good this time around. I really enjoyed the Esolen article especially.
In that article, he mentions that in the past, people used to “dress becomingly.” I completely agree – in old photographs, people tend to look fabulous! And I can’t stand seeing people in the grocery store wearing their pajamas. But I also am not quite sure what a modern stay at home mom should wear when she goes out, to be modest and becoming. Certainly, I’d look like a freak if I went out wearing white gloves and a hat…
Any time Leila that you might be willing to do a post on dressing nicely, for those of us who are fashion-challenged, I’m sure we’d all really be happy to hear what you have to say. I know you did one before about looking pretty after the baby, but I mean, just a general post about looking like a respectable wife and mother would be helpful to many of us I’m sure.
Donna L. says
I would love this, too! Great idea, Laura Jeanne!