Month: May 2007

  • May’s Simple Pleasures

    ~ Homemade hamburger buns. 
    My mom made the best. 
    I wish I had lessons from her.
    Do you see the baby’s breath and greenery in the pitcher? 
    They are lovely remnants of my Mother’s Day bouquet;
    I’m eager to use the pitcher as a pitcher!

    ~ Pansies.  They grow where other plants die.
    This box at the foot of our driveway lives
    under our neighbor’s pine tree.
    My SIL Val laughs that every space needs a ‘little splash of yellow.’

    ~After years of waiting, the hostas have filled in the north side of the house.

    ~ My girlfriend’s 12 year old son, whose last day of school was last Friday.
    He showed up on my doorstep and said,
    “I have a critical, desperately important question. 
    Do you have any books on ancient history,
    particularly on the Romans?”
    I gave him Genevieve Foster’s Augustus Caesar’s World.
    He’s also reading through my collection of Oxford
    and Cambridge edition Shakespeare plays.

    ~ A new poet: Edward Taylor.  Come back tomorrow for a taste!

  • Spring Reading Challenge Wrap

    Completed:

    The Discarded Image, C.S. Lewis
    Civilization of the Middle Ages, Norman Cantor
    An Anthology of Old English Poetry, trans. Charles W. Kennedy
    Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, trans J.R.R. Tolkien
    Sword and the Circle, Rosemary Sutcliff
    Light Beyond the Forest, Rosemary Sutcliff
    Road to Camlann, Rosemary Sutcliff
    The Cloister Walk, Kathleen Norris
    Life is So Good, George Dawson and Richard Glaubman
    The Famous Five, Five Get Into a Fix, Enid Blyton
    Death Be Not Proud, John Gunther
    Too Small to Ignore, Dr. Wess Stafford with Dean Merrill
    An Irish Country Doctor, Patrick Taylor
    Getting Serious About Getting Married, Debbie Maken
    Kristin Lavransdatter, The Bridal Wreath, Sigrid Undset
    Mornings on Horseback, David McCullough
    That Distant Land, Wendell Berry

    Halfway There:

    Divine Comedy, Dante
    Scarlet Music, Hildegard of Bingen, Joan Ohanneson
    The Autumn of the Middle Ages, Johan Huizinga
    The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer
    Ascent to Love, Peter Leithart
    Leepike Ridge, N.D. Wilson
    Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott

    On the Headphones, with thanks to The Teaching Company and my brother David:

    How to Listen to and Understand Great Music, Prof Robert Greenberg
    King Arthur and Chivalry, Professor Bonnie Wheeler
    Augustine, Philosopher and Saint, Professor Phillip Cary
    Medieval Europe: Crisis and Renewal, Professor Teofilo F. Ruiz
    The High Middle Ages, Professor Philip Daileader
    Medieval Heroines in History and Legend, Professor Bonnie Wheeler
    Great Masters: Brahms – His Life & Music, Prof. Robert Greenberg
    Great Masters: Robert & Clara Schumann – Their Lives and Music, Prof. Robert Greenberg
    Great Masters: Liszt – His Life & Music, Prof. Robert Greenberg
    Great Masters: Tchaikovsky – His Life & Music, Prof. Robert Greenberg
    Great Masters: Stravinsky – His Life & Music, Prof. Robert Greenberg

    My oldest son was at our house for dinner last night and with quiet excitement he told us that he had hit a personal best in bench pressing: 335!   He has been lifting and working out diligently and is now seeing results.  My bench pressing is pathetic (I was thrilled when I got five notches down) but I feel the same quiet thrill that I’m gettting stronger intellectually. 

    A sea change has occurred through a series of barely perceptible increments.  My taste, my preference, my enthusiasm in books has swung from Janette Oke romances (yes, I read them in the 80′s) to college history texts and classic literature.  This has taken place over decades and was greatly enhanced by the challenge of educating my children.  What has been encouraging has been that upon completion of a challenging book, I am motivated and excited to read and learn more.  Yesterday I just ordered Barbara Tuchman’s A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century and I hope I can find time to read it. 

    There are Wendell Berrys, David McCulloughs, Anthony Trollopes, Jeff Shaaras and Frances Mayes books beckoning to me from my shelves.  I used to view them as a Frango mint waiting in the freezer as a reward for loosing five pounds.  But now they are more like certificates of deposit gaining in value and waiting for their maturity date.  Oh I feel like an heiress with riches beyond comprehension.  I have books of excellence, books of renown, books full of delights hanging there, ripening, waiting for the first delicious juicy bite. 

    One last thing:  I have experienced a bit of loneliness in that much of what I’m reading is of no interest to the general public.  I sent my Latin teacher (a great medievalist) and his wife an SOS email yesterday.  They have moved across the country and are settling into their new home and environment.  But we. need. to. talk.  I miss our weekly dinners where we had the leisure to talk and visit and I could glean from their knowledge and wisdom.
    My husband is in his own orbit of study and preparation.  I’m certain he would appreciate someone with whom to process and bounce and talk over stuff.  So I am going to ask him which book he’d like me to read so our pursuits can intersect. 




  • Life is Strange

    I’ve been listening to several Teaching Company musical biographical courses…The Life and Music of [fill in the blank].  Today on my walk and at other odd and sundry moments of the day I listened to two lectures from Great Masters: Stravinsky – His Life and Music.  One entire lecture was devoted to The Rite of Spring and its infamous premiere which caused a riot to break out.  It is considered one of the seminal moments in the history of modern music, but it was, all the same, A Scandal.

    Professor Robert Greenberg, a wonderful and lively teacher, explained the asymmetrical rhythm patterns and then dubbed his voice on top of the Dance of the Adolescents with the numbers of the pulsing beat: 1-2-3-4-5-6-1-2 -1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-1-2-3-4-5-1-2-1-2-3…

    It’s most bizarre sounding.  Further, Professor Greenberg reminded me of a word I barely knew: ostinati,  constantly repeated melodic patterns (in contrast to a melody which has a destination and gets to said destination).

    Just a minute ago, I was skimming through my email and gave a quick glance at The Writer’s Almanac.  Oh my!

    Literary and Historical Notes:

    It was on this day in 1913 that The Rite of Spring premiered at the Théâtre des Champs–Élysées in Paris, a ballet with
    choreography by Vaslav Nijinsky and music by Igor Stravinsky.

    How strange it is that the day I learn about this event is the anniversary of the very day on which it was held!  With the time change between Oregon and Paris when I walking and listening is about the time the curtain would have gone up. 

    That being said, I don’t care for the jarring cacophony and dissonance of this piece.  My son said, Stravinsky might have been a nicer person than Tchaikovsky (who was a pedophile), but I like Tchaikovsky’s music better. 


  • To the Class of 2007


    “My concluding charge is this: First, love and honor your parents in all areas of life.  You graduates are going to be leaving home, but do not let your heart leave your parents….

    Second, love God in all areas and corners of your life. You graduates will be leaving your homes, but do not let your hearts leave your God.“

             ~ from a graduation speech given May 26, 2007
                 used by permission from Mr. Boyd, emphasis mine

    Here’s a question: do you ever have standard gifts that you give for special occasions? 

    I’m looking for new ideas for graduations, weddings and baby showers.  I used to buy five copies of The Joy of Cooking at a time, so it was handy and available whenever I got a wedding invitation.  There is something serendipitous  when you find the perfect item, on sale, and pick up several for the future.  I’m a little low on serendipity these days….

  • Fine Art Friday


    A Music Party
    Arthur Hughes, 1864

    This painting makes me laugh today. 
    What music can be playing that is putting them all into a stupor? 
    I just heard a most glorious concert of
    Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto
    which was thrilling in its vigor and virtuosity. 
    The boy in the back of A Music Party reminds me of my son
    during certain poetry readings…giving in to a languid, ‘this will eventually be over’ state.

    Happy Friday, all.

  • Kitchen Project

    My deep cleaning project for the next few months is my kitchen.  I’m taking absolutely everything out of each drawer and cupboard and cleaning with bleach before I put it back in beautiful array. I wrote in this post that “I’m convinced if I don’t love a clean house I won’t be consistent in keeping it clean.”  I attacked the silver ware drawer first.  And after I’d taken out the knives, forks and spoons I was aghast at how ghastly it really was. YIKES!

    I made a conscious decision to go with wood as much as possible and get rid of the plastic crap.  Sorry folks, but that’s how I feel. 

    My husband about croaked when I bought stainless steel measuring spoons that cost five times what the plastic ones cost.  Ya know, if we can’t splurge once in a while when we are almost 50, then when will we, I ask you? 

    My 16 year old son bets that I won’t keep it clean, with a wee bit of cynicism in that tone.  Thank you, my laddie.  You have just given me the right kind of inspiration. I’m still at the stage of perfect stacks of forks and spoons.  Hah!  This too shall pass.  Don’t despise the day of small beginnings.  It’s a good start that I love to keep this drawer clean!

    ~  La bella vita  ~

  • Vegetable Stir Fry

    This is for you, Dana.  I can never repay you for the most delicious black bean salad ever, but here’s a down payment.

    Put one glug (~ 1 T) of olive oil to a heated pan. Add chopped onions.
    Red onions give a lovely color, but sweet Walla Wallas or Vidalias work just as well.

     

    While the onions cook are cooking, chop up a pepper or two.
    Any color is great: I love red.

    These two jars are staples at my house.  I get them from Costco.
    They are on the splurgy side of life, but my husband just loves both.
    It’s quite an easy way to make my man happy. 
    And since he keeps me warm (in many ways) I love to keep him happy.

    This isn’t looking real purty right now,
     but those sun dried tomatoes are bursting with flavor.
    At this point last night I went to get the ingredient that makes a difference:
    frozen sugar snap peas.
    Horrors!! 
    What I thought was peas was lima beans!! 
    Do I substitute limas and hope no one notices?  Yikes!
    What’s this?  Oh, frozen cubes of pesto  from the garden: let’s try them.

     

    At this point I added some cooked morel mushrooms, which are very dark.
    While it tasted divine, I refused to take a picture.
    Fortunately I had taken a picture last week so let’s substitute it:

    Isn’t that a beauty?

    I only add salt for seasoning.
    If it’s a special day you could add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

    I vary this according to what veggies are in the house.

    You could add:

    Cubed potatoes (add them first and cook them well)
    Broccoli or Cauliflower
    Fresh tomatoes in place of the sun-dried tomatoes
    Zucchini
    Thinly sliced carrots
    Green beans
    Corn
    Mushrooms
    Asparagus

  • Kristin Lavransdatter

    This photo was taken from the campground where we just spent two days with my husband’s folks.   We spent one day mushrooming (boy-howdy, did we get the morels) and one day bass fishing.

    Curt and I have an understanding:  I bring a book and read until the fishing is hot.  Then, and only then, will I fish.  Otherwise, he gets to run the boat, cast away, reel in to his heart’s content.  Better yet, he doesn’t have to untangle lines.  We’re both content and get to be together doing what we love.  We soak up the quiet, punctuated by the plop of a  fish jumping, the quiet hum of the trolling motor or the gossipy chuck-chucking of a chukar on the bank.

    My book fascinated and occupied me.  I first heard of Kristin Lavransdatter reading a book list; I took note when Elisabeth Elliot named it her favorite novel.  Set in medieval Norway, it tells the tale of a young woman who grows up her father’s favorite child, but refuses his choice of husband preferring a morally unsuitable man.  [I read the first book of the trilogy, The Bridal Wreath.]  Well.  This is a tale of universal application – girl loves the wrong boy. 

    What I appreciated about this book is the same thing I liked in Anna Karenina. It is an honest portrayal of love, lust, sex and everyday life after the roll(s) in the hay.  The wages of sin is death, but we’re dishonest if we pretend that the advance draw isn’t delicious.   Sigrid Unset does an excellent job revealing the deceit, the subtle changes in thinking, the isolation and the separation that follow Kristin on the path she takes.

    And sometimes in church, and elsewhere too, she would feel a great yearning to take part in all that this meant, the communion of mankind with God.  It had ever been a part of her life; now she stood outside with her unconfessed sin. (p.166)

    When I was a girl at home ’twas past my understanding how aught could win such power over the souls of men that they could forget the fear of sin; but so much I have learnt now: if the wrongs men do through lust and anger cannot be atoned for, then must heaven be an empty place. (p.174)

    It is painful to see the tight knit love between Kristin and her father Lavrans snag, tear and unravel.

    You have wrought sorrow and pain to many by this waywardness of yours, my daughter — but this you know, that your good lies next to my heart. (p.211)

    “Father,” said Kristin, “have you been so free from sin all your life, that you can judge Erlend so hardly–?” “God knows,” said Lavrans sternly, “I judge no man to be a greater sinner before Him than I am myself.  But ’tis not just reckoning that I should give away my daughter to any man that pleases to ask for her, only because we all need God’s forgiveness.” (p.226)

    People in the midst of self-gratification seldom think of the effect their actions will have on other people, or how many people they will affect. 

    “Much have I done already that I deemed once I dared not do because ’twas sin.  But I saw not till now what sin brings with it — that we must tread others underfoot.” (p.259)

    In the end, Kristin gets what she wants – minus the joy.  What she thought would fulfill her doesn’t satisfy.

  • The Envy of the Neighborhood

    Two yards of compost….black gold.  Oh yeah, baby!

  • The Martyr of Solway

    The Martyr of Solway (1871)
    Sir John Everett Millais

    Margaret Wilson, a Scottish Covenanter, is the Martyr of this picture.  You can learn more about her story here.  You can learn more about the painting here. 

    Her epitaph:

    Within the sea, tied to a stake,
    She suffered for Christ Jesus sake.