The weekly “little of this, little of that” feature here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
It's hot!
But that's okay, we'll survive. We'll survive the thunderstorms, the floods, the tornados, and the earthquakes. If we don't survive them, it will be because the good God wants to call us home — let's be prepared — in our souls — for that!
What I personally may not survive is alerts on my phone every ten minutes every time we have a summer storm!
A little lull before the schedule hots up again, with friends' weddings and our own 40th anniversary celebration, which will be low-key with a beautiful Mass in the Extraordinary Form celebrated by our good friend who just became a priest (see Rosie's updates on IG for more) and a family vacation (with all my kids and grandkids!).
If I'm not here, you'll know why!
The chicks are doing well so far, and the garden is growing.
My even more committed no-dig approach has made a huge difference in how much time and effort is needed for weeding. We shall see how it works out for actual harvesting! So far the lettuce has been much better.
These are my Armenian cucumbers. I planted them out a little late because our nights were still cool and to try to fool the beetles. In the past few years I haven't had any luck at all with cucumbers, so we'll see! (I'm wearing a black skirt because I went out there right after Mass this morning. Don't worry, I'll change now.)
There's a Canadian crookneck squash in the center along that fence; I'm hedging my bets with the squashes, sticking them in various places in my garden.
Is it really not so photogenic to just use a wire shelf as a support for whatever those are — some cucumber-like volunteers that I plunked there, in front of some tomatoes (which are lined front and back with zinnias and marigolds). “We shall see” is the motto of my gardening adventure!
By the way, in that pic you can see the two extremes of my aesthetic: galvanized watering can (sweet! so country!) and wagon full of milk jugs of water (trashy but necessary, because dragging the hose down can be done, but results in too much water use in this heat).
Pull the garlic yet or no? (If “pull,” say in a couple of days when the heat breaks!)
On to our links!
- “The visitor to Bob Jones University campus [to their amazing art museum] who knows only of the school’s unfortunate reputation will be bemused and bewildered. “How is it that a school once known for being racist, rabidly fundamentalist and virulently anti-Catholic could have acquired such an outstanding collection of Catholic art?” The questions continue: “What do the fundamentalist students make of the art collection? How do the anti-Catholic supporters of Bob Jones University feel about the overtly Catholic artwork?” — edited to say that the museum has been closed. — edited to say that you should look it up if you are headed that way — it could be that it's under construction.
- The Cathedral of Notre Dame came closer to being destroyed than we realize. The article has stunning graphics.
- The life-changing magic of making do: “When Prince Charles opens his closet, surely he does not ask if his fine double-breasted suit sparks joy. Instead, he asks: “Does this fine double-breasted suit fulfill my need for today, which is to wear a fine double-breasted suit while pointing at my subjects with two fingers?” It is a profoundly simple question, the spirit of which has been lost entirely today.” I don't know that I would conclude, as the author does (in an admittedly contrarian vein), that we need to be more materialistic; we certainly need to be more ordered in our consumption, is what I'd say!
- Another telling of the amazing (and harrowing) story of the miracle for the canonization of John Henry Newman.
- Here is a comprehensive article that is a must read — and must bookmark/save — on transgenderism: The Cracks in the Edifice of Transgender Totalitarianism. This is an article that you can hand to a medical professional, your pediatric practice, your friend who is losing her perspective, or what have you. Is transgenderism a kind of cult or social contagion? I have heard of many medical professionals who self-censure, against their better judgement, and of some who have already lost their jobs for merely questioning a diagnosis (a diagnosis with irreversible consequences). Harm is being done to people and those who resist are being silenced. What would you call that?
“There is not and never has been any scientific basis for Money’s dichotomy between gender and sex, interpreted as the idea that a person can be born into the “wrong” body. (As pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Quentin Van Meter puts it, “There is zero point zero zero” science behind the concept.) Yet Money’s social–political construct now dominates medicine, psychiatry, academia, and the culture at large.”
- Dr. John Money — not a medical doctor — is mentioned in the article. I highly recommend that everyone read the excellent account of how Money became the “father” (more like “anti-father”) of the transgender movement: As Nature Made Him (affiliate link). Money exploited a tragic event and vulnerable, ignorant parents to drive his patient to suicide, abusing him and his brother in the process. This side of his “treatment” is never mentioned when his name is brought up, by the way, although evidence that he was a sexual deviant is easily found in a simple search online.
The one factor not mentioned in these articles, but observed anecdotally by me, is the common thread of divorce in the lives of those struggling with their sex. Divorce or the absence of any sort of union at all between mother and father. At some point we have to face what happens when marriage is no longer the defining relationship in a society. Children can survive if most families are intact — even children from broken or never-made families can find their way. But when most children come from what is euphemistically (or mendaciously) called “irregular situations,” you have mass delusion and self-destruction.
From the archives:
- If you can afford a housekeeper, go for it. But if you can't, it's okay. Here is what you can learn from a housekeeper and all the reasons why you should (instead of just “blessing the mess”).
- Some of us don't have AC because our houses are too old to convert, we live where it's usually not hot (but then a heat wave comes through, like this week!), and we prefer to have doors and windows open. Here is how it's done!
Today is the feast of St. Apollinaris!
Emily says
Happy 40th! My parents just celebrated theirs last month. Such an achievement. They didn’t want anything from us kids–we asked!–but they did have a nice day to themselves, which, admittedly, is probably what they want more than anything else. 🙂 (Even though we’re all grown up now, it’s been a crazy first half of the year for our family, so they probably enjoyed a nice day alone!)
I started growing basil and mint this year, and the summer storms and heat have just destroyed them…..they’re making a valiant comeback, though. My poor lavender plant does not like all the rain we’ve been getting!
Melisa says
40 years…what a blessing! Happy Anniversary.
Shyla says
Wonderful round up, per usual! My best email of the week. Just yesterday, in the pool chatting with an older woman about canning (my favorite kind of person/conversation!), mentioned that she used to clean homes on the side. Her exact words: “once I got the house under control with a big deep clean, the job was easy! It’s just maintenance week after week.” I couldn’t help but think about your blog post! So true! Garden is looking great! I bet your garlic is fabulous (and yes pull it! After the heat lol!) although I don’t really know what I’m talking about with garlic since it was my first year planting 🤣😘 looks like you will have a nice, big harvest!
Shyla says
Also: Happy Anniversary!! 40 years!! How blessed! May God bless you many more! ❤️
NY Mom says
Ahh…the photo of you in your church clothes watering the garden reminds me of a favorite comment E. B. White made in his preface to his late wife Katherine’s book, “Onward and Upward in the Garden” (1958). They had a wonderful marriage. and he so admired her disciplined sense of order. He was struck by the way she would wander out into their Maine garden in her Ferragamos, oblivious to them being soiled, as the impulse to tend her beloved plants trumped concern for her shoes.
You can read most of the preface online at Amazon to get a feel for the writing – it’s wonderfully old-school and takes you straight in an era that is long gone.
Karen in SC says
FYI: The article about the Bob Jones Art Museum is from five years ago, and unfortunately the museum is now closed. It was a wonderful place to visit.
Leila says
Oh no! Thanks for the heads up.
Emily says
I looked up the museum just now- it is currently closed but it says just temporarily (reconstruction of the building it looks like . . .
Leila says
Thanks, I’ll just keep updating the post 😉
Kari Brane says
I’d be interested in reading As Nature Made Him, but my oldest child is 11 and I can’t get it in a ebook version from the library. I’m not sure I want to leave a book like that sitting around for my young children to read. Any thoughts about reading books that are inappropriate for children to read and how to navigate that?
Leila says
Kari, I would not leave it lying around, but I would put it on my bedside table or in my stack of books next to me on the sofa. Not every book is for a child to pick up! They have to learn this. They should respect others’ piles of books!
Some books have a cover with a picture that is quite disturbing — I would definitely not have such a book lying around. An image is something that can’t be unseen. But this one has a normal picture and shouldn’t attract attention.
I recommend that you help your children get into the habit of bringing a book that they are thinking of reading to you. I wrote about this here: http://likemotherlikedaughter.org/2013/07/library-project-should-parent-or-child/