The weekly “little of this, little of that” feature here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
Starting the fall cleanup, in a most desultory way, despite the glorious weather that judges anyone who isn't outside from dawn to dusk! I don't know what my issue is, but it's not easy for me to get out there. I have to trick myself all sorts of ways…
I want to plant a cover crop, and I have the seeds all ready to go — that I bought last year, sigh. Maybe it's too late now to plant, but I think I will anyway. It's buckwheat and I think it will help my soil. So even though things are still sort of going along out there (we've only had one light frost!), I tried to do a little cleaning out to get ready.
I do have this issue with pulling out a plant that might still have some life left in it (which explains how my beds get so overcrowded — I just hate foregoing a plant, even though obviously it's not going to thrive all stuck in together). But enough!
E. g. green tomatoes. I am as we speak processing 36 cups of chopped green tomato (into chutney and ketchup — the latter a first for me, so here's hoping). But I can't bear to pass over these stragglers I pulled out yesterday:
I mean, what if the reason we don't make it through the winter is that we were seven green tomatoes short?!? I can read the headlines in the spring right now! “Family found not to have survived — pantry bare — compost forensics show rashly tossed apparently viable veggies from the fall!”
I know, we'll have fried green tomatoes. Okay!
On to our links!
- One good teacher. I encourage you to read this article! It's more about appreciating the good people we meet in our lives who challenge us, and about being challenging to those we love, than about school or anything like that. But, I will say, in a good world, there would be schools with teachers like “Pop” Shaver. (The post also has great ideas for poems to get your children to memorize.)
- Interesting game theory and medieval inside ball: Why the trial by ordeal was actually an effective test of guilt. Huge, if true!
- Richard Wilbur, poet, died last week. May his memory be eternal! It's worthwhile to recall this excellent essay about his life and writings, God's patient stet. (Stet for those who don't know is the proofreader's mark conveying “let it stand”; most often, “actually, don't delete.”)
- It's so terrible and narcissistic when people only talk about themselves! But… in this week's mini-essay about friendship, John Cuddeback does a little examination of conscience.
- As you know, I love C. S. Lewis' Abolition of Man. A short essay (actually series of talks) that packs a huge wallop in terms of philosophical thought. Justin Dyer writes on The Abolition of Mad Men and the importance of “nursery-like belief in objective values,” or what I like to call “givens.”
- The story of the conversion of Joy Lewis, C. S. Lewis' wife, in her own words and with one of those fun doodles (if you are in your email, come to the site to see this video or click here) (the second part loads after the first):
- Two weeks ago the Chief and I went to Hillsdale, MI to give talks. Mine were kindly recorded. If you are interested, here you go! I will also post them on my Speaking page (where you can also see what talks I give and ponder asking me to speak to your group!). These talks were for a ladies' retreat, so they went a bit longer than usual. Actually, I have no idea how long I spoke and would probably prefer not to know, as I am sure it was way too long, oops, sorry! Such patient ladies!
The first talk was Praying in the Home, Saving the World:
The second was on the Four Secrets to Destruction-Proofing Your Family. If that title triggers you, give a listen:
(In the essay above, on friendship, that I linked to, John Cuddeback charmingly resolves to do better in the listening department, especially with his wife. That is the sort of advice I give when I give this talk to men as well as women, but it didn't make it in this time, as I was addressing only women! Well, there were two men, but about 80 women! So I went with that. Oh my gee, imagine how long the talk would have been… )
I have never posted audio files this way before. I think you could download and save for later listening by right-clicking? I hope you can listen at all!
Today we commemorate Sts. Ursula and Companions.
From the archives:
- I suppose the weather will get cold at some point: How to dress your children when it does.
While you’re sharing our links with your friends, why not tell them about Like Mother, Like Daughter too!
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
I, too, have a hard time getting myself outside. But there is so much to do inside. It’s so hard for me to learn that, in life, you very often have to make a choice of one thing over another, and then let the rest go. It frustrates me to see things getting behind. I don’t see myself as a perfectionist, but I must be a something-ist – don’t know what. 😎 Loved the piece about the teacher! Look forward to seeing the other links later.
Dixie says
Thank you so much for posting your talks. I have been longing to hear more from you about the four secrets and I really enjoyed the chance to hear you expound on them. I seem to need endless encouragement as my husband and I try to do the “setting up” work of this first decade!!
Elizabeth S says
If you ever need something less fiddly than frying for green tomatoes, my family gobbles this up: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/09/dinner-tonight-green-tomato-curry-with-potatoes-and-garlic-recipe.html It packs a spicy-garlicy wallop good for when it really gets cold and your counter is debilitatingly filled with things you hope might ripen before they turn to mush (tell me I’m not the only one!).
Thank you for posting your talks!
Leila says
Oh, thanks for the recipe!
Erica says
Long-time lurker here! The article about Pop Shaver brought tears to my eyes. How many boys today could use such a mentor? As much as I support (and practice) homeschooling, many boys of a certain age and temperament need an influence like Pop Shaver in their education.
Laura says
I love the article about Pop Shaver. I wish I knew which books he had them read besides Ivanhoe! I’m really looking forward to the high school years of homeschooling- hopefully we can hang in there. I know you have the library project, Leila, but what books did you use for your kids in high school? Did you vary it with each kid? How did you decide?
Jody says
“I mean, what if the reason we don’t make it through the winter is that we were seven green tomatoes short?!? I can read the headlines in the spring right now! “Family found not to have survived — pantry bare — compost forensics show rashly tossed apparently viable veggies from the fall!””
Yes! Exactly! You’ve said it exactly right!
(Perhaps I read too much Laura Ingalls as a child??)
Mrs. Bee says
Thank you for posting the talks! I found the time to listen to the first one this morning, and would love to share it with my husband and children – just recently we were talking about praying, and how it’s not just saying prayers. It was also great to hear you explain the meaning of Sunday again – I miss your long posts on these things! I just think it’s the price of having you writing a book 🙂
Why can’t we all be like Pop Shaver…
Shamans Monica says
I want to know how you trick yourself! Also, I want to be Pop Shaved. Finally, I reread that sibling rivalry post and am glad I did.
Anel says
Whaaa! You didn’t give an Ivanhoe spoiler alert on the teacher article! Haha. Reading it for the first time. Averted my eyes after the second sentence… so I’ll have to finish the article only after I’ve finished Ivanhoe.. 😊
Aileen Tennill says
I love fried green tomatoes but frying is so messy and I’m the only one in my household who will eat them. I’m trying green tomato pie, which sounds awful but is supposed to taste almost like apple. I was a bit worried but it smells great so we’ll see.
jadeddrifter says
Thanks so much for posting your talks, they were both so good! I’m glad you pointed out that seeking a trendy, middle-class lifestyle as an end in itself is idolatry. I keep having this temptation to want my home to be shiny and perfect, and I kept thinking of it as a temptation to worldliness–which it is–but you are also right that it is idolatry; the two vices are both parts of the same demon (figuratively? literally?). You filled in a piece I sort of knew was missing but didn’t know what it was–but you always do that!