The weekly “little of this, little of that” feature here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
Here we have the spoils of my Super Bowl yarn shop foray. There was a fun sale… and guess what? The owner was holding a raffle and I was one of the winners!! I got a book and four balls of yarn! My friend is bringing my winnings later on today. I'm super excited!
This week's links:
- I had no idea that important records in Britian (and perhaps elsewhere?) are kept on vellum, which is calfskin parchment: MPs plan last ditch bid to save the thousand-year-old tradition of recording Britain's laws on Vellum.
- An excellent meditation on silence in all its forms from Cardinal Sarah: Silence in the Liturgy. This essay is a wonderful companion to our discussion of The Spirit of the Liturgy and quotes from Ratzinger's book. Glad he mentions stores and offices “where they impose incessant background music on you.” I happen to think that much of the stress people experience today comes from having this grating exposure to “music” without relief. But there's so much more in this piece!
- One of my favorite food bloggers writes about a method for making beans that I have never hear of — have you? Brined, not soaked, beans. Except I think you do soak them — just in brine. Right?
- How interesting is this long piece about the book, The Bridge of San Luis Rey, and early Mexican music. Believe me, colonial Mexican music is a revelation. My very tippity-top composer is Tomás Luis de Victoria, and Cristóbal de Morales is wonderful as well. The article has some embedded videos that are well worth listening to as a good introduction to this form of music. The two Magnificats and the orchestral piece are sublime.
- I feel like building a basement jungle gym for the kids is a good idea (probably not in my basement, which is dirt and stone and big and cold). Maybe just because it's February and my New England mom instincts are kicking in…
- My father was a professor of industrial engineering and I think sometimes it shows here on bits & pieces… anyway, this .gif pleasingly demonstrates the workings of the sewing machine bobbin and the importance of threading the machine correctly. Seriously — if you are thinking that your machine is a problem, I just want you to know that the likelihood that you've threaded it wrong is very high. Ask me how I know…
- Did you know that condoms can increase the chances of pregnancy? The logic is flawless…
- A straight news story from the Chief on a matter of great importance: the meeting between the Pope and the Russian Patriarch.
- Speaking of Russia and the Church: A Miracle of Liturgical Art: The Church of the Protection of the Mother of God at Yasenevo. You have to see these images and read the amazing story of the construction and decoration of this shrine.
- Finally, our very own Bridget files this report from Rome! Philosophy, poetry, singing, dancing…
It's the feast of St. Catherine de Ricci.
Don't forget that we are doing a Book Club here on the blog. You can read along or just read the posts… check in for comments and homework! (This would be a great study for your St. Gregory Pocket!)
Still hoping to see you at this beautiful Mass — the Ordinariate’s Feast of Title and Dedication on the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, to take place on Feb 22, 7:30 pm at St. Patrick’s upper church, 9 Pomeworth St. Stoneham MA. The Chief and I plan to be there (hope it doesn't snow). If it doesn't go too late, we are hoping to stay afterwards for refreshments in the hall. Can you come?
~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).~
Carol Kennedy says
I love Bridget’s story! The whole package is there–the intellectual life, art, poetry, the music, singing, dancing, joy! And I turned to my husband and said “I think Thomas More College may rival Hillsdale for the ‘dream college’ for our kids!!!”
Lisa G. says
Yes! Bridget’s encounter with the Italian man sounds delightful. God bless him for still retaining an interest in his fellows. I enjoyed all the essays and photos, but when I clicked to the one of Padre Pio – WOW! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Cristina says
I love the idea of more silence in the liturgy (and in life in general) but I have to say that in my current state of life–i.e. with a parcel of noisy children in tow–I don’t mind the lack of silence in our services. It’s always the daily masses with their complete lack of music at our historic (read: echoing. So very, very, echoing) church that give me anxiety attacks. Every noise the children make is amplified to a horrific degree in the silence. Now if I could fill the silence with prayers instead of hushing noises I might feel differently 🙂
Jana says
Ha Ha! I feel the same way about the “waiting”-type silence that is found in the liturgy – you know, where the priest is sitting down, totally quiet. I’m always ‘on alert’ when I’m with my littles during those times. On the other hand, the silence when the priest is preparing the cruets, or purifying the vessels, or incensing the altar – those are very organic silences in which to unite yourself to the bread and wine that is to be offered, to the rising smoke, etc…and my children get to watch what is happening, so they tend toward quiet, too. It’s the difference between the silence of a waiting room and the silence of watching your Mother knead the dough. One is a ‘nothing’ silence and the other is focused, attentive, meditative, purposeful. I long for more of that.
Colleen Randall says
Cardinal Sarah is the speaker at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. this year! It’s May 17. A great opportunity to hear him in person. Would love to see all the DC area LMLD readers there!
Anamaria says
Thanks for the great round up. My husband is always talking about the importance of silence in the liturgy. At our parish, the recessional for lent is silence.
For anyone who loves beans, Marcella’s bean soup (on the brine your jeans link) is a great Lenten meal, as are many of her soups! If you don’t have the Essentials of Italian Cooking, get it! If I could I only cook out of one cookbook until I died, this would be it.
M. says
Good Morning, Leila. This is a very good post, but the link to the vellum article seems not to work. When I clicked on the link, the message that shows is a blank page with about:blank where the address should be. I’d really like to read this article. Is there any other way to access it? Thank you and God bless.
Leila says
Thanks, M, I fixed the vellum link.
M. says
Thank YOU, Leila. Beautiful, just beautiful. God bless.
Cathy L. says
Here in south Louisiana, I was always taught to soak beans in salted water. But, honestly, I don’t find that it really makes a noticeable difference (yes, sometimes I’m too lazy and/or tired to toss some salt into the bowl of water :/) Most of the time, I don’t even soak them overnight, anyway, because #mombrain. Other than having to continually add water throughout the unsoaked-beans cooking process, it all comes out the same in the end for me. If I don’t soak them overnight (read between the lines: forgot the night before), I just start them early and cook them longer. Or, you know, I tell them we are having ‘beans al dente’, and it’s delicious! It’s all about the marketing when feeding a large family, anyway, right?? Although, I have picked up a ‘cheat’ somewhere along the way, for when you forget to soak the beans the night before, or you decide sometime during the day that you are changing your dinner plans to red beans and rice that evening. You bring the beans to a rolling boil with water and salt (same amount as if you were going to do a regular soak); turn the heat to the pot off, put the lid on, then soak for an hour. That’ll put you at the “just soaked overnight” stage.
That sewing gif! Gold 🙂 It took me several watches to really get it, but I feel so satisfied now that I have unveiled one of life’s greatest mysteries. My kids will enjoy that one, too, I think.