The weekly “little of this, little of that” feature here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
My life right now: laundry, laundry, laundry… and artwork! And nursing!
The last photo here is a candid shot of the center of my home, my big ole kitchen table. Past the messy randomness of artwork is a load of folded laundry, waiting to be put away. Just after taking this photo, I dumped a load of diapers on one of the chairs to be folded once the space has been cleared — in order to make room on the clothesline for another load to dry!
There are projects afoot and artistic plans and inspired visions and… meals to get on the table and that same patch of floor to be swept again and laundry to be done. I would tell you more about all of it, but that would take up precious time that must be used for artwork… until the next load beckons. I'm sure you know how it feels, anyway!
(Full disclosure: My mom sent along almost all of the articles below; I admit that I do very little online reading these days!)
It's all good, because the sun is shining. That's all I ask. I can do without a fair bit of sleep if the sun just keeps shining (not speaking rhetorically; saying this from experience).
This week's links!
- Auntie Leila says, “I had posted this on Facebook. It says some things that need to be said. Although for most people, such a high school does not exist locally, it's still worthwhile to have principles in mind and to reject false criteria:” How to Choose the Right Catholic High School for Your Children.
- On obfuscation and gibberish, and being able to identify it: Reflections on Being the Dumbest Man in the Room.
- Stephanie from Littles Make the World Go Round wrote this lovely meditation on D-Day and how each of us, doing his part, can save the world for ourselves and each other – if we have the courage to do it: The Toehold. I love this line from the post: “In the crisis a handful of heroes came forward. They were men who decided that, however hopeless the battle seemed, they themselves would try to do something.”
- A little memoir-esque piece on the struggle to be a neat person even if one's nature is to be sloppy and lazy: Making a Marriage Magically Tidy from the NYTimes. “Because now, when my husband comes home, the first thing he sees is me.” Humorous but -warning: some straight-up gross stuff discussed.
- Post-Pentacostal Depression. Again, from Auntie Leila: We are coming to the end of the phantom Pentecost Octave. Maybe with enough clamor, it can be made real again. Our friend Fr. Imbelli makes the case for a cup of joy running over.
- What are BFFs for but to share crucially important information with each other? A prime example being my girl Lauren letting me know about the privilège du blanc. Clutch papist/fashion trivia.
In the Liturgical Year:
- Ever heard of St. Landericus?
From the Archives:
- Ask Auntie Leila: Will Homeschooling make Me Lose my Mind?
- The One Method of So-Called Discipline that Doesn't Work
- The Blitz
~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).~
Lisa G. says
There’s only so much time in a day (although we’re in the longest days now! yipee!), so I’m glad you are able to fit in your artwork. It seems like maybe it’s a job you’re doing? Not just for practice or enjoyment.
As a rather old-fashioned girl, I find it strange that women are encouraged to wear head coverings to see the Pope, but not to see God at Mass. Who’s the important one? 😀 Just a thought.
Deirdre says
Lisa, you make a thought-provoking point about the mantilla! 🙂 I am at that point (again) where I’m considering pulling out mine for regular use…. but I must admit it seems like it would be hugely distracting to me to try to juggle it along with the various kiddos!
And yes, I have commissioned work that I’m needing to carve time out for!
Lisa G. says
Deirdre, I will tell the reason why *I* wear one. In the 1980s, there was an alleged apparition site in Bayside, NY, and I used to read all the messages, etc. etc. The alleged seer said women were supposed to cover their heads during Mass. Since I believed in these apparitions, I felt I had to do this. I later came to doubt these visions, but I could never come up with a good enough reason to stop wearing the veil. It’s not that I want to, although everyone at church is used to seeing me in it. First of all, there’s the comment from St. Paul in 1st Corinthians that women should cover their heads when they pray (although I don’t do it when I’m praying except at the church). Then there’s the fact that the Blessed Mother always appears with her head covered – hmm, that seems to mean something. Except at La Salette, where she’s wearing that unusual headdress/crown. I think that’s the only time. Thirdly, female seers who receive apparitions always seem to end up wearing the veils, and that seems to mean something.
So, here I am, rather stuck wearing the thing. (but I really don’t mind it – it’s second nature by now) 😀 As for my comment above, it struck me suddenly after reading the link.
On another note, a few years back I went to a Jewish synagogue – Conservative – to a concert of chamber music written by inmates of concentration camps. This place was in the next town to us and in an old house – I’d always wanted to see the inside of it, so we went. I was very surprised to see that some of the women who came – parishioners – wore the small, round chapel veils on their heads! I don’t know why, since I though Jewish men were the ones to cover their heads. But they wore them in a funny way; they were pinned onto the head at the back of the crown and looked like they’d been blown back by a wind, in other words they were hanging off the back of their heads. Still, they were wearing them! It’s all so interesting!
NY Mom says
Deirdre, do you know that beautiful Polish painting of Our Lady hanging out her laundry? Check this out:
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/8303580540587051/
Deirdre says
I do love that one! Thanks, NY Mom!
NY Mom says
Deirdre, do you know that beautiful Polish painting of Our Lady hanging out her laundry? Check this out:
https://www.leafletonline.com/polish-madonna-picture#.UxLIf9xH2lI
Catie H says
Those links from the archives – “Will homeschooling make me lose my mind?”, and “The one method of so-called discipline that doesn’t work.” …
How did you KNOW?
Seriously, the seasonal discernment of you LMLD gals is remarkable!
Deirdre says
Catie H, I do usually go back into the archives for the month I’m posting in (e.g., when writing a June {b&p}, I look back into the June archives for things to share), so it might just be that the original posting was at just the right time of year!
And sometimes, too, I post the things that I think I need to re-read… 🙂
Colette says
Dorky cloth diapering question — are those hemp inserts for your pocket diapers? How are you finding them? I have the microfiber ones and am at a point where I need to replace most of them and I’m not thrilled with the microfiber. I’m also an apartment dweller and line dry, so I’m looking for things that dry well and don’t get all stiff.
Follow up question: did you have issues with leaks when your elder son got older? I’ve been finding that when mine pees it results in the front getting soaked and the back staying dry. I’ve been trying to figure out a way out of that.
Dixie says
Do you ever put a doubler in the front? Just lay it right in there. That is what we have done.
Deirdre says
Colette, I have microfiber inserts for the most part.
The brand that makes up most of my stash is Smartipants. I appreciate about them that the sleeve/pocket part dries very soft, so even when the other parts line-dry all stiff and hard, the overall feeling is still soft on the bum. I use the microfiber inserts + extra microfiber inserts or cotton prefolds to stuff each pocket. The Smartipants liner on its own doesn’t do it for us, absorption-wise.
Actually, all my kids (it seems) have been heavy wetters. We do double-stuffing (as I described) from the get-go and I use BumGenius for my older son — tripled stuffed with the concentration of fabric up front – to get reliable absorption (that really does work and one of those can last him a long time). Right now we’re doing disposable at night as I’m not confident in any of our options for the long, overnight haul.
Annnnd today I just did a heavy-duty cleaning of my whole stash, with two cycles tinged with bleach, to get back on track, because we were having leaks constantly. I think it just happens when I go for a while in my normal laundry routine and forget to do a monthly bleach cycle. So I’m hoping that tomorrow’s diapers will perform better. 🙂
Hope that helps!
Stephanie says
Thank you for linking to my post! I think so highly of this blog, it was quite the compliment to my little effort. God bless! Xxoo
Deirdre says
Thanks, Stephanie! And definitely – it was a heartening read!!