Ten Thousand Places

Clippings!

2012-02-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

I am beat. But this weekend is going to be awesome. We're heading to our favorite dive for trivia night tonight. Our team is pretty good, so we could dominate, but we're also all eggheads, so we could fail colossally. For example, we have no one that really knows sports trivia. We're clearly not going to win at a dive bar if we don't have a sports person.

Don't forget: today is a day of prayer and fasting for our Bishops.

+ Did you know (this is so cool!) there used to be a language of stamps--as in how they were place on an envelope meant certain things. How fun! Read more here. (via The Paris Review blog)

+ I can think of many problems with these Christian themed designer knock-offs. Besides that they were probably made in China by children... and they're ugly. (Thanks, Sarah!)

+ I read somewhere this week that Super Bowl Weekend is the second most food centered weekend of the year. But I saw a surprisingly few number of food blogs pay any attention to it. It's ok, though. This is seriously the only chili recipe you ever need. And this weekend, you'll need it! (Eat Boutique)

+ Charles and Ray Eames are in the air it seems. Terry Teachout has been sharing a few of their fantastic films: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 (ugh, Terry, why don't you have an archive.)

+ I want to make all these citrus dishes. (Food 52)

+ Sally reminds us of a few important mottos. (These got me through my week, S!)

+ I've been trying out this "Pomodoro" method of productivity. (I never thought I'd say the words "method of productivity.") But it actually works really well for me--balancing the concrete tasks at hand with my constant desire to be doing something else.

+ From Rosetti: 25 things learned from opening a bookshop. My favorite is #21. (Salon)

+ Virginia Oyster Roast on a plantation with Rappahanock River Oysters. I am so jealous. (Garden & Gun)

+ My weekly "Oh my gosh I love love love the blog Letters of Note" post: this one is especially for Mom; E.B.White writing to the ASPCA about his dachshund, Minnie:

In spite of what your inspector reported, she has a license. She is licensed in the State of Maine as an unspayed bitch, or what is more commonly called an "unspaded" bitch. She wears her metal license tag but I must say I don't particularly care for it, as it is in the shape of a hydrant, which seems to me a feeble gag, besides being pointless in the case of a female.

Never-mind the Groundhog

2012-02-02T15:30:00.000-05:00

For the last two nights we've left our windows open during the night. This morning, sitting on the couch, drinking my coffee and trying to wake up, I could hear those cheerful little birds chirping away in the trees, stilled only by the coming school bus. What a treat!

I do miss the snow - or, rather, snow days. So if Phil is right, then that's ok by me. But this winter really has been fantastic. February 1st, and it was 70 degrees! In some ways it's even better than a CA winter: the nights are warmer than in CA (no matter how warm a day, we'd never keep the windows open at night), and there has been much less rain.

The HHS Mandate: I Support My Bishops

2012-02-02T12:00:00.000-05:00

According to thy word,
They shall praise Thee and suffer in every generation
With glory and derision,
Light upon light, mounting the saints’ stair.
Not for me the martyrdom, the ecstasy of thought and prayer,
Not for me the ultimate vision.
Grant me thy peace.
- T. S. Eliot, "A Song for Simeon"

I've been meaning to write about the HHS mandate, but have not found the time or mental and emotional energy to discuss it. To be perfectly candid, when the deacon at mass this Sunday ended his sermon discussing this gravely troubling action on the part of the Administration, I was completely overwhelmed and began crying in the pew. But today is the Feast of the Presentation, and I find the resigned, almost desperate plea of Simeon as told in Eliot's poem, and his resolute attachment to hope, the perfect inspiration this morning.

This mandate is one of the grossest abuses of power, and strikes at the very core of our understanding of human liberty. As I said before: It is not about contraception. It is not about the Catholic faith. It is about our most fundamental freedom - the one upon which all other freedoms are based - the freedom of conscience.

My friend Aaron recently mentioned that he wants a bumper sticker that says "I Support My Bishops." I wish I were a better graphics designer, and I'd make one for all our blogs (someone, please, do this!)

I would encourage all of you to sign the White House Petition. We need 25,000 signatures Feb. 27th - and are well on the way. And take a look at the USCCB website dedicated to this issue. Furthermore, I encourage you all to consider donating to Belmont Abbey and Colorado Christian University, for help in their suit against the Administration.

For more information:

+ Thomas Peters has rounded up the statements of bishops across the US--many of who required that their letter be read during Sunday's masses, or included in the bulletin. I expect this list to continue to update as the week moves on. He's been following this pretty closely, with daily updates (tuesday, wednesday), so keep an eye on American Papist.

+ Michael Greeson wrote powerfully in The Washington Post about this issue (and, in fact, the Post wrote in support of the bishops...sort of...in an editorial last week.) Here's the money quote from Greeson:

The implications of Obama’s power grab go further than contraception and will provoke opposition beyond Catholicism. Christian colleges and universities of various denominations will resist providing insurance coverage for abortifacients. And the astounding ambition of this federal precedent will soon be apparent to every religious institution. Obama is claiming the executive authority to determine which missions of believers are religious and which are not — and then to aggressively regulate institutions the government declares to be secular. It is a view of religious liberty so narrow and privatized that it barely covers the space between a believer’s ears.
Obama’s decision also reflects a certain view of liberalism. Classical liberalism was concerned with the freedom to hold and practice beliefs at odds with a public consensus. Modern liberalism uses the power of the state to impose liberal values on institutions it regards as backward. It is the difference between pluralism and anti-clericalism.

+ Many of the so-called Catholic Left (I hate this phrase as much as I hate Catholic Right; I'm sorry to be using it) have spoken out against this, including, most powerfully, E. J. Dionne and Michael Sean Winters. Here, from Winters:

President Barack Obama lost my vote yesterday when he declined to expand the exceedingly narrow conscience exemptions proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services. The issue of conscience protections is so foundational, I do not see how I ever could, in good conscience, vote for this man again.
I accuse you, Mr. President, of failing to live out the respect for diversity that you so properly and beautifully proclaimed as a cardinal virtue at Notre Dame. Or, are we to believe that diversity is only to be lauded when it advances the interests of those with whom we agree? That’s not diversity. That’s misuse of a noble principle for ignoble ends.
I accuse you, Mr. President, of betraying philosophic liberalism, which began, lest we forget, as a defense of the rights of conscience. As Catholics, we need to be honest and admit that, three hundred years ago, the defense of conscience was not high on the agenda of Holy Mother Church. But, we Catholics learned to embrace the idea that the coercion of conscience is a violation of human dignity. This is a lesson, Mr. President, that you and too many of your fellow liberals have apparently unlearned.

+ Elizabeth Scalia has so many quotes and links that I'll just send you over there for further reading.

+ Julie Davis takes it personally. And this terrified me, too, since I hope to run my own business in the not-to-distant future. (Though, not to spread wrong information, I read somewhere that it doesn't apply to companies with fewer than 50 employees.)

+ Join the Facebook group for a day or prayer and fasting for our Bishops: this Friday, Feb. 3rd.

(The Presentation by Fra Angelico)

Jams By Mags Marmalade Shop Opens Today!

2012-02-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

jams by mags

MARMALADE SHOP

winter 2012

Featuring the best of winter's bounty!

LIME MARMALADE with GINGER: You rose with the sun, and walked out onto your sunny Acapulco patio, and saw, hanging from the tree a beautiful, perfectly ripe lime. Unable to resist its gleaming rind and tempting fragrance, you sliced it open and, then and there, ate the entire thing. Its bright, tangy juice was pure bliss, and set the tone for a wonderful day.

Right? That's how I always wake up. Or, rather, I imagine that as I slather heaping piles of this marmalade on my morning toast, rushing to catch my bus, wrapped in 15 layers of scarves and jackets and sweaters. This Marmalade is tangy and bursting with fresh lime flavor, while ginger lends a gentle heat to kickstart your day. (It would also be killer as a glaze on roasted fish.)

LEMON MARMALADE with VANILLA: A complex and pleasing marmalade: this marmalade balances the cheerful tang of Meyer Lemon juice with characteristic bitterness of preserved rind and deep, luscious nature of Vanilla beans. I love this stirred into yogurt, or alongside a creamy brie.

TEDDY'S TODDY MARMALADE: Teddy's Toddy Marmalade will cure all your ailments! Whether you suffer from the debilitating missing-California-so-much-you-don't-know-what-to-do-with-yourself syndrome (it's real! I promise!) or the commonest of common colds, I assure you that this happy blend of lemon with Kentucky's finest bourbon, and a healthy dose of honey will make your cares go away! Spread on your morning toast, mix it into your tea, or, for the really desperate, heat it up a bit and pour over a chocolate brownie and a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream. And then tell me you don't feel better.

PINOT NOIR JELLY: Subtle and intriguing, this jelly is as deep as a ruby, and as clear, too. Light and vibrant, with the slightest hint of lemon, this jelly is perfect on your next cheese board, but would also work well with roasted chicken or pork chops.

BLANC des HERBES JELLY: White wine from Bordeaux and herbs de provence combine in this subtle, delicate jelly--perfect for cheese, a glaze for fish, or along side a perfectly roasted chicken.

ONION AWESOMENESS: Onions are sliced thinly and caramelized slowly over a low heat. Then I add sugar, organic cinder vinegar till it is tangy, not-too-sweet, deep and rich. They can be used as an equivalent to caramelized onions in nearly any recipe, but I especially like them scattered over pizza, topping a juicy burger, or spread on a salami and chevre sandwich. The possibilities are endless.

MINT JELLY: This Mint Jelly is delicate and vibrant. Using an apple jelly base, I steeped Virginia grown mint leaves. Lots of lemon juice makes it POP! It is the perfect accompaniment to roast meats, but I am partial to spreading it between layers of chocolate cake, too.

shop here!

Exercises in Serendipity: Blue and Gold

2012-01-31T15:30:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, trolling through Pinterest, I kept thinking of the word serendipity, because I kept seeing visual connections. Hence:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

The Title

2012-01-31T12:00:00.000-05:00

I can attribute probably 90% of my writing skills to the discipline of my high-school English professor. He didn't teach grammar--rather he expected that by the time we got to him, we understood basic English Grammar, and furthermore understood how to think and write critically. But he did, as I recall, have a list of ten-or-so rules which we had to follow, and which, if we broke them, he would dock a full ten points from our grade.

Those rules and standards are so ingrained in my habits that I can hardly even name them. But one stands out to me, particularly, even today. He insisted that we give a title to all our essays. If we were unable to give a title, we clearly had no idea what we were talking about, and he didn't have time for it.

Ten points for no title struck me as draconian at the time, but now, especially since I have to title every blog post and email (because what is a subject line if not a title), I've grown to love this little habit.

I was reminded of it yesterday when I stumbled upon a list from Paramount Studios to Alfred Hitchcock suggesting alternate titles for the film Vertigo. As I scrolled down the list, I had to wonder: did Paramount even watch the film? And, if Vertigo had been named The Mad Carlotta or A Life is Forever, would it have become the classic that it clearly is today? (Of the alternate titles, The Face Variations is most intriguing to me. Let me file that one away for a story that I probably won't ever write.)

Check out the whole list here, and tell me if you agree with Hitchcock.

Ps. I found this Czech movie poster, too. Yeah, don't think they really captured the spirit of the film, haunting though it is.

UPDATE: Other alternate movie titles.

Quotable: Vaclav Havel

2012-01-30T15:30:00.000-05:00

I am constantly preparing for the last judgment, for the highest court from which nothing can be hidden, which will appreciate everything that should be appreciated, and which will, of course, notice anything that is not in its place. I’m obviously assuming that the supreme judge is a stickler like me. But why does this final evaluation matter so much to me? After all, at that point, I shouldn’t care. But I do care, because I’m convinced that my existence—like everything that has ever happened—has ruffled the surface of Being, and that after my little ripple, however marginal, insignificant and ephemeral it may have been, Being is and always will be different from what it was before.

--Vaclav Havel, To the Castle and Back

by way of Paul Wilson's excellent article about the legacy of Vaclav Havel

in The New York Review of Books

The Powers of Ten

2012-01-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

Charles and Ray Eames were, of course, known for their design work; they created elegant and spare furniture, designed modern dream homes that, somehow, still had soul. They also, perhaps surprisingly, made one of the very best science films ever created: The Powers of Ten. I first saw this incredible video in High School. We had to take our science classes at the local junior college, because we didn't have a lab. Mr. C was a good friend of our school, and, as it happened, a professor of Chemistry and (best of all) Astronomy. And with both classes he would show this video, explaining that he could never decide between Astronomy--the study of the largest things known to man--and Chemisty, the study of the smallest things. But that both bowled him over with appreciation of God's bounty and power.

Find out more about the film here.

Thursday Clippings

2012-01-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

Guys, I am wiped out. I haven't returned a single phone call in a week and a half. I have a million emails to attend to. Besides having 7 different people staying at Cranford over the last week, and all the adventures surrounding the March for Life, work has been really, wonderfully busy this week. In spite of all of that (because of all of that?), this has been a really fantastic week, and looks to be a great, albeit full, weekend. So, here are clippings, a day early, and I'll see you on Monday.

+ Since I got my iPhone, I am much more active in twitter and instagram and facebook and pinterest and so forth, and I am thinking a lot about whether I should be, and how much I ought to share with the world. This article from The Vatican Insider about the Pope's thoughts on Tweeting gave much food for thought.

+ Related: The internet: a place of freedom, a bird flying high in the air, or "a great groaning table, creaking under bottomless platters of food and pitchers of drink, and we in our chairs, too exhausted to stand, mouths too numb to taste much, but with just enough energy to reach for more." (Chronicle of Higher Education)

+ Two of President John Tyler's grandchildren are alive. He was president in the 1841. But the math works out... (via NathanContraMundi)

+ From Hepburn comes this fun piece: movies posters from an alternate universe. (The Hangover, starring the Rat Pack. Yes!)

+ Also neat: the Retronaut features photos of famous photographers holding their most iconic photos, and telling a little bit about the day.

+ LA Public Library's book-mobile for the sick. Can I have one for even when I'm not sick?

+ Speaking of LA, have you been following Happy Catholic's adventures there?

+ I am, and really always have been, obsessed with Liberty of London fabrics. They have the most marvelous and inventive prints, and their cotton lawn is so lovely and smooth and delicate. If I were a seamstress, I would have a whole closet full of blouses made from their prints (since I cannot possibly afford to purchase on of their ready-made shirts.) The Bloosmbury Life blog wrote a great post showcasing some of their new (awesome) prints and asking us what inspired them. The answers are sometimes quite surprising. (via Spoon)

+ As soon as I find some blood oranges, I am making this blood orange quick bread. With pink icing! Yes! (Eat Make Read)

+ Also, remind me why I don't make homemade granola? (Orangette)

+ I have only been to 8 of the top 100 places to visit before you die. This makes me feel lame. But then when San Francisco got listed at 79 and LA got listed in the top ten, and the Rockies aren't anywhere on the list, I thought maybe I shouldn't feel too bad. Anyway, I only want to go to about 50 of the places on the list. How'd you do?

+ Lastly:

Happy Birthday, Emma!

2012-01-25T15:30:00.000-05:00

I remember exactly when Emma and I met. After a long car ride to the mountains north of San Francisco, we settled into our room--four girls in each--for the retreat that started our academic year. She was unpacking her bag, and I offered her a cookie or something (we went to the same retreat house in highschool, so I knew how hard it was to get a snack) and she didn't hear what I said, so I re-offered her, and she said no.

Not a terribly auspicious start, and indeed, in temperament we are practically complete opposites, and probably shouldn't be friends at all, but as it happened, Emma and I became housemates that first year, and dear friends ever after. (Emma, clearly not her name because I like pseudonyms, earned her nickname because of our shared love of Jane Austen. Though, I love Emma much more than she does.) We used to sit on the floor in the hallway of our flat in San Francisco, giggling, scheming, planning, fretting, and, every now and then, studying.

We followed each other to Florida (above), and then she went back to Northern California, to my old home town, and I got to visit her whenever I was home. Now Emma is married and has a little boy--just about the cutest fellow that ever existed. And though it is so hard being far away from friends, and seeing their lives grow without you, every time I come home and visit with her and her family, things fall exactly into place, as if I was never gone. So, though she doesn't read this blog, I've just got to take a moment to say: Happy Birthday!

Screenprinting, Letterpress, and Engraving, Oh my!

2012-01-25T12:00:00.000-05:00

I just realized, while typing the above title, that I don't actually use the oxford comma. Have I always had this problem, Hepburn? You'd know...you've been getting my emails with millions of grammatical and spelling mistakes for the longer than anyone. I will hope it is recent laziness, and promise to amend my ways, not matter what anyone says.

Anyway, the really awesome blog (awesome if you love all things paper) (I do), Oh So Beautiful Paper, has done a fascinating series explaining different hand-printing techniques. This is fantastic because, though I am constantly looking for letterpress and screen-print items, I really have no idea what I am talking about. Also, I really want to edge print my business cards with neon pink. (You don't think the OPs will have a problem with that, do you?) And now I sort of know how. Alas, it is not DIY.

Check out the whole series here.

Last Night at Cranford

2012-01-24T15:30:00.000-05:00

Sidecar: You girls should film a video called "Stuff Cranford Says."
Myrna: You mean, Sh*t Cranford says.
Sidecar: Yeah, that can be the first line. Maggie saying: "Sh*t." ...It happens a lot.

St. Francis de Sales

2012-01-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

Ah! Today is the feast of St Francis de Sales. I could not be happier...dipping into his terribly practical but always inspiring prose is exactly what I need to get back on track after a very long and emotional weekend (the March for Life is always a very long and emotional weekend for me).

St. Francis de Sales is the patron of writers--I discovered this on my confirmation day when my Dominican uncle was making sure I wasn't taking the name "Francis" for Francis of Assisi. I actually took the name for Francis Xavier, but made a little mental note to look up Francis de Sales and keep him in mind, too. Anyway, he is the patron of writers because he wrote a lot, especially letters, to all sorts of people. He is known most for his letters to and friendship with St. Jane de Chantal (foundress of the Sisters of the Visitation)--and their friendship is a model for the ages. He also wrote the challenging and excellent spiritual work Introduction to the Devout Life. But his many letters to lay people are my favorites, and for quite some time I have tried to read one every day, and let it shape my day. They are wonderful, sharing how to deal with everyday problems (expectant mothers who are anxious, wives who don't like their in-laws, men who can't bring themselves to work, those searching for a Vocation, or ignoring the vocation they already have) with characteristic practicality and grace. And there is wisdom in every particular situation he addresses that can be applied to our own daily life and struggles.

But he is not one for pious platitudes, and I fear that quoting him (as I do below) doesn't do him justice. He also displays great joy, and I wonder how someone can love as fully as he seemed to in his letters. It is this overwhelming love of our souls that inspires his work and makes it feel so personal. He is one tough guide, accepting that we will rise to the spiritual challenge he gives us. His yearly examination of the soul in relation to God is a test of self-knowledge that I've never had the courage to take. If we are not honest, humble and willing to work, there isn't much he can do for us.

All the same, here are a couple of my favorite quotes:

After sin, anxiety is the worst thing that can afflict a soul. It is the result of a strong desire to escape a present evil or to reach a desired goal. But anxiety increases the pain and prevents the attainment. Birds that are caught in nets flap and flutter wildly in an effort to escape, but they only become more thoroughly trapped. When you want to get out of a bad situation and go to a good one, be sure you are calm and deliberate. I am not recommending carelessness, but an unhurried, untroubled approach to solving your problems. Without this, you may make a mess of things and have even more difficulty.

At the first sign of anxiety, pray to God. Talk with your spiritual director or some other friend. Sharing your grief unburdens your soul. It is the best remedy for anxiety.

- Introduction to the Devout Life

Never think that geographical distance can ever separate souls whom God has united by the ties of His love. The children of the world are separated one from another because their hearts are in different places; but the children of God, having their hearts where their treasure is, and sharing only one treasure--which is the same God--are consequently always united and joined together.

- Letters to People of the World

Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life. Rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise, God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow.The same understanding Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day.

He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.

- a prayer of St. Francis de Sales

Be who you are, and be that well.

Related:
The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales have daily readings posted on their website.
Pope Benedict XVI on this World Communications day.

Who I'm Fighting For

2012-01-23T09:09:00.000-05:00

One third of my generation was killed by abortion. May the same not be true of these,

my friends' children. May they know a world of life and joy and peace.

Angelica, Zita, Julia, and Ronia, Lucy and Alice, Gretta, Knox, and Simone, Edmund, Maximilian, Markos, Madeleine, Margaret, Edith, and William, Timmy, Henry, and Zachary, Isaac, William, Gianna, William, Hugh, Mattias, and Raphael, Sophia, Timothy, Genivieve and Violette, Kathleen and Emily, Owen, Jonny and Bella, Alexandra and Isaac, Gabriel and Dominic, Ava, Avila, and Maxon, Frederick, Olivia, Gianna, and Maria, Addy, Clarence and Eddie, Dairinne, Sarah, Grace, Emma, and Danny, Victor, Karl, and Henry, Emma, Marianne, Anne, Clare, Max, Cordelia, Raphael, Benedict, and Simeon, Macie, Magnus, Aerland, and Hilja, Bertie, Edith, and Vincent, Abigail, and Cordelia, Maria, Joseph, Gemma, Paul, and Dominic, Sebastian and Evelyn, Anna, Philip, Nick, Patrick, Bailey, Maddy, Grant and Grace, Caroline, James, Alexander, Kristiana and Anne, Claire, Eve, Luke, Liam, Ignatius, Gerard, Philip, Sotera, Mary Margaret and Lillian, Tessa and Daniel, Alexander, Joseph, Julian, Francis Xavier and Isaac, Alex, Michael, Caitlin, and Joshua, Chloe, Alastair, and 18 others in utero.

Thus says the LORD:

"A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping.

Rachel is weeping for her children;

she refuses to be comforted for her children,

because they are not."

Thus says the LORD:

"Keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears;

for your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD,

and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

There is hope for your future, says the LORD,

and your children shall come back to their own country.

- Jeremiah, 31:15-17

Clippings: Mostly silly. Then quite grave.

2012-01-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

Today is the feast of St. Sebastian. I love this Georges de la Tour painting, because it shows the next part of the story: Irene, coming to rescue Sebastian and bringing him back to health. He was eventually clubbed to death on the order of Diocletian. I must admit, I dislike all the representations of St. Sebastian as a perfect male form. They seem so sensual. Is this prudish of me? Though I can't put my finger on what bothers me so much about them, I don't think I am being prudish. Anyway, this painting offers an alternative. The grief on the women's faces is such an evocative bit of iconography--like the women Christ meets on the way of the Cross, like the pieta, like Mary Magdalene weeping over the empty tomb. But they are also women of action: Irene (in black--she was a widow) prudent, thoughtful countenance, ready to lend a hand. Her companion stoops down to investigate.

+ You should see me sitting here, winking at my computer, trying out these different signals. It's pretty ridiculous. As Aaron said: the danger of misunderstanding is rather high.

+ Gary Oldman, the model? (These clothes are smoking.) (Yes, I know, Defoe and Brody are in there too. But, guys: Gary Oldman!)

+ I love these sheep. A lot. A really nice shop, in fact.

+ Sh*t DC Says. And the breakdown.

+ Is it spring training yet?

+ 73 letterpress poster sayings. I love these. Especially the random ones.

+ Typewriter paintings. Though, I think they are technically pastels.

+ Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Dessert. Nightcap.

+ Let us consider, as we approach the 39th anniversary of the passing of Roe vs. Wade, that the problem of abortion is larger than America. And that our notion of "women's rights" is far different when applied to the rest of the world. And that there are aspects of the abortion culture that are so horrific, I'd hope even the most adamant supporters of abortion would tremble. Indeed: the three deadliest words in the world are "It's a Girl." There, but for the grace of God, we go.

+ On the other hand: let us not loose hope. About anything. Sebastian didn't.

Coming in February: Jams by Mags Marmalades

2012-01-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

Starting February 1st, the Jams by Mags will be releasing some pretty spectacular marmalades. (If I may say so myself.)

Selections include:
+ Lime Marmalade with Pomegranate and Ginger
+ Hot Toddy Marmalade (with bourbon and honey)
+ Citrus Chutney with Fennel and Onion

But, guys! I have a LOT of Lemons. Tell me: which of these would you also like to see:

+ Lemon Marmalade with Almond (not whole almonds, simply infused with almond taste)
+ Lemon Jelly (as opposed to marmalade)
+ Lemon Marmalade with Vanilla
+ Lemon and Apple Jam
+ Lemon and Cranberry Marmalade

Also, to all those who've asked: I cannot make shelf-stable lemon curd. I don't have the equipment necessary to make a shelf-stable product out of eggs and butter. However, lemon curd is almost absurdly simple to make at home. David Leibowitz' recipe is excellent.

P.S. I've been documenting the progress using Instagram, and I am totally obsessed.

Some (neglected) Fall Photos

2012-01-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Here are a some photos from the fall that I just loved, but never featured on the blog. I used a lomo-fi film that is supposed to get better saturation of colors, and, as with the maple, it really seemed to work. I was surprised, though, with the deeper colors (like in the second photo). Nice film, overall. I'll look up the name and link to it later... I need to deeply clean my lens, though. There are, I am noticing, all sorts of white spots and scratches. (But I've been using this lens for about 10 years, non-stop.)

A birthday // Playing with perception // Candle-mess // Fire-maple (right outside our window!) // Thanksgiving dinner // From the Postal Tower

Jazz Love: Kenny Burrell

2012-01-17T15:30:00.001-05:00

J turned me on to Kenny Burrell (who's Christmas album is on constant rotation at J's house), and I spent some time digging through YouTube searching for awesome tunes. Inspired by both blues and jazz guitarists, Kenny Burrell has recorded both as a leader and a sideman--everything with everyone. He has a light, playful touch. The first video below is of the great Harold Arlen song "Last Night When We Were Young"--and it won me over after 6 bars.

Sketches by John Singer Sargent

2012-01-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a newly designed website, and it is absolutely astounding. You can find nearly every piece in their collection, with all the pertinent information listed in detail. Additionally, they have new, large image files of the works, which you can even download (click "fullscreen" and then the little arrow button on the bottom right). I spent a good chunk of time looking through the John Singer Sargent archives (thanks to this post), and was just blown away by his sketches and studies.

Five Figures (from Sketchbook) 1876

Sails (1874-77)

Hunting Birds: After the Egyptian Relief Sculpture (ca. 1878)

Alhambra, Granada (1912)

Lemons & Long Weekends

2012-01-16T07:32:00.001-05:00

I'm sitting in bed, in my warm, messy room, listening to a few poor souls click-clack down the sidewalk--on their way to work. My window and my bed faces East, so I can see the creeping fingers of dawn (Homer was so right with that phrase). The sky turns pale blue, then the softest orange, and pink, and then, miraculously blue again.

I've got big plans for my day off. Cordelia and I are going to the best thrift store in town, and then I am coming home and finishing two batches of Lemon Marmalade. And my laundry.

I've already accomplished so much this weekend, though you might not know it by looking at the apartment. The tree is down; the disintegrating rug has been thrown away and the floor washed about 25 times. (It was unbelievably disgusting.) And piles and piles of lemons have been prepped. Marmalade--a three day process--is not for the faint of heart.

I know life is a balance, and not all weekends, even when I have my Saturdays back, are going to be such a perfect balance between relaxation and accomplishment. Still, with friends nearby and work I love, I'm starting to feel on top of the world.

Ah! The sun is up! Let's get going!

Clippings: Full Moon Edition

2012-01-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

This week. Goodness gracious, I am glad it's over. A full moon ~~is coming~~ came this week, so that must be why I'm in such a mood. Honestly, all I want today is to curl up on the couch and finish my mystery. With a cappuccino. (The one, above, is from Buzz Bakery in Arlington.)

+ This article about the companies who make hosts is one of the most fascinating things I have ever read. (via ALD)

+ Horrible headline notwithstanding, isn't this photo of the Pope being given (given!) a crocodile rather charming?

+ Speaking of the Pope and the Church, I can't believe I forgot to link to William Newton's article in the British web-zine, The Kernel, entitled "Preaching to the Connected"

+ A polaroid a day for 18 years! (check out the anniversary photos every year--3/30)

+ I loved Miss Hale's critique of One Day and the Kindle. Though I still probably won't read it, and I certainly won't read it on a Kindle. Also: Used books for the win!

+ If you haven't seen it yet, you will soon. Every single design/lifestyle blog I read linked to the just released trailer for Wes Anderson's new film Moonrise Kingdom. I have to say, it looks charming.

+ Did I mention that I think mushrooms are going to be the hot new food trend?

+ This post by Andy at Dinner: a Love Story about reading William Steig in the wee hours of the morning with his daughter Abbey is so fantastic that I jump up and down in my seat just thinking about it.

+ First the New York Times blogs the Civil War. Now an Oxford history student tweets WWII in real time.

+ The long, long Anglican road to Rome. (via CWR)

+ Mark your calendars: 12 must see astronomical events in 2012, including: a visible Mercury, Venus traversing the Sun, a partial solar eclipse (visible from CA but not the East Coast), a super-moon, and a super bright Jupiter on Christmas Day.

+ I just love this photo. And these.

+ Beyonce's birth-suite in Lenox Hill Hospital. I don't even know what to say in the face of such excess. Though I am not sure which bothers me more: Beyonce's entitlement, or the hospital's acquiescence.

+ Let's end on a nicer note than that. Here's a letter from John Steinbeck to his son about falling in love:

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply—of course it isn’t puppy love. But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it—and that I can tell you. Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it. The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

Two Awesome Party Recipes: Meatballs + Carrots

2012-01-12T15:30:00.000-05:00

I know it's well past party season. That's the trouble will having your big holiday party when everyone else has thrown out their Christmas tree. You blog too late. But these, they are so good and versatile, that I am sure you'll find some other occasion to eat them.

I don't have my own pictures of these recipes, but I just have to tell you: they're amazing, and amazingly easy. They also, probably, could not be farther from each other; one fresh and lively and healthy, the other cheesy and satisfying. But they go well together, actually, and are shockingly easy. The carrots can be assembled a few days in advance; the meatballs can be prepped the morning of your party, but should be back right before serving.

And yes. My Christmas tree is still up. What? I've been busy.

MINTED CARROTS
adapted from Marissa McClellan on Serious Eats

1 1/2 pounds carrots
1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbls garlic infused olive oil*
3 tbls white balsamic or good white wine vinegar
3 tbls chopped mint
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Heat a water in a saucepan large enough to hold all the carrots. Peel the carrots and chop into nice thick rounds. Throw them in the water for about 5 minutes: till slightly tender and brightly colored.

Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Taste it to make sure its nice and tangy, and add more vinegar if needed.

Drain the carrots and quickly toss with the vinaigrette. Let them sit till cool. Serve on a platter with a bowl of toothpicks handy.

This can be made several days in advance; just make sure to drain the carrots from the vinaigrette, which intesifies over time, before storing.

*As the link says, homemade garlic olive oil can breed botulism, however, you can make a quick infusion for purposes here. Or you can go to World Market, which sells a nice brand of garlic oil. Or you can add 1 clove of garlic, finely minced, as the original recipe indicates.

SAUSAGE CHEDDAR MEATBALLS

adapted from Dagny Syversen.

Because of dietary restrictions, I had to make these gluten free, pork free, and cow's milk free. If you have none of those concerns, pop over to Dagny's blog to find her perfect recipe. This is an incredibly simple recipe, and took well to the adaptations. And they are the perfect party food: the greasiness is the perfect compliment to any fizzy alcohol. They are baked rather than fried, so they are less heavy (and, yes, slightly better for you) than expected; and people love them.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose gluten free flour
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups grated goat's milk cheddar
1 lb Italian turkey sausage, bulk or casings removed
1/2 large yellow onion, grated on large holes of a box grater
3 tbls unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and baking powder. Add cheddar and toss to coat. Add sausage, onion, and butter. (It is messy to grate an onion through a cheese-grater, but this is an essential step: the liquid helps bind the meatballs together. Don't use a food processor for this.)

With your hands, mix until well combined and roll mixture into 1-inch balls. Place balls, 1/2 inch apart, on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until meatballs are golden and cooked through, 25 minutes. Serve warm (though they are good room temperature, too.)

You can prepare these ahead of time, and simply pop them into the oven 25 minutes before you want to serve them. If you are going to prepare them well in advance, arrange them on the cookie sheets, and then cover the meatballs in plastic wrap and leave them in the fridge. Allow for an extra couple of minutes in the oven, if they have been refrigerated.

The Writer by Richard Wilbur

2012-01-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

I realize this is two Wilbur poems in a row, but, who cares? He's wonderful. This one, especially, is wonderful.

The Writer
by Richard Wilbur

In her room at the prow of the house
Where light breaks, and the windows are tossed with linden,
My daughter is writing a story.

I pause in the stairwell, hearing
From her shut door a commotion of typewriter-keys
Like a chain hauled over a gunwale.

Young as she is, the stuff
Of her life is a great cargo, and some of it heavy:
I wish her a lucky passage.

But now it is she who pauses,
As if to reject my thought and its easy figure.
A stillness greatens, in which

The whole house seems to be thinking,
And then she is at it again with a bunched clamor
Of strokes, and again is silent.

I remember the dazed starling
Which was trapped in that very room, two years ago;
How we stole in, lifted a sash

And retreated, not to affright it;
And how for a helpless hour, through the crack of the door,
We watched the sleek, wild, dark

And iridescent creature
Batter against the brilliance, drop like a glove
To the hard floor, or the desk-top,

And wait then, humped and bloody,
For the wits to try it again; and how our spirits
Rose when, suddenly sure,

It lifted off from a chair-back,
Beating a smooth course for the right window
And clearing the sill of the world.

It is always a matter, my darling,
Of life or death, as I had forgotten. I wish
What I wished you before, but harder.

Two Charming Videos: Books & Newspapers

2012-01-11T15:30:00.000-05:00

Everyone has been posting this "Joy of Books" video and sending it around (including Rossetti and Cordelia.), so I am sure you've seen this already. If not, here you go. Be charmed! (My favorite part is when the Moleskine notebook reads the novel.) More info on the store - in Toronto alas - and the filmmakers here.

More obscure but equally charming is "The Page Turner" (via KMV):

A Bucket List for 2012

2012-01-11T12:00:00.000-05:00

As I said before: I am not one for resolutions. But I am one for making lists, and there are some things I've been meaning to do that I have not accomplished yet. Let me put them down here for posterity or something, and I'll be sure to share with you when they've been accomplished. If they've been accomplished. Perhaps we can call it a bucket list for 2012.

Roast a whole fish.

Hike at least one mountain. (Mt. Tam, perhaps?)

Go camping on Assateague (again).

Submit for publication at least two essays.

Go overseas.

Ride a horse.

Buy an original work of art (preferably from a friend)

Plant something, and yes, make sure it grows.

Make an entire meal from scratch: that is, not pre-made bread, pasta, condiments, cheese, etc. Everything made from the raw local ingredients. Ideally, many of the vegetables will be from friend's gardens.

(image via Miss Moss)

Places: Dumbarton Oaks, Washington D.C.

2012-01-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

Dumbarton Oaks is a sprawling, elegant, quiet, and peaceful garden, smack dab in the Middle of Washington, D.C. Part of the historic Dumbarton Estate, the grounds were designed and built by Mildred Bliss and her friend and landscaper, Beatrix Ferrand. Now the House and grounds are owned and maintained by Harvard University, and anyone can visit (during their somewhat odd hours).

Curry, Boy Wonder, their son Teddy and I went over Thanksgiving weekend, and wandered for several hours through the estate, marveling at the variety of landscapes (meadow, stone gardens, courtyards, lawns, fountains, working kitchen gardens, etc. etc. etc.) and geography (it is built on the western, and somewhat steep side of Rock Creek). We pretended to be the family of the house, quoting Emma ("People with extensive grounds are always pleased to meet other people with extensive grounds") and deciphering the Latin, French, and Italian inscriptions throughout the garden.

I typically would not recommend visiting a garden like this in the fall or winter. But Dumbarton, I think, really shines in the fall, when all the flowers have been trimmed back. Now you can see the careful planning of the architecture of the garden--how this lawn enjoys sunlight on even the shortest of days, and how that courtyard hides the kitchen garden from the view of the parlor. There is really so much to see, it's worth visiting several times a year, to discover which season really is best.

Let me know when you go. I'd love to visit once more, too.

Dumbarton Oaks
31st and R Sts. NW
Open 2-6pm Tues-Sun
Free from Nov. 1 to March 14, $8 from March 15 to Oct. 31
The Gardens at Dumbarton Oaks are not stroller or wheelchair accessible.

(Photos by Margaret Perry)

UPDATE: By the way, the nest sculptures (second to last photo, below), called "Easy Rider," were done by North Carolina artist Patrick Dougherty, and they will not be in place permanently, so stop by to see them before they are dismantled.

The Art of Baking Bread

2012-01-09T15:30:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking a lot about resolutions, and wether or not I should have any this year. I'm never very good at resolutions. I cannot think of a single year where I have carried out my resolutions past January. (I am much better at using Lent to reform my bad habits. Which is a bad habit in itself.) The only resolutions I've ever managed to keep are the small ones that are hardly worth mentioning.

Mambo told me last night that she wrote down ten things she wanted to accomplish this year, and that got me thinking. What about making a short list of things I want to have done, but never have, and make it my goal in 2012 to tick some of those things off the list?

Probably #1 on the list would be to bake bread from scratch. I am completely intimidated by this, because I really know nothing. I'm glad Kinfolk and Tiger in a Jar are here to help me out.

Reading in 2012: Lewis and Friends

2012-01-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one."
- The Four Loves by C. S. Lewis

Whenever people start talking about C. S. Lewis, my heart surges with joy and affection, thinking "My dear old friend!"

But then they start talking about all these books I've never actually read. Mere Christianity, The Abolition of Man, The Screwtape Letters: if you can believe it, I have never read these, his major and beloved works. Mostly, I've read the obscure stuff. Studies in Words is one of my favorites; his collected Letters to Children I re-read every year or so. I've dived into his literary criticism, and based by literature thesis in college very heavily on his fine and overlooked essay On Stories. I've read most of his fiction, too, but there are a couple major gaps. And I know I need to re-read Till We Have Faces; I clearly didn't get it the first time, since everyone loves it, and I merely liked it.

So this year I have decided to get to know C. S. Lewis better. Those major works I haven't read, I will dive into. I'll also revisit the works I barely remember (A Grief Observed, Surprised by Joy). I also hope to read some of the works of his friends and contemporaries. This won't be hard, since mid-century anglo-catholic authors are clearly my favorites (but, if that's so, why haven't I read any Charles Williams?). I won't exclusively read Lewis and the Inklings, but I will focus on him.

I would love to know your favorite Lewis books, and why you love them. And what about the other Inklings? What should I read of Lewis' friends and contemporaries?

P.S. You can track my progress by clicking the "bookshelf" button in the sidebar (though, not yet...I need to update it still!).

Thankfulness & Praise

2012-01-08T12:53:00.000-05:00

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,

Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;

With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,

And three trees on the low sky,

And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.

Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,

Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,

And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.

But there was no information, and so we continued

And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon

Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.

From "The Journey of the Magi" by T. S. Eliot. (Listen to him read it aloud.)

Illustration from The Story of Christmas by Felix Hoffman (via Stephanie)

Clippings: Epiphany!

2012-01-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Epiphany! Today is the 12th night of Christmas, the feast of Epiphany, when we celebrate the arrival of the Wise Men at Bethlehem. It is one of my very favorite days of the year, and I am celebrating by taking the afternoon off! God celebrated by painting us the most incredible sunrise. (This painting is the Adoration of the Magi by Fra Angelico.) By the way, if you're looking for something to read to meditate on this great feast, I highly recommend Pope Benedict's homily from 2011.

But let's get to business. Whoooooie! I feel like I have a whole years worth of clippings to share with you.

+ Big news for the Church today: the Pope has named 22 new Cardinals, including 3 from North America: Edwin O'Brien (Grand Master of the Knights of the Holy Seplucher), Timothy Dolan (New York), and Thomas Collins (Toronto). Also of note, the new Dominican Archbishop of Prague, Dominik Duka, OP, and the bishop of Hon Kong, John Tong Hon.

+ This tour of a citrus grove is just stunning. (Cannelle et Vanille)

+ And this interview of Erin McKenna, founder of BabyCakes, by Garance Dore is just adorable and inspiriting. (via Miss Hale)

+ You've seen Better Book Titles. But what about Less Ambitious Book Titles?

+ Nicholas Carr on e-books in WSJ:

When Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type a half-millennium ago, he also gave us immovable text. Before Gutenberg, books were handwritten by scribes, and no two copies were exactly the same. Scribes weren't machines; they made mistakes. With the arrival of the letterpress, thousands of identical copies could enter the marketplace simultaneously. The publication of a book, once a nebulous process, became an event.

+ Among other superlatives (best movie of the year, favorite Gary Oldman role, maybe even favorite Colin Firth role), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy also had one of the best looking sets/cinematography of the year. Gritty, and grey the details of London's "Circus" set the perfect stage for this careful, thrilling film. Get the look yourself.

+ What? You haven't listened to The Little Willies new album, streaming live on NPR yet? Silly you. Also on NPR: Charlie Halden and Hank Jones new album of spirituals. Jones passed away 3 months after this recording took place.

+ Portlandia is back! And people are talking about it. Here's a New Yorker profile of Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen (and accompanying slideshow) And Design*Sponge interviews their prop stylist. Now that I've seen episodes in full, I will say it's better in sketches than full on, I think. But golly, it is funny. Also from IFC.

+ A Maurice Sendak Documentary.

+ I can tell you as first hand: these are really really good. (Wine Muse)

+ After the holiday rush, you might need a shopping palate cleanser. I suggest taking a look at these 10 fantastic Etsy shops. (Design* Sponge)

+ Ignatius Insight contributors list their favorite 2011 reads and National Catholic Register Contributors pick books for 2012.

+ It seems like DC will never see snow again. One Washington Post meteorologist takes matters into his own hands.

And, finally, this charming video from Miss Sanguine. (This would never happen in DC, but speaking of the metro in DC...)

Visual Awesomeness

2012-01-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

Just a couple thoroughly awesome visual links for your Thursday afternoon.

This is what happens when you give thousands of stickers to thousands of kids // This is Colossal

Marfa Texas as seen by Jamie Beck // From Me to You

National Geographic Best Photos of 2011 (via renidemus) // The Atlantic

Portrait of the Artists' Mother, after Whistler: part of the "Remake" series, where photographers re-create and re-imagine great works of art. At turns, clever, charming, predictable, beautiful, provocative. (via A Cup of Jo) // Remake series

The Books of 2011

2012-01-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

In 2011, I promised I would only read books recommended to me by friends and family. It was a challenge to read some books that I've been avoiding, as well as to go outside my comfort zone of charming British novels by writers of faith. Let's see how I did:

Best Reread: Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh. (This was the only exception I took to the "recommended reading" rule — though, of course, when I first read this it was because my parents had recommended it to me.) After reading it every year, sometimes twice a year, I took a 4 year break on Brideshead. I went back to it this year and it was as beautiful and provoking as ever. This time, I found Lady Marchmain more sympathetic than in the past. And Charles, who has always struck me as profoundly passive, seemed more a man of action— or perhaps it is better to say, I saw his action more. But...Five Word Synopsis: I still love Julia best.

Hippest: Death Comes to Pemberley, written by master mystery novelist P. D. James, was a bit of a disappointment, though I will still recommend it to any Austen/Mystery lovers. She writes in the elegant, restrained style of Austen's time period, and rigorously follows the customs of the day in her storytelling. But her story fails to captivate, largely because the characters we are most anxious to see (Darcy and Elizabeth) are unable to act nor investigate in the murder. (The murder takes place on the grounds of Pemberley, and as such, Darcy, one of three magistrates, cannot investigate.) Most of the story is told through narratives (ala Willoughby's confession to Eleanor in Sense and Sensibility) or comes out on the witness stand in the trial. Not terribly exciting reading, that. Still, James' understanding of Austen's characters is fine, and comes out in the work. Plus, she's just a delightful writer. I just wish she would have loosened up a bit. Five Word Synopsis: Shades of Pemberley are polluted.

Silliest: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson: Can I just make a little complaint? Why can't anyone write with elegance and delicacy anymore? Major Pettigrew took book-lovers by storm last year and ended up on a lot of best of 2010 reading lists, as well as the NY Times Bestseller List. It's the story of an retired fuddy-duddy Major, who falls in love with an elegant Pakistani widow/shopkeeper. Their romance shakes up the entire town, predictably. The romance itself is fairly charming, though cliched at times. But the writing had little pluck and no elegance, and the secondary and tertiary characters bordered on caricatures: the hip son who thinks only of money, the narrow-minded country-club members. About the highest praise I can give it is, it'd make a nice little film in the Last Chance Harvey vein. Five Word Synopsis: Soon: a Major Motion Picture!

Longest: The Journal of Katherine Mansfield. This probably wasn't really the longest, but goodness gracious it felt like it. It was torture. She is clearly manic— one day she would love everything about England — the green grass, the cozy fires — the next she would long for the sunshine of France. And while in France she would complain about how un-English they all were. However: as R pointed out: "It's a very intimate glimpse into how a writer jots down and begins to form or re-form characters, situations, or fleeting moments." Those bits were indeed brilliant (the woman could write!) and I wish I cared more about her person to have allowed these little bits of glory to shine for me. I don't want to give the impression that these bits are few and far between; they are on every page. There's just a lot of silly melodrama, too. (And yes, I know she suffered a lot because of her illness. I still have little patience for fuss.) I will also admit, she has a really stunning dialogue about the value of suffering. It struck me because it seemed so out of character — and yet she did submit all her suffering to her art, and that is a courageous thing indeed. Five Word Synopsis: Read with her short stories.

Most Inspiring: The Light of the World an interview of Pope Benedict XVI by Peter Seewald. Look. No one is surprised that I love Pope Benedict--but this interview is really incredible. I was sitting in the room with them, listening, learning, loving his humility, his generosity, his perception, his prudence, his faith. He also really opened my eyes to the hugeness of living the faith in the world— talking about Christian persecution in China, the vibrancy of the faith in South America. We complain so often about the state of the Church based on the state of the Church in America. But we are so lucky; we are not persecuted for our faith. And we have a lot to aspire to, as well, using the Latin American Church's vivacity and enthusiasm as a guide. Five Word Synopsis: So glad he's my/our Pope!

Most Thought-proving: The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch. Every time we get together for book-club, someone invariably says "I don't know about you guys, but I still think about The Sea, The Sea on a weekly basis." Five Word Synopsis: Compelling and powerful Booker winner.

Still Haven't Read: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. This was going to be the great book of 2011. It was why I decided to read only books recommended to me. It's my mom's favorite novel, and I do love the story— a lot, actually. But, until I find somewhere other to read for two hours a day besides the metro, I'll shelf this one. Five Word Synopsis: You're just too heavy, Tolstoy.

Just Plain Best: In this House of Brede by Rumer Godden. I realize, looking back, that I never actually wrote a review of In This House of Brede— I simply quoted it at length. It is a rich, thoughtful, funny, gracious novel. From what I know of Religious Life and the Cloister, it accurately portrays the life in a Benedictine convent; it also grapples with modernity and the Church's response to modernity; and it portrays a rich variety of very full, beautifully realized characters. But this just begins to scratch the surface of the book. Ultimately it deals with the trial and joy of uniting your will to God's. There is nothing more beautiful. Five Word Synopsis: Live in the stillness of Brede.

The book I couldn't finish: The Spire by William Golding. J recommended this to me after he completed reading the entire William Golding oeuvre. And then he apologized for recommending it. I have never seen a more evil yet small man as the protagonist, the Abbot Jocelin, who abuses his power as abbot to build a huge spire for the church, against the better judgement of all around him. It is a brilliant and terrifying meditation on the will: how dangerous, how controlling, how evil the will of one man can be when he uses everything— everything— to attain one goal. I had to read The Spire in small doses. It is like Chinese Water Torture— so little happens, so much is said, we are so enclosed in the mind of Jocelin, that it is agony to read more than a few pages at a time. J assures me that I can skip to the end and see the inevitable conclusion, but I haven't quite had the courage to do so yet. (What a difference reading this and In This House of Brede. Were I a literature professor, I would read the two together. Luckily, I am not.) Five Word Synopsis: Stones don't sing with joy.

How did I do overall in my goal to read only books recommended to me? Well enough, I suppose. There are lots of books still on the list that I haven't gotten to; some that I'll never get to, sadly. But I stuck to it. Luckily, whenever I wanted to cheat I could fall back on Margery Allingham, Dorothy Sayers, Laurie Colwin, and Penelope Fitzgerald— I have blanket recommendations from R and MMT and Miss Hale for those authors. But this was one of the most diverse reading years I've had in a long time. I went out of my comfort zone, challenged by the tastes and insight of my friends and family. And I read a lot of books with unpleasant characters, and books that I would never finish if it weren't for my resolution. This affirms my understanding that while I like happy books, I also enjoy being challenged by a text. And this year, I was certainly challenged.

Here are all my 2011 reading posts:
Reading for 2011
Spring Update
Summer Update
Some thoughts on Mystery
Barbara Pym + The Phantom Tollbooth
Best Picture Books of 2011

(If anyone knows the source/artist of the painting above, please let me know. I love it, but have no idea where it came from.)

And Every Stone Shall Cry

2012-01-04T12:00:00.000-05:00

And Every Stone Shall Cry
by Richard Wilbur

And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.—St. Luke XIX, 39-40

A stable lamp is lighted
Whose glow shall wake the sky;
The stars shall bend their voices,
And every stone shall cry.
And every stone shall cry,
And straw like gold shall shine;
A barn shall harbor heaven,
A stall become a shrine.

This child through David's city
Shall ride in triumph by;
The palm shall strew its branches,
And every stone shall cry.
And every stone shall cry,
Though heavy, dull, and dumb,
And lie within the roadway
To pave his kingdom come.

Yet he shall be forsaken,
And yielded up to die;
The sky shall groan and darken,
And every stone shall cry.
And every stone shall cry
For stony hearts of men:
God's blood upon the spearhead,
God's love refused again.

But now, as at the ending,
The low is lifted high;
The stars shall bend their voices,
And every stone shall cry.
And every stone shall cry,
In praises of the child
By whose descent among us
The worlds are reconciled.

(h/t: Stearns)

On my Radar: Washington, DC

2012-01-03T15:30:00.000-05:00

One major change in 2012 is that I will have full weekends again, as I am changing my hours at the wine shop I work at. While I made this decision so I can dedicate more time to Jams by Mags, I am excited for the increased opportunity for adventures in the City. Here are a few things I've been meaning to check out. (Will you join me?)

+ Well, alas, I've only had a handful of these 40 must-try dishes selected by the Washington Post. Note, please, how awesomely ethnic these choices are. Also, inexpensive (mostly).

+ Community Forklift is a huge architectural/garden thrift store and I know going there will only make me want a house more than anything in the whole world, but still: we must go.

+ Riding a horse was one of my goals for 2011. The closest I got was riding the carousel on the Mall (above). Back on the list for 2012.

+ Jazz. Jazz. Jazz. Jazz.

+ Picasso Drawings at the NGA; Painters and Photography at the Phillips; The Peacock Room with the shutters open (ongoing) at the Freer.

+ I still haven't been to Culpepper, Fredericksburg, Staunton, Middleberg, or Charlottesville. Can I tick two of those of the list this year?

+ Visit these shops. (And make my own guide to DC?)

+ On my flight over from DC, I sat next to a charming young couple--wearing hideous Christmas sweaters--and gabbed with the gentleman quite a bit, because he hated flying, and talking helped him through it. We talked about our favorite spots in DC, and about books and literature and education (he had just graduated from UMD). And he told me that he used to work at the Second Story Books Warehouse, and that I really need to go there. And I do...goodness, gracious, I do.

+ Also, Kim: we need to continue our Greater DC Great Sandwich Hunt

UPDATE: DC Food trend predictions. I agree with all of this except the pork/bacon fad continuing. Also, I predict that the next big ingredient will be mushrooms. They have the deep umami characteristics that make pork so welcome, but without the fat and heaviness.

Quotable: Oysters

2012-01-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

There is evidence that Druer was ready any day to barter a work of art for a hundred oysters, and that he did so on a number of occasions.

--Kay Boyle, "Artists in Exile", Gourmet Magazine, Nov. 1961

Photos of Tomales Bay Oyster Co., in Marshall, California--just forty minutes north of SF, by G for Kiss My Spatula. It's on my list for next summer, since I didn't make it there this Christmas.

Related: Oyster Stew from Garden & Gun.

Afternoon Coffee Break

2012-01-02T15:30:00.000-05:00

via Pourbrew. By the way, Curry, you'll be proud of me. I'm drinking my coffee black these days.

Problems of the New Year

2012-01-02T12:18:00.001-05:00

1) How do I get 40 lbs of citrus fruit back to Washington?
2) Why, two days before I leave the West Coast, am I finally sleeping past 6 am?
3) Do I still have time to watch White Christmas, You've Got Mail, and Hunt For Red October before I leave?
4) Should I buy the iPhone (yes, I'm caving) here or in DC?
5) What should I read this week? (I've already finished several mystery novels this week.)
6) What should I read this year?
7) How, exactly, am I going to fit all these gifts in my suitcase?
8) Any new year's resolutions? I think not...
9) Where's my coffee?
10) Why do I simultaneously want to stay here forever, and go back to VA and get to work?

Thomas a Becket

2011-12-29T12:00:00.003-05:00

Saints are not made by accident. Still less is a Christian martyrdom the effect of a man's will to become a Saint, as a man by willing and contriving may become a ruler of men. Ambition fortifies the will of man to become ruler over other men: it operates with deception, cajolery, and violence, it is the action of impurity upon impurity. Not so in Heaven. A martyr, a saint, is always made by the design of God, for His love of men, to warn them and to lead them, to bring them back to His ways. A martyrdom is never the design of man; for the true martyr is he who has become the instrument of God, who has lost his will in the will of God, not lost it but found it, for he has found freedom in submission to God. The martyr no longer desires anything for himself, not even the glory of martyrdom. So thus as on earth the Church mourns and rejoices at once, in a fashion that the world cannot understand; so in Heaven the Saints are most high, having made themselves most low, seeing themselves not as we see them, but in the light of the Godhead from which they draw their being.

--Thomas in T. S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral

Photo: From the Bridwell Library this is a Book of Hours with a depiction of the martyrdom of St. Thomas a Becket. I have great affection for St. Thomas a Becket--not least of which because today is my dad's birthday!

The Holy Innocents

2011-12-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

A tiny child is born, who is a great king. Wise men are led to him from afar. They come to adore one who lies in a manger and yet reigns in heaven and on earth. When they tell of one who is born a king, Herod is disturbed. To save his kingdom he resolves to kill him, though if he would have faith in the child, he himself would reign in peace in this life and for ever in the life to come.

Why are you afraid, Herod, when you hear of the birth of a king? He does not come to drive you out, but to conquer the devil. But because you do not understand this you are disturbed and in a rage. To destroy one child whom you seek, you show your cruelty in the death of so many children.

You are not restrained by the love of weeping mothers and fathers mourning the deaths of their sons, nor by the cries and sobs of the children. You destroy those who are tiny in body because fear is destroying your heart. You imagine that if you accomplish your desire you can prolong you own life, though you are seeking to kill Life himself.

The children die for Christ, though they do not know it. The parents mourn for the death of martyrs. The Christ child makes of those as yet unable to speak fit witnesses to himself. But you, Herod, do not know this and are disturbed and furious. While you vent your fury against the child, you are already paying him homage, and do not know it.

To what merits of their own do the children owe this kind of victory? They cannot speak, yet they bear witness to Christ. They cannot use their limbs to engage in battle, yet already they bear off the palm of victory.

- from a sermon by Bishop Saint Quodvultdeus about the Holy Innocents via SQPN

(Massacre of the Innocents, by Giotto)

More on the Holy Innocents: Msgr. Pope; patrons for the age of abortion;

St. John the Evangelist

2011-12-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

There is, apparently, a long tradition of English hymns and devotions to St. John, the Evangelist, the beloved disciple of Christ. The website (an invaluable resources, by the way) Hymns and Carols of Christmas has them all listed for the perusing. I particularly like this ancient carol, from Songs and Carols, 1471. The image, above, is the Donne Tryptich, from the National Gallery of London, by Hans Memling--which depicts the Christ Child with the Blessed Virgin, and Sts. John the Baptist and John the Evangelist.

To the now, Crystys der derlyng,
That was a mayd bothe old and yng,
Myn hert is sett for to syng,
            Amici Christi, Johannes.

For he was so clene a maye,
On Crystys brest aslepe he laye,
The prevyteys of heyn ther he saye,
            Amici Christi, Johannes.

Qwhen Cryst before Pilate was browte,
Hys clene mayd forsoke hym nowte,
To deye with hym was all hys thowte,
            Amici Christi, Johannes.

Crystys modr was hym betake,
Won mayd to be anodyris make,
To help that we b enott forsake,
            Amici Christi, Johannes.

The Martyrdom of St. Stephen

2011-12-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

In the worship of the Church, this week has some of the most fantastic feast days, and I am celebrating here on Ten Thousand Places. Enjoy!

Philadelphia based sculptor Anthony Visco created these incredible frieze sculptures of the life of St. Stephen for St. Stephen Martyr Parish in Foggy Bottom, Washington, DC. Mr. Newton discusses the processes at length on his Blog of the Courtier; as a member of the parish and supporter of the fine arts, he has been following the process from its beginning.

I recently wandered down to Foggy Bottom and took a look at the doors, recently installed. They are just incredible, and I couldn't resist taking a few photographs. You can see the scenes depicted are full of life and movement and elegant expression. Above, Stephen is preaching in the marketplace.

These three panels (two above, one below), are closeup photos of the center doors. They depict the martyrdom of St. Stephen--he stands in the lower right door, extending his hand to heaven. Opposite him, on the left, are his murderers--sending stones across the door. Above, an angel extends a branch tp St. Stephen. Above that angel is the Holy Spirit.

The doors were blessed on the Feast of Christ the King by Washington, D.C. Auxiliary Bishop Barry Knestout. (Read more on The Catholic Standard.) Next time you're in Foggy Bottom or heading to Georgetown, do stop by and take a look at these exquisite depictions of the life of St. Stephen.

Photos by Margaret Perry.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T08:10:00.002-05:00

This is the only text in the Old Testament in which it is said of a child, of a human being: his name will be Mighty-God, Eternal-Father. We are presented with a vision that extends far beyond the historical moment into the mysterious, into the future. A child, in all its weakness, is Mighty God. A child, in all its neediness and dependence, is Eternal Father. And his peace “has no end”. The prophet had previously described the child as “a great light” and had said of the peace he would usher in that the rod of the oppressor, the footgear of battle, every cloak rolled in blood would be burned (Is 9:1, 3-4). God has appeared – as a child. It is in this guise that he pits himself against all violence and brings a message that is peace. At this hour, when the world is continually threatened by violence in so many places and in so many different ways, when over and over again there are oppressors’ rods and bloodstained cloaks, we cry out to the Lord: O mighty God, you have appeared as a child and you have revealed yourself to us as the One who loves us, the One through whom love will triumph. And you have shown us that we must be peacemakers with you. We love your childish estate, your powerlessness, but we suffer from the continuing presence of violence in the world, and so we also ask you: manifest your power, O God. In this time of ours, in this world of ours, cause the oppressors’ rods, the cloaks rolled in blood and the footgear of battle to be burned, so that your peace may triumph in this world of ours. Christmas is an epiphany – the appearing of God and of his great light in a child that is born for us. Born in a stable in Bethlehem, not in the palaces of kings.

--Homily of Pope Benedict XVI, Christmas Eve Mass

Advent with Houselander (V)

2011-12-23T12:00:00.000-05:00

The way to begin healing the wounds of the world is to treasure the Infant Christ in us; to be not the castle but the cradle of Christ; and, in rocking that cradle to the rhythm of love, to swing the whole world back into the beat of the Music of Eternal Life.

― Caryll Houselander

Wood of the Cradle, Wood of the Cross:

The Little Way of the Infant Jesus

Advent with Houselander (IV)

2011-12-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

Christ wants to be at home in your soul. He will not go away and leave you if the house is chilly and uncomfortable; he loves you too much to leave you, but how often, how tragically often, he must say nowadays: 'The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.'

Christ asks for a home in your soul, where he can be at rest with you, where he can talk easily to you, where you and he, alone together, can laugh and be silent and be delighted with one another. All this may seem daring, but it is true; it is the meaning of the Incarnation.

--Caryll Houselander, from A Child in Winter

PS. Happy 795 birthday, Dominicans!

Advent with Houselander (III)

2011-12-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

There are thousands of people with whom we come into contact who do not know Christ, who do not guess that he wants to be a brother, a lover, a child, a friend to them, who do not know that the gap, the emptiness they feel in their lives is there because God leaves it there on purpose, that they may hunger for his intimate presence, may accept the gift of himself!

There is in every human heart ... an empty cradle, waiting for the birth of Christ to fill it. Those who have him, those in whom he is born again day after day, have just this one work to do: to show the others that what they want, what they long for, is Christ.

Let them see that "the Lord is little and greatly to be loved" and they will do the rest. Books of theology can frighten them, noisy propaganda can drive them away, controversy can chill them, organization withers up their minds, but the joy of someone like themselves, happy in the company of God, cannot fail to show them how lovable God is.

--Caryll Houselander

via Happy Catholic

Advent with Houselander (II)

2011-12-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

"No man should ever make anything except in the spirit in which a woman bears a child, in the spirit in which Christ was formed in Mary's womb, in the love with which God created the world.

The integral goodness and fittingness of the work of a man's hands or mind is sacred.

He must have it in his heart to make it.

His imagination must see it, and its purpose, before it exists in material.

His whole life must be disciplined to gain and keep the skill to make it.

He must, having conceived it, allow it to grow within him, until at last it flows from him and is woven of his life and is visible proof that he has uttered his fiat: 'Be it done unto me according to thy word!'

...

Every work that we do should be a part of the Christ forming in us which is the meaning of our life, to it we must bring the patience, the self-giving, the time of secrecy, the gradual growth of Advent.

This Advent in work applies to all work, not only that which produces something permanent in time but equally to the making of a carving in wood or stone or of a loaf of bread. It applies equally to the making of a poem and to the sweeping of a floor.

The permanency in it is in the generation of Christ-life. That outlasts time itself. It is eternal."

--Caryll Houselander, The Reed of God, (via Miss Hale)

Advent with Houselander (I)

2011-12-19T12:00:00.000-05:00

"I often think that the ideal of our perfection that we set up, and often go through torture to achieve, may not be God’s idea of how He wants us to be at all. That may be something quite different that we never would have thought of, and what seems like a failure to us may really be something bringing us closer to His will for us."

-- Caryll Houselander, quoted in Caryll Houselander, That Divine Eccentric by Maisie Ward

ps. Guys! I sold out of my jams! Thank you so so so much! I am overwhelmed!

The Christmas Story

2011-12-16T14:00:00.000-05:00

Ps. All my gift guides can be found here.

Clippings: 3rd Friday of Advent

2011-12-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

I have decided that it is time for me to get into the spirit of Advent. With the pop-up shop and the two demanding jobs and the buying of Christmas presents, I know I haven't done much to make room in my heart for Christ. Of course, all of that is part of making room (perhaps this is why "People Look East" is my favorite Advent carol?) but since I am quite a bit ahead of schedule, and next week will be one of incredible ease (both jobs and personal obligations fulfilled, and the Jam shop closed)--I am going to keep pretty quiet here on the blog. I have not yet decided: I might just put up wordless posts of some photography. Or I might put up a few advent meditations. We'll see. I want as little internet time and as much peace and quiet as I can manage.

But, before then: I have a million things to share with you. Bear with me...it's a long clippings post today!

First and foremost, I read this morning that Christopher Hitchens died yesterday. He was a man who spent most of his life aggressively fighting my most dearly held beliefs, and indeed nearly everything he said I disagreed with. But he was also a thoughtful and thought provoking writer, who challenged me at every turn to think better, write better, know better. And he loved all the same books I did. His most recent column for Vanity Fair was strikingly candid and moving (even if he used the word "gifted")--and I found myself hoping that, like Oscar Wilde or Doc Holliday, he might come to the light before his death. Now that his death has come, I am a bit surprised at how moved I am at his passing. As my friend Nathan said this morning: "Let us not, in the wake of the passing of such a virulent atheist, mockingly question the post-mortem fate he has met, but hope that, as we do for all souls, he has been surprised by the magnanimity of the Father, by Divine Justice, the true nature of which is known not to us, but only to HIM." Requiescat in pace, Christopher.

+ Hildegaard von Bingen will be officially canonized and named a Doctor of the Church. So, so exciting!

+ Old Book Smell, much like After the Rain Smell, is a real chemical reaction. (Forgive the extraneous capitalization, MMT. But this seemed to warrant it.)

+ Still need some presents for your pop-culture fiend. Download and print these hilarious and awesome paper-dolls from your favorite sitcoms: Arrested Development, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Parks and Recreation. PS: YAY! Amy Poehler got nominated for a Golden Globe!. But, I echo the thoughts of Tim Goodman (in all TV related things), and ask: has anyone who votes in these things heard of a character called Ron Swanson?

+ Don't play that Violin! You might get Mad Cow Disease! (ht: Jane)

+ I love this German man who is tweeting the journey of the Holy Family from the voice of St. Joseph. I have always found it incredibly fruitful to meditate on the reality and daily particulars of the life of the Saints, and especially the men and women in the Bible. (My favorite scene, for example, in The Passion of the Christ was when Jesus shows off to his Mother the table he has built.) Today's tweet I found especially moving. (HT: The Deacon's Bench)

+ Kinfolk II is out! And filled with wonderful ideas, like: snow cooking. Now if it would only snow...

+ Speaking of: snowflakes in macro. most gorgeous things I've seen all week!

+ Tuck Everlasting: The Musical! (please, God, no!)

+ I love this old newsreel video of Flannery O'Connor and her backward walking chickens for so many reasons, not the least of which is that I imagine a theater full of kids watching it and laughing their heads off, which is so different from any other image I associate with O'Connor that it makes me want to laugh myself silly.

+ What? There's actually no blindspot in a car? This is amazing!

+ For the egg lover in your life.

+ A peach hat!

+ Charles Downey has been counting down the ten best new recordings and reissued recordings of classical and sacred music on his blog IONARTS. Great stuff there.

+ Buy a Dominican Calendar!

2011 Gift Guide: Kid's Books

2011-12-15T15:30:00.000-05:00

Hop over to LLB for my Best Picture Books of 2011 round up. This is my last gift guide this year. I am happy to say, I've gotten all my Christmas shopping done already. I love these years when we have a full four weeks of Advent (since Christmas falls on a Sunday). Next week, I'll really be able to focus on Advent, and less on the fuss of getting presents and all getting out cards in time and so forth.

But if you're not there yet, despair not! The weekend will be prime time to shop, and most of the items I linked to over the last two weeks have guaranteed shipping for at least a few more days. And, there's always Amazon. Happy shopping!

All my gift guides can be found here.

Last Minute Shopping in DC/VA

2011-12-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

I hope you have all your shopping done for the season, but I bet you don't. Well, if you're looking in DC here are some great shops, where you're sure to find something. At these places you can find something for anyone:

THE DISTRICT:
Cowgirl Creamery: 919 F Street NW, DC, between Gallery Place and Metro Center. This DC outpost of the California based dairy-and-cheese haven is the perfect place to find gourmet pantry items, a small but good selection of wine and beer, as well as the best cheese selection in the district. Bonus: it's around the corner from the Christmas Market, where they have fresh hot doughnuts.

Politics and Prose: 5015 Connecticut Ave NW, DC, one mile from Van Ness metro. This is, without a doubt, the best bookstore in Washington. Art, literature, music, cookbooks, travel, and a very very fine children's section, all in one roof. Plus yummy sandwiches downstairs, if you get peckish.

Proper Topper: 1350 Connecticut Avenue NW, near Dupont Circle Metro. This store has something for nearly anyone. Originally a hat shop--a very cool hat shop--it now sells toys and baby clothes, a small but very well curated selection of home goods and jewelry, and some paper goods and books too. I always find something I must have there. And it is the only place in DC where you can get a decent umbrella.

VIRGINIA:

Artisan Confection: 1025 N. Fillmore Street Arlington, VA. These incredible chocolates are made in house. I haven't found better chocolate here in DC, and they have such creative (and ever rotating) flavors.

Grape + Bean: 119 South Royal Street, Alexanria, VA. G+B is a one stop shop for the holidays, as far as I am concerned. Get wine for your hosts, champagne for your sweetheart, chocolates for the kids, coffee for Christmas morning, gift certificates for classes (new year's resolution: learn more about wine). And, after the incredibly exhausting task of finishing your Christmas shopping, you can sit down, have a sandwich, and a relaxing glass of wine. (Full disclosure: I work here! And I love it!)

La Cuisine: 323 Cameron Street, Alexandria, VA. This is a humdinger of a kitchen shop. It has really stunning selection of pots, pans, cookbooks, professional quality baking items, and even a ton of fun food-themed Christmas ornaments. (The photo above is of their Christmas window.) And anything they don't have they can order. My favorite purchase of 2011: their suede, washable oven mitts in turquoise.

Red Barn Mercantile: 113 South Columbus Street, Alexandria VA. Three words: Whale Bottle Opener. But seriously, this shop (slightly off the main drag of King Street) has lovely and fun household items as well as gorgeous furniture and well loved and restored antiques.

MARYLAND:
Second Story Books: 12160 Parklawn Dr., Rockville, MD. This incredible warehouse of used books in Rocckville has all the extras from their well curated shop in Dupont. They have everything, and at the warehouse, at least till Christmas, it is all 50% off (with coupon).

The Waygoose: 4926 Hampden Lane, Bethesda, MD. The Waygoose is an old standby at Christmastime. For years my Aunt would send us little brown paper packages with little curls of deep purple paper ribbon and the words "Waygoose" stamped on it. Inside were the most delightful things: glass ornaments and hand crafted wood toys and sumptuous leather goods.

2011 Gift Guides: Awesomness

2011-12-14T15:32:00.000-05:00

N.B. I have two more gift guides left. Tomorrow: books for kids (since you get them on Amazon, you'll have plenty of time to order) and on Friday: local (DC) shops worth checking out on the last weekend before Christmas. PS. I am done with my Christmas shopping. I am so proud of myself.

Well, these are the left-overs. The items that defy categorization (and sometimes our budgets), but that are just awesome, and ought to be shared.

Standard Italian Military Issue Parmesan Grater // $149 // This is clearly the best thing on the internet. PLEASE SOMEONE BUY THIS.

Mid-Century Lion Sculpture // $29 // Handsome enough for a coffee table; sturdy enough for a bookend.

Mauviel Copper Pot // $270 // The perfect pot for roasting, braising, poaching, anything.

Star Projector // $22 // All you need for an awesome party.

Shakespeare's Sonnets, illustrated by Caitlin Keegan // $13 // Lovely, sentimental, timeless.

Liberty Silk Scarf // £135.00 // Their most iconic print. Someday, Mom, I'll buy this for you.

Kate Spade Gold Paying Cards // $18 // I am afraid these are just for vanity's sake. Gold playing cards would be hard to read in a power outage. And that seems to be the only time people play cards anymore.

The Shelia Maid // $135 // Probably the most elegant and practical and elegant drying rack ever created.

Daschund Notepad // $12 // This just cracked me up.

Vintage Pendelton Cot // $415 // I mean, if you need a cot, you might as well have one this gorgeous, right?

Gummy Bear on a Stick // $12 // Comes in 12 flavors!

Mary with the Christ-child // $215 // An original, hand-painted icon of the Theotokos.

The Children's Hour

2011-12-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

When I was 10 or 11, I really loved the poem "The Children's Hour" by Longfellow. It felt incredibly real to me, even though it described a ritual that never actually happened in my house. Though we had many wonderful traditions of our own, I desperately longed for this one, specifically.

Last night, I was wrapping my Christmas present to my goddaughter and her three sisters, the Golden Treasury of Poetry (which I highly recommend as a Christmas gift for any family). This book has everything: nonsense rhymes and Shakespeare, ditties about cats and dogs and, gosh, even lobsters, as well as historical poems, folk songs, and great romances (like "The Lady of Shallot").

I was looking for a poem to specifically point out to them as a favorite or a good starting point for their exploration into the world of poetry. Flipping through, I came across "The Children's Hour" once again, and the memories of sitting, reading it, but being present in it too, through imagination, came flooding back to me. This time the images were different. Instead of being the little girl, laughing with her sisters as we creep into Father's study, I was an observer. For, I have put away childish things (well, sometimes) and now the beautiful children I know have taken up the vision. I pray these girls cherish this poem like I did. What a marvelous thing!

THE CHILDREN'S HOUR
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day's occupation,
That is known as the children's hour.

I hear in the chamber above me
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet.

From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.

A whisper and then a silence:
Yet I know by their merry eyes,
They are plotting and planning together,
To take me by surprise.

A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!

They climb up into my turret
O'er the arms and back of my chair;
If I try to escape, they surround me,
They seem to be everywhere.

They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti,
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old mustache as I am
Is not a match for you all?

I have you fast in my fortress
And will not let you depart,
But put you down in the dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.

And there will I keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away!

2011 Gift Guide: The Good Guest

2011-12-13T15:30:00.000-05:00

This gift guide is for all of those who are spending some time over the holidays as guests. Some of these are big gifts for your charming grandmother who always hosts and can never have too many platters. Others are small gifts for your boyfriend's aunt who is hosting you for dinner, and for that friend you only see at their annual all out Christmas Bash.

Gold pinch-pots // $28 // A charming holiday table accent for your condiments.

Heaven Bars // $22 // They live up to their name; these are the most incredible bar-cookies I've ever had.

Sassafras Southern Relish Trio // $24 // Sunchokes? Meyer Lemons? Beets and Fennel? Yes, please!

Blackline Stoneware Tray // $36 // Simple, versatile, elegant.

Surry Farms Jowciale // $24 // Virginia based ham company does an American take of traditional guincale. And it is heavenly.

Panettone Alle Castagne // $26 // A fruitcake they'll want to receive (with chestnuts).

Caramel Marshmallows // $6 // For hot chocolate parties.

Red Enamel Milk Pot // $9 // Also for hot chocolate parties.

Adagio Chai Teas // $2-$19 // A warm and cozy start to the day.

Tea Towel // $18 // One can never have too many tea towels.

And, of course, Jams by Mags! Last day for guaranteed shipping is Saturday, Dec. 18th. Order now!

Rules for Successfully Working from Home

2011-12-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

1) Forget to set your alarm. Loose your purse.
2) Spend an house digging around your room looking for your purse. Try not to wake your guest, sleeping on the sofa, while more frantically looking for your purse.
3) Give up and sit on your bed, emailing (embarrassed) your colleagues saying you'll work from home.
4) Make breakfast with roommate and guest. Talk a lot, knowing that soon you'll have to go to your rooms and not talk to anyone, very very shortly.
5) Clean off your desk. And by clean you actually mean stick the 6 inch pile of papers, receipts, books, and mail in a paper shopping bag "to be sorted later."
6) Gab again with your guest saying how fun it would be to have a creative office where we could all sit and do our own thing, but all be in the same place. (Please note, no work has actually gotten done yet.)
7) Sit down at said desk and find it...well...cramped. But boldly carry on.
8) Email roommate a charming post about Woody Allen's love letters to Diane Keaton.
9) Debate the relative merits of wrist support and mouses while using a laptop.
10) Hate your desk chair. Rearrange.
11) Catch up on the news. Skip checking the weather: you're not going outside, and anyway you have work to do.
12) Go get some water. Sparkling water, actually. Work out how much it would cost you if you drank 1L of sparkling water every day you worked from home.
13) Remind Mom that you want a Soda Stream for Christmas.
14) Check on the girls. They seem to be working well. Both have headphones on. Does that mean you can turn on your music?
15) Go back to your computer, start reading some, and writing a bit.
16) Check the mail. Yay! Your Christmas present for your sister arrived! It's beautiful!
17) Roommate peeks in: are you hungry. How about Chinese?
18) Have a real (ok, take out) lunch with roommate and guest--with grace and plates and real forks.
19) Work, solidly fortified, for 2 hours and some change.
20) Close your laptop, and pour yourself a glass of wine. It's been a long day, and you've gotten so much done. You definitely deserve it.

2011 Gift Guide: the ladies

2011-12-12T15:30:00.000-05:00

For all the incredible women in your life: your best friend, your sister, your mom, your crazy stylish aunt, your charming neighbors.

Many Tribes Necklace // $40 // Read Earth Trading Co. carries only hand-made items bought directly from the artisans who crafted them. Pretty great stuff, and a great cause.

Sea Salt Soap // $15 // Charming packaging; mineral goodness.

Repurposed Jewelry display hanger // $18 // These were bacon smoking racks. Now they hold her pretty little baubles.

Pride and Prejudice Dish Towel // $11 // Because we all want a Mr. Darcy.

Virginia State Print // $15 // Her favorite state (others available), or where you are now, at least.

Trivial Pursuit Silver Screen Edition // $16 // To settle a longstanding claim of superior movie trivia knowledge.

Blown Glass Turtle Ornament // $40 // Because turtles are her favorite animal.

Green Vitrock Deco Vase // $15 // Green vases go with every flower (of course!)

Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream // $70 // You know she can't eat all this ice cream alone.

Glow-in-the-dark Bocce // $52 // So the afterwork game can last past sunset.

Christmas at Cranford

2011-12-12T12:00:00.000-05:00

Gosh, I love our apartment. Last night Myrna and I were talking about how glad we were that we took a whole evening to decorate. (We decorated on the first Friday of Advent.) How having the house lovely, and decorated and Advent-y really gave us peace and helped us get through the last couple of weeks (and this week, which will also be insane). It is somehow less of a drudgery to have to work in the evenings when you know that the work will be done in a house that smells like pine, and has Christmas lights all over.

These are actually from last year's Christmas, but that's the trouble with film. I keep forgetting to get it developed in a timely fashion. This year the tree is on the bookshelf, so we can see it while sitting on the sofa. It makes all the difference in the world.

TOMORROW!

2011-12-10T12:00:00.000-05:00

Have you forgotten? How silly of you.

The Jams by Mags pop-up shop is tomorrow!

Email me for the address!

2011 Gift Guide: Make it Yourself

2011-12-09T15:30:00.000-05:00

Since it's the weekend, and I know you have nothing to do (besides come to my pop-up shop!), I thought I'd post the homemade gift guide today. You can fill up your weekend with these fun projects:

Thirteen edible gifts, like this Tequila Hot Sauce // Savuer

An I-Pad case made of an old book, with linen padding // Ladies Home Journal

Coffee Liqueur in a pretty bottle // Food in Jars

Map artwork // Martha Stewart Living

Balsamic Glaze in a pretty jar // EAT Boutique

Olive Oil Scrub // Wit + Delight

Panettone // La Cucina Italiana

Preserved Lemons // Not Without Salt

Hand dyed napkins // 100 Layer Cake

Salted Chocolate + Pecan Toffee // Sunset Magazine

Clippings: I'm hippin' you man.

2011-12-09T12:00:00.000-05:00

+ How to be a Retronaught featured some incredible Polish Neon signs from the Cold War Era (above). Speaking of the Cold War, who's going to see Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, tonight?

+ Today is the feast of St. Juan Diego, the man who saw the Virgin of Guadalupe. I love Juan Diego! Also, I highly recommend Tomie de Paola's book The Lady of Guadalupe (which just went out of print, but you should be able to find it at good Catholic bookstores and the like). It tells the whole story and focuses quite profoundly on Juan Diego.

+ Have I mentioned that I love love love A Very She & Him Christmas. It is just perfect. Deschanel has such a charming voice, and M. Ward's blue guitar strikes the perfect balance, making it fun and sweet instead of twee. WSJ reviews other great Christmas releases. (I have my eye on A Very Gypsy Christmas.) (Also, She & Him Christmas is on sale for $5!)

+ Yale University has uploaded high-resolution images of the Voynich Manuscript--a sixteenth century illuminated manuscript with indecipherable text and gorgeous botanical illustrations. It is just incredibly beautiful. (Things like this remind me why I love the internets.) Read more about this manuscript on Letters of Note. (Related.)

+ Speaking of Letters of Note: Shaun has started another awesome blog, called Lists of Note. I especially loved baseball player Don Carman's list of canned responses for post-game locker-room interviews. And these translations of jive. This is perhaps my most favorite thing I've ever discovered online.

+ The worlds oldest Christmas pudding was discovered in the back of a cupboard.

+ Procrastinate much? The Dominicana is a great distraction. The first online edition of this new journal from the Dominican House of Studies is available online now. Subscribe here.

+ My friend Laina, and her band Girl and Piano have a kickstarter project to get their album, The Wayward Ark, released. Pledge $10 and you get a free digital recording...which is less than what it'd cost on iTunes.

+ Terry Teachout on the development of Television.

+ Speaking of television...Yah, this happened:

Next week: More gift guides, and lots of holiday fun!
Don't forget the POP-UP SHOP. (As if you could, with all my nagging!)

Gift Guide: The Kiddos

2011-12-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite gift guide to pull together. I always always always get books for the kids on my list, but there are so many wonderful children's toys and clothing and blankets and so forth to give away, that I can't resist bookmarking them. Sharing them here on the Gift Guides means maybe they'll be bought and given to some charming child I know.

(PS: On Monday, I'll have a Best Children's Books of 2011 list on Little Lamb Books.)

View all 2011 Gift Guides here.
View Etsy Treasuries here.

California Wooden Teether // $12 // They have other states, too.

Ducklings T-Shirt // $20 // A free-hand adaptation of everyone's favorite ducklings.

The Racoon // $25 // In the wild, raccoons have a lot of personality. So does this one.

Ring Toss Giraffe // $29 // I;'m kind-of obsessed with giraffes right now. Especially this guy. (He comes in other colors!)

Winterberry Dress // $60 // I don't think I could pay $60 for a kids dress, but, golly, this is so cute.

Animal Print // $29 // I'm not going to lie. I kind of want this for myself. A great take on the ubiquitous animal poster. (There is a matching print of Animals of Low Moral Standing, too.)

Lambswool Blanket // $69 // Hand-knitted, super soft, lovely colors.

Wooden Play Nativity // $120 // It is all but impossible to find great nativities for kids to play with. I love this one--the exaggerated posture of the kings, the texture on the sheep, the simple paint job. Just the right amount of detail.

Paper Puppets // 8€ // These beautiful paper puppets would be so fun to play with on Christmas Eve in front of a fire.

Premier Sport Kite // $49 // For the record, I've always wanted to know how to fly a kite.

Music Mix: Gratia Plena

2011-12-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Today, in honor of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, I made my 2nd Advent mix: songs and carols dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I think you'll love this mix; I've been listening all day.

Listen to the mix by hitting play above, or click here to listen directly on 8tracks.

GRATIA PLENA

Stella splendens in monte: Waverly Consort, Spanish Music of Travel and Discovery
Motet: Sancta Maria succurre miseris, for 4 Voices (1572): Jordi Savall, La Capella Reial de Catalunya & Hespèrion XX, Tomas Luis De Victoria: Cantica Beatae Virginis
Swete Was The Song The Virgine Soong: Tavener Consort, Choir & Players, The Carol Album
Laudate Pueri (Psalm 113): The Danish Chamber Choir, Claudio Monteverdi's Christmas Vespers
A Virgin Most Pure / A Virgin Unspotted: Joel Cohen and the Boston Camerata, An American Christmas
Salva nos, stella maris: Sinfonye, Gabriel's Greeting
Gabriel's Message: The Schola Cantorum of the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, This Christmas Night: Music for Advent, Christmas, & Epiphany Christmas
Ave Maria (Franz Biebl): Chanticleer, Our Heart's Joy

A quick note about some of the music:

As you know, because I post about it every year, I really love the Claudio Monteverdi's Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary (1610). But today I decided to include Laudate Pueri Psalm 113 from Monteverdi's Vespers of Christmas. (They are not well known at all. This is the only recording available of this magnificent piece.) While this is not specifically dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is sung in the Vespers of her high Feasts, like today.

Stella splendens in monte is not an Advent hymn at all, but I love it, and it has been much on my mind recently, so I start off with it. Dad sent me the sheet music ("Of course I have it!") and I am thinking about learning it. We'll see. (Anyone out there have a translation ?)

The Boston Camerata's version of A Virgin Most Pure / A Virgin Unspotted alternates between the older English carol, and the newer American interpretation. A fitting inclusion, considering that the Immaculate Conception is the patroness of the United States.

The Franz Biebl Ave Maria is perhaps my favorite Ave Maria. This version by Chanticleer is recorded perfection, but it is nothing compared to hearing the piece live, in a Church, when voices build, layer upon layer, filling the space, and stilling the heart with serene joy. If my soul could echo this music in any small way, I'd count myself very very blessed.

2011-12-07T14:32:00.001-05:00

Jams by Mags Pop-up Shop.

Dec 11, 2-5 pm.

email for location.

2011 Gift Guide: Your Resident Blogger

2011-12-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

Typically, I would save my own wish list for the last gift guide--but mom's been bugging me for it, so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone. It's funny--usually I have one big thing that I've been planning for and hoping for, and I tell Mom that she should get it and nothing else for me. (She always gets us lots more than we ask for, though, because she's awesome.) But this year, nothing is jumping out at me. Except: Mom, I really really really want that constellation calendar.

(PS. Some people think it really odd that we do gift lists for Christmas. I will offer no apology, and only the explanation that giving presents is a really big deal in our house. We are very good givers and even better receivers.)

View all 2011 Gift Guides here.
View Etsy Treasuries here.

Leather Camera Strap // $44 // This is the one thing I actually need on this list. My camera strap is threatening to break every moment. Plus, this just looks so cool.

Jam, Jelly & Relish // $15 // I have gotten super picky about jam books recently, but Ghille James' comes highly praised.

Vintage Condiment Tray // $32 // I love the clean white ceramics, the dark wood, and the versatility if this piece.

Flamingo Tea Towel // $20 // Yes. Please. It is awesome.

Chez Panisse Fruit // $23 // Alice Waters' intimate knowledge of the garden from a cooks perspective is beyond measure.

Aqua earrings // $17 // I used to have about 50 pairs of sea-blue and aqua earrings. Now I've lost them all.

Fabric & Handle Elayna Tote // $49 // The perfect tote.

Design Sponge at Home // $23 // The only design book I've wanted in a long time. Grace Bonney and her team have transcended the blog in this beautiful and inspirational volume.

Galaxy Nebula Scarf // $60 // I'm kind of obsessed with scarves right now. And stars. And the colors!

Also: wool socks, good spatulas, and some of those long, sturdy wood spoons from Shackford's. Or, scrap all this and get me a SodaStream. Or a gift card to Ikea, so I can finally buy new dinner plates (Skyn). Also, how many times have I asked for Cranford?

But, really, whatever strikes your fancy, Madre.

2011-12-06T15:30:00.000-05:00

2011 Gift Guide: Barfly

2011-12-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

I'll never forget my trip back to PA after my first Christmas home (post-college graduation). My suitcase was packed to the brim with books and clothes I had left behind in CA, not to mention the Christmas presents. And, in large Ziploc bags, surrounded by those old sweaters, were two bottles: one of No. 209 Gin and the other of Charbay Blood Orange Vodka--Christmas presents from my Mom. My boss declared that this meant my parents thought of me as an adult.

Let's face it: the holidays are the perfect time to indulge your inner-cocktail-sophisticate. Match the slickness of Mad Men with the creativity of artisanal spirits, add a lemon twist, and enjoy.

View all 2011 Gift Guides here.
View Etsy Treasuries here.

Kings County Distillery Bourbon // $25 // Is it Bourbon if it's made in Brooklyn?

Cocktails Dish Towel // $15 // With recipes handily printed on the bottom.

Morris Kitchen // $13 // Boiled Apple Cider or Ginger Syrup are the perfect mixers.

Christmas Tree Highball Glasses // $32 // Have another martini and your tree will look purple, too.

Micro-Brewed Beer of the Month Club // $23/month // Micro-brews from around the world

Oji Masanori Brass Bottle Opener // $60 // You'll never lose this one.

Shop Society // $295 // The perfect bar cart.

Vintage Swizzle Sticks // $12 // shiny and fun!

Charleston Bloody Mary Mix // $10 // Winner of Best of the South in Garden & Gun

P.S. The Cocktail Party (as opposed to The Tea Party) via Miss Hale.

Don't Forget: Jams by Mags Pop-Up

2011-12-05T15:30:00.000-05:00

Email me to get the address.
Please note: CASH and CHECK only.

2011 Gift Guide: Calendars

2011-12-05T12:00:00.000-05:00

I bought a calendar yesterday as a gift for a friend. And then I was afraid that a calendar as a gift was too prosaic. But I have decided that they are not prosaic. No, not when they are this fun + beautiful!

Kirtland House // $25 // antique produce

Albertine Press // $30 // world cities in letterpress

Linda & Harriet // $42 // cheerful watercolors

Impressed Design // $28 // outfit-of-the-month

4thYear // $30 // cheerful quilt patterns

KrankPress // $18 // Odd-Birds of North America
(ps. They have regional seasonal produce calendars now--instead of just CA!)

Michelle Armas // $30 // colorful!

Earmark // $20 // a look you won't get tired of

Sarah Parrott // $26 // dip-dyed + pretty

Light Bright Studio // $25 // my favorite calendar of the year

See also my Calendar Treasury on Etsy.

Jams by Mags Pop-Up Shop!

2011-12-02T10:02:00.001-05:00

For all my DC/VA/MD readers and Jams by Mags lovers, please join me on Sunday, Dec. 11th, for a special Jams by Mags Pop-Up Shop!

If the promise of not having to pay for shipping isn't enough to bring you out, please note: we'll have jam tastings, mulled cider, and my famous shortbread cookies. (Ok, they're only famous in my head.) There will be special gift sets, as well as jams not available online. And special event pricing on select jams!

Please note: CASH and CHECK only.

Email me to get the address!

That kind of day

2011-12-01T15:30:00.001-05:00

Pork & Friendship

2011-12-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

Channelling Laurie Colwin, I want to introduce this recipe with a long string of stories about my incredible friend R. You've met her before, of course, but do you know what an awesome mom she is, and how when I have kids I am going to be calling her every single day for her advice. Or how she's always got the best ideas for our book-club. Or how she (with my help and the help of her 5 year-old) trimmed a tree and decorated an entire apartment in 2 hours, flat. Or that I always feel perfectly at home with her and her family. Or that, in fact, most of my most treasured pieces of furniture were her finds. Or that she is the hardest person to shop for because she is the easiest person to shop for (so many options! what to choose?)

Or have I told you that she is one of the most generous and thoughtful people I know. And that at the end of a long, long week, she and J hosted us for a magnificent feast, and the star of the menu was this incredible pork. None of these things are essential to this recipe, but these things make me love the recipe even more.

This really is the most incredible pork I've ever had. It's also one of the easiest recipes I have ever made. Yes, it takes time and preparation--it sits overnight in the fridge and then roasts for 8 hours!--but it is shockingly easy, and fills the house with the most sumptuous aromas. I popped it in the oven at 5 am on Thanksgiving, and went back to bed. When I woke up at 7 (ah! to sleep in!) I wanted to devour it right then and there, it smelt so good.

As you can see, the original recipe uses oranges and onions. R swapped grapefruit for the oranges, and doubled the fennel seed topping. When I made it, I added some fennel heads to the onion, because I love fennel. Any way you like it: it's delicious. And if you don't like fennel or anise flavors, please give this a try anyway. It is adds a subtle woody depth to the pork, but is not overwhelmingly anise-y. Mom said that Mario Batalli has a version of this with a pork loin, which means it would cook a lot faster (3 hours), but it also means it's more expensive.

Italian-Style Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder
adapted from the Wegmans recipe.

1 medium onion, peeled, halved, and sliced
2 small or 1 large head of fennel, thinly sliced
2 ripe grapefruits, unpeeled, thinly sliced
1 (7-10 lb) pork shoulder
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbs fennel seed
Salt and cracked black pepper

You'll Need: Roasting pan (remove rack), gravy separator

Day before: Combine onion and fennel and grapefruit in the bottom of the roasting pan. Diagonally score fat-side (top) of pork about 3/4-inch deep in a diamond pattern. Rub garlic, then fennel seeds into top of pork. Season well with salt and pepper. Place pork on top of onion and orange slices. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.

Day of meal: Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Remove plastic wrap. Bake uncovered, 7-8 hours.

Remove from oven; carefully place roast on clean platter and allow to rest. As roast rests, ladle hot juices into gravy separator. Reserve de-fatted juices (au jus); keep warm. Reserve onions if desired. (If I thicker gravy is desired, you can thicken with cornstarch.)

Serve au jus with pork. It really is that easy. I promise. (Photo by R.)

Music Mix: Advent

2011-11-30T15:30:00.000-05:00

My friend Maddy told me once she only listens to advent music in Advent. This is most admirable, but most of my sacred Christmas music is in Latin and I don't know what the translations are and so it was actually really hard to get this mix together. I don't have a very deep bench when it comes to Christmas Music, but I will admit, what I do have is really really good.

Listen on 8tracks (or click the player, above).

Watchman of Zion, Joel Cohen and the Boston Camerata, An American Christmas
Ave Maria, Chaticleer Psallite!
There is No Rose of Such Virtue, Sinfonye, Gabriel's Greeting
Quem Pastores Laudavere, Tavener Consort, The Carol Album
People Look East, Alfred Deller Consort, Hark Ye Shepherds
Fulfillment, Joel Cohen and the Boston Camerata, An American Christmas
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, The Schola Cantorum of the Shrine of St. Francis
Veni Veni Emmanuel, Tavener Consort, The Carol Album

St. Andrew's Novena

2011-11-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

Giusto de' Menabuoi. The Call of Saint Andrew & Saint Peter. 1376. Padua Cathedral Baptistery.

It's time again for the St. Andrew's Novena. We've prayed this together for years, and I hope you'll join me again this year. There is no single act that prepared me so well for the coming of Christ and the festivities of Christmas than this novena. I know saying something 15 times seems like a lot. It is a lot. But soon you find yourself praying it while waiting in line at the post office, or waiting for your online order to come through, or sitting in holiday traffic, and suddenly the most mundane and annoying aspects of the holidays are transformed into moments of grace. And let's face it, December is a grind: work deadlines, the looming bills of the holidays, anxiety of travel, and knowing that you won't get half the things you want to get done done. We need all the moments of grace we can get.

Say 15 times a day from St. Andrew's Day (30 November) until Christmas

Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment
at which the Son of God was born
of a most pure Virgin Mary
in a stable at midnight
in Bethlehem in the piercing cold.
In that hour vouchsafe, o my God,
to hear my prayers and grant my desires,
Through the same Christ, our Lord.

Catch Up Clippings

2011-11-29T15:30:00.000-05:00

By the way, next week I'll do my annual gift guides. Email me if you have some specific people or groups of people you need to buy for, and I'll try to incorporate some options in them!

I almost did my weekly clippings post last friday after Thanksgiving, but I ended up sleeping late (yay!) and being out in the sunshine all day long. (This unseasonably warm weather is tripping me out a little bit, but I am determined to enjoy it as long as I can--though it's a bear to dress for!) Anyway, here is a catch-up clippings post for you all to enjoy.

(Tomorrow: Advent Music Mix! and the St. Andrew's Novena!)

+ Robert Fay in The Millions asks where all the Catholic Writers have gone. Maud Newton disagrees on some points.

+ Ben Pentreath is a designer in England who's blog I've recently started reading. Last week he wrote about a simply incredible limited edition book that combines hand-lettered passages from The Book of Common Prayer with drawings of buildings and cities. Take a look. (Photo, above, from the book, too.) Side note: I love the internets, mostly because we can see something amazing like this--well crafted and beautiful and something we'd never ever see otherwise.

+ Mads sent me this lovely story about a couple making blackberry jam for their wedding:

We picked our blackberries in late summer until we couldn't stand to look at another one. We picked blackberries along the foggy coast, on a hot day along the Inverness Ridge and along a trail in my hometown of Sebastopol. We enlisted anyone who had a free hour — and thick skin. We picked with kids and we picked with adults and we picked just us two, a sweet reminder of the purpose of all of this.

+ Msgr. Pope on the drama of light at Advent and Christmas. (Archdiocese of Washington Blog)

+ Mark Brumley on economic equality in the light of the teachings of the Church. (National Catholic Register)

+ I really want to go to New York to see the Lewis Chessmen at the Cloisters. WSJ reviews.

Places: Mare Island (IV)

2011-11-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

I took you on an instagram tour of Mare Island when I got home from my summer trip there (1 / 2 / 3), but today I'd like to share some photos of a hike I took up the only hill on the island, which looks over the Eastern part of the island, over the marshland, towards Mt. Tamalpais (bottom photo), and the Pacific Coast Range. There are all sorts of marvelous plant life on the island, from wild fennel to anxious thistles to acres of golden grass, waving with the wind like a yellow sea.

Related: The Edge of Paradise

All photos will be archived on Wonderment Photography (eventually).

Guys! I made a pie!

2011-11-28T15:30:00.000-05:00

You know, I have never, ever, ever made a pie crust. Every time I made a pie, I used a store bought crust - usually TJ's which has, thankfully, lots of delicious butter. I used to watch the Barefoot Contessa make pie crusts in her Cuisinart, and thought it looks, if you'll forgive the expression, as easy as pie. But I never dared to try to attempt it on my own.

Until last night. I used the Joy of Cooking's Flaky Pastry Dough recipe, and adapted it (according to their instructions) for a food processor, and baked it for 10 minutes before putting in the pumpkin pie filling. It was the final delicious bite of a completely perfect holiday weekend.

Jams by Mags Cyber Monday Sale!

2011-11-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Jams by Mags is celebrating Cyber Monday with a special 10% coupon, good on all orders till 12 pm PST tonight.

Enter the code CYBERMONDAY for your 10% off coupon!

Please contact me for orders of 3 jars or more, so I can adjust shipping charges. Or, make your order, and I will refund you any overage in shipping costs. Please note: there is a 35¢ fee for all reserved orders.

Thanks

2011-11-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

(This photo of Mare Island was taken this summer. I've been saving sharing it with you; it is perhaps my favorite from the whole year.)

Thanksgiving. I love that it comes right when it does--almost at the edge of the year. I find it extremely fitting to consider the blessings of the year now, on the cusp of Advent, than later, in the midst of the feast of Christmastime. I know, we should always be grateful, and I am. But I love that for the next four weeks, as I begin to prepare my heart for the coming of Christ, I stop--we stop--to consider the many blessings of the year. The beginning of joy is gratitude. We cannot welcome Christ without recognizing how much He has done for us.

And once you start thinking about all the things you ought to be grateful for, you realize how little is your own work, and how much of what you love in life is His doing, His bounty, His blessing, and His loved ones, generously shared with you.

I do want to single out a few things I am especially grateful for that have to do with you:

+ The health of my friend David, for whom you all prayed so generously and graciously. A year ago, we did not know if he would live, and now he is recovering so beautifully, walking, active, gaining strength with every day.

+ The incredible response to Mira Joy's Plum Jam. We raised over $150 for the Northwest Center in Washington, DC. And Mira Joy's parents were deeply moved by your generosity. Thank you so much.

+ For your support, through your readership, your patronage of my jam shop, your enthusiasm and you appreciation of this blog and all my many projects. This has been a year of crossroads and big decisions. This blog is a refiner's fire of all my ideas, a chance for me to be totally creative and somehow is a community, and one I could not part with for anything!

Thanksgiving: 2011 Roundup

2011-11-22T15:30:00.000-05:00

So, what are we cooking for Thanksgiving? Well, Curry and Boy Wonder are coming down, so we're all pitching in for a huge pot-luck. The main dish will be an incredible Italian slow-roasted pork, which I will share with you at a later date. (We have guests who make turkey and ham every day for their job, so we're avoiding turkey and ham this year.) I'm also bringing my Brussels Sprout Salad. My sister is making incredible sweet potatoes with blue cheese and pecans, and the green beans listed below. We have Myrna's requisite cranberry + brandy relish, classic mashed potatoes, and lots and lots of pie. Curry is making some incredible stuffing, and Sidecar is bringing wine. All in all: a true feast!

Ok, here's my final roundup of awesome Thanksgiving Recipes that I've earmarked, but will be saving for another day.

Start with:
Leek and Pear and Chanterelle Toasts (Happyolks)
Fall Shandy (A Sweet Spoonful)

Let's be honest, all the fun is on the side:
9 Thanksgiving Sides get a Makeover (Food 52)
Green Beans with Pickled Onions (Bon Appetit)
Raw Tuscan Kale Salad (101 Cookbooks)
Orange Saffron Sweet Potatoes (Food 52)
Jamie Oliver's Smoked Beets (Food 52)
Crispy Potato Roast (FishFood Blog)
7 Hearty Salads (Food 52)

Non-Turkey Main Courses:
Pork Cooked with Bay and Milk (Nigel Slater in The Gaurdian)
Slow Roasted Pork with Orange Slices (The Kitchn)
Fennel and Onion Gallette (Starting in December)
Scallops and Endives (Lucy's Kitchen Notebook)
Rosemary Rubbed Beef Tenderloin (Savuer)
Roast Duck with Jam Sauce (Bonnie's Jams; my Plum Jam or Blueberry would be amazing for this.)

Dessert!
Sweet Potato Pie with a cinnamon roll crust (Taste for Adventure)
Maple Buttermilk Pie (101 Cookbooks)
Riesling Poached Pear Tart with Spiced Custard and Almond Crust (Roost) --this is gluten free!
Pumpkin Pie with cream instead of evaporated milk! (Food 52)

10KP archive of Thanksgiving Recipes:
First Course (2008)
Dream Thanksgiving (2008)
Appetizers (2009)
Soup + Salad (2009)
Turkey + Sides (2009)
Desserts (2009)
Cheese Platter (2009)
Duck for Thanksgiving (2010)
Brussels Sprouts (2011)
Potatoes Anna (2011)
Cheater's Doughnuts (2011)

Photo from last year's Thanksgiving. The rose bowl is from Mark Hewitt Pottery.

Thanksgiving: Cheater's Doughnuts

2011-11-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving morning. You've got the turkey sitting patiently on the counter, half a million things to attend to, and a house full of people waiting for breakfast. You need something quick, something fun, and something that will tide them over till you start rolling out the food at 3 p.m. I make doughnuts. Cheater's Doughnuts, to be exact.

You take a can of the Pillsbury biscuits (though I use Trader Joe's brand now--much better!), and lay out each biscuit. Cut out a hole from each one. Heat several cups of canola oil in a stock pot, and, after a while, drop a bit of dough in to see how it's doing. You want the oil hot enough to fry each side in about 30 second, but not so hot that the inside ends up raw. When it is hot enough, drop the doughnut née biscuits into the hot oil and fry, quickly, turning once. Lay them on a paper towel or piece of newsprint to drain.

We used to make these at sleepovers. They are involved, but the kids can help, and in fact love to help.

Especially glazing/frosting them. Personally, I like the simple cinnamon sugar dusting, but we've made glazes from orange juice and powdered sugar, from chocolate, from thinned out jam, from maple syrup. If you are one of those clever people who saves vanilla beans in jars of sugar, vanilla sugar is really good on these. But cinnamon sugar is by far the best and easiest: pour your mix into a brown lunch bag and let the kids shake the doughnuts up till they're covered (or, just put the mixture on a plate and flip the doughnuts over a couple times...boring.)

Scramble up some eggs and serve.

Hymn to St. Cecelia

2011-11-22T10:00:00.000-05:00

Poem by W. H. Auden (click here for the full text), music by Benjamin Britten. (Thanks for pointing me to this, Stearns!)

(It is also the anniversary of the death of C. S. Lewis. May he rest in peace.)

Thanksgiving: Potatoes Anna

2011-11-21T15:30:00.000-05:00

Today and tomorrow, I'll be sharing a handful of easy recipes for your thanksgiving table. Enjoy!

POTATOES ANNA are by far my favorite way to make potatoes. Crisp and buttery and delicate in flavor, but still easy to transport and just so delicious. Also, they aren't soaked in cream, and while they're buttery, they aren't over the top buttery--so they are not too heavy for even the richest of dinners. If they didn't take the extra time to prep, I'd honestly at these every week in the wintertime.

It may seem like a longish recipe (at least for me!), but it is really simplicity itself. The hardest part is inverting the skillet onto a plate.

They can be prepped the morning of Thanksgiving, and put in the oven for the last hour while you're roasting your meat. They're not half bad room temperature, too. And they transport well in the skillet--just pop in the oven for a couple of minutes to reheat.

POTATOES ANNA
adapted from Martha Stewart

2 1/2 - 3 lbs Russet Potatoes
8 tbl European butter (or regular unsalted butter, but come on, this is a holiday!)
a couple sprigs of rosemary or thyme (or both)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Peel the potatoes. There are three ways you can slice them: Using a sharp chef's knife, slice thinly in rounds. OR use a mandoline. OR use the slice blade on a food processor. If you want to be anal and have a perfect dish, you can separate the nice full rounds from the stubby little ends. If you are using rosemary, strip the leaves from the stem and chop them roughly. If you are using thyme, simply strip the leaves from the stem and discard the stem.

Melt the butter in a little saucepan. Brush the bottom of your cast iron skillet (or baking dish, but really, it's better in a skillet) with 1 1/2 tbl melted butter. Starting in the center of the pan, arrange the potato slices, overlapping each other, in a circular fashion, till they cover the bottom of the pan.

Brush this layer with more melted butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and some of the herbs. Arrange a second layer on top, in the same fashion. Then coat with butter, salt, pepper, and herbs again. Continue till the pan is full.

Bake for approximately 1 hour, till the potatoes are tender and the top is crispy. Remove from the oven and allow the pan to cool a bit. Run a flat spatula along the sides and bottom of the potatoes, and carefully invert onto a flat plate. To serve, slice into wedges.

If by chance you fail to invert it cleanly onto the plate, don't worry. Dress it up with some creme fraiche or sour cream, and some herbs. Or roughly chop it up into a bit of a mash. It still tastes amazing.

Thanksgiving: Brussels Sprout Salad

2011-11-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

Today and tomorrow, I'll be sharing a handful of easy recipes for your thanksgiving table. Enjoy!

Have I told you this story? My parents hate most of those vegetables that parents notoriously make their children eat. Peas. Cooked broccoli. Green Beans. (I know! What's wrong with them?!) But one vegetable that they actually really really love is Brussels Sprouts. And yet, I did not have my first Brussels Sprout till I was 26, and R and I went to DC Coast for Restaurant Week, and gorged ourselves on fishes. These sprouts were broiled, and had bacon, so clearly they were amazing. But my favorite way to make Brussels Sprouts is raw, in a salad.

If you can get tender, local sprouts in season, there is no reason to risk the bitterness sometimes induced by cooking. Shave them up into a salad. Since they are a rough and hearty green, they the higher acidity of the dressing tenderizes them a little bit. Make the dressing a couple days before, and prep all the other ingredients, keeping them in individual bags. Assemble up to 1/2 hour before the meal. It travels well, too, everything in their neat little bag.

BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD

This is the version I make, but oh my gosh there are a ton of recipes online for a million different variations. To name a few: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4

For the dressing:
8 tbl extra virgin olive oil (preferably a peppery olive oil)
2 tbl lemon juice
2 tbl really good quality apple cider vinegar
3 minced shallots
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 1/2 lbs fresh fresh fresh Brussels Sprouts
1 apple, peeled and cored
1/2 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped

1/4 lb hard, nutty aged Gouda (aged at least 16 months), or another nutty, hard cheese like Pecorino, Dry Jack, or Parmesan. Also good, a dry, crumbly goat or blue.

First make the dressing: pour all ingredients into a jar and shake vigorously. Store up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Shake well before pouring onto the salad.

Remove the rough outer leaves from the sprouts and let them soak in a bowl of water to remove the sand. Dry on a thick pile of kitchen towels, pressing gently to release water. When drained and dry, slice the sprouts. All the recipes say you need really good knife skills to do this, otherwise use a mandoline. You do not need really good knife skills. It is as easy as pie. But you do need a good sharp knife.

Julienne the apple, and squirt a little lemon juice on it. Roughly chop the pistachios, and set aside. (I always buy shelled pistachios for these sorts of recipes. There would be no pistachios in this salad if I had to shell them. I'd simply eat them all while shelling.) Slice off the rind from the Gouda, and shave into long, thin, almost translucent pieces.

Layer all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, reserving a few of the cheese slices, and toss well with the dressing. No need to be gentle with this salad: you want the dressing to permeate and tenderize the sprouts a bit. Top with the remaining Gouda, and serve within the hour.

Clippings: Little Joy

2011-11-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

Next week on 10KP: two days of thanksgiving recipes, and then a nice little break as I celebrate Thanksgiving with some of my favorite people in the world.

+ Look! You can be engaged to Prince William, too. (A Cup of Jo)

+ Though, you may have heard, it's too late to marry him. Speaking of which, the Kate Middleton effect has already begun in wedding dresses. (Vogue)

+ The taste-maker blog Creature Comforts came out with their annual gift guide, and it is awesome. Also, turns out, Ez is the sister of a girl I went to highschool with. Fun! Small! World!

+ The Thomist who makes wine. (Thomistica)

+ Yesterday my friend Calvin (so nicknamed for his love of the comic) asked me what I was really going to do with my life. Teasingly, he wondered, was I going to flit around from job to job, staying at one place for a couple years, then moving on to something else. "Our parents generation would have been horrified to do that. They found a job, or a career, and they stayed in it. But not us." (Well, certainly not him--he's a lawyer.) The New York Times puts it in slightly different terms: The Entrepreneurial Generation (via Pourbrew):

The millennial affect is the affect of the salesman. Consider the other side of the equation, the Millennials’ characteristic social form. Here’s what I see around me, in the city and the culture: food carts, 20-somethings selling wallets made from recycled plastic bags, boutique pickle companies, techie start-ups, Kickstarter, urban-farming supply stores and bottled water that wants to save the planet.

Today’s ideal social form is not the commune or the movement or even the individual creator as such; it’s the small business. Every artistic or moral aspiration — music, food, good works, what have you — is expressed in those terms.

+ Continuing my obsession with roasted chicken. (WSJ)

+ Dinner and a Movie: The Thin Man (Food 52)

+ Sarah has some great tips on pushing through to the end of a project and finding motivation.

+ Incredible video of the development of a human child from conception to birth, from a recent TED talk. (via First Things)

+ The Thanksgiving holiday is the perfect time to get started on making your own Advent Calendar. (Can you believe Advent is coming so soon!) Also, Simcha Fisher was awesome writing on Advent earlier this week.

Finally: We had our first frost last night, I am told, and all I can think about is a brazillian beach. Why? because I have been listening to the short-lived band Little Joy non-stop for the past three days. A lot of their music is on YouTube including this adorable video which I posted before, but I especially love this live, acoustic recording:

Some Book Links

2011-11-17T15:30:00.000-05:00

Ahead of my clippings post tomorrow here are a few literary links I thought I'd bring to your attention in one dedicated post:

Could P.G. Woodehouse's letters be as medicinal as his novels and short stories? (Gaurdian)

Wodehouse's letters, often written at speed, allow us to see him without his craft in place. Moments of great emotion break through: his excited optimism at the prospect of winning a scholarship to Oxford; his disappointment when he learned that a varsity life was not to be his lot after all; his stoicism in the face of romantic disappointment; his devastation at the death of his step-daughter; his outrage and sorrow at the public response to his wartime broadcasts.

Some of Wodehouse's earliest letters are his most revealing. Recently discovered notes to an Oxford undergraduate, Eric George, aka "Jeames", show him testing, and parodying, the language of love. Wodehouse was still at school, and in a playful allusion to their separation, he shows himself a master of literary drag, impersonating an "hilliterit' female admirer": "My only Jeames," he writes, "life is werry hollow without you." Snatches of contemporary love poetry are offered – "A sigh sent wrong, / A kiss that went astray" – only to be manfully dismissed: "Isn't it rot?"

Was Jane Austen murdered? I know many men who, upon first reading Pride and Prejudice would wish it, but, ah! too late. (Huffington Post)

Umberto Echo's newest book centers around 19th century Prague, and the writing of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The Paris Review interviewed him this week. (I wish he would write a historical fiction about the Saxons and the Normans.)

I once thought that the only thing Groucho Marx and T. S. Eliot had in common was the distinction of being two of my very favorite figures in all of the 20th Century. But it turns out these men were an unlikely pair of correspondents and friends:

...What Eliot considered “the waste land” of modern life—the deracination, impudence and profane materialism—was mother’s milk to Groucho.

Yet one day in 1961 Groucho received in the mail a note from none other than Eliot himself. Expressing his admiration for the comedian, Eliot asked him for an autographed portrait. A shocked Groucho sent back a studio photograph of himself, only to receive a second note from the icon of modern poetry requesting instead a picture of the iconic Groucho, sporting a moustache and holding a cigar. A second photograph was sent out and a happy Eliot wrote to thank Groucho: “This is to let you know that your portrait has arrived and has given me great joy and will soon appear in its frame on my wall with other famous friends such as W.B. Yeats and Paul Valery.” Groucho had asked for a portrait of Eliot in return, and the latter happily enclosed one. Then the famously morose poet, characterised by Siefgried Sassoon as having “cold-storaged humanity” and by Ottoline Morrell as “the undertaker”, finished with a joke. “P.S.” he wrote. “I like cigars too but there isn’t any cigar in my portrait either.” Well, sort of a joke.

Now here's a great little analysis of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland from Prospect:

Previously, most books for children had been either educational or improving; the only purpose of Alice is to give pleasure. We have grown so used to bunnies in blue jackets with brass buttons that it is hard to remember how comparatively recent such things are. There is no trace of children’s literature in antiquity; animal fables were for grown-ups. Perhaps that is not surprising in a world where books were few and expensive, but it is striking that it was so many centuries after the invention of printing that the change occurred. Here again the accidental nature of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was crucial. It was first written, after all, for a readership of one, and that gives it a lack of self-consciousness that was never quite captured again, not even in Through the Looking-Glass. It has no pretensions to be a masterpiece, and that is one of the reasons that it is a masterpiece. Like A Study in Scarlet, The Screwtape Letters and perhaps the Satyricon, it was tossed off lightly by an author who had little idea how much he had achieved. It is probably the most purely child-centred book ever written.

Ps. When I am stressed out, I look at pictures of bookshelves. I am not even kidding. I even have a pinterest board dedicated to bookshelves. The photo above is from Book Lovers Never Go To Bed Alone.

The Great Debate: Pinterest v. Tumblr

2011-11-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

Have I mentioned that I am on tumblr (above) and pinterest (below)? I've been playing with both of them the last couple weeks, trying to decide which I like better as an archive of images and recipes and DIY and so forth. And I can't really decide which I want to carry on. On the one hand, pinterest is very convenient, and I can organize everything into boards of any theme. On the other hand, tumblr looks so much cooler. I love the daily visual change of my site of a new image with the ones already posted.

They both have good internal communities, and lots of creativity and flexibility. I think pinterest will win out in the end, because of the organizational aspect. But, well, I'll keep playing for a while, and see.

Are you on either sites? Let me know so I can follow you!

PS. My tumblr is named for my very favorite line in all of Shakespeare. Anyone know which play and who's the speaker?

Martinis as God Intended

2011-11-16T15:30:00.000-05:00

A martini, as God intended, is of course three parts dry gin and one part French vermouth, and anything drier than that is just a glass of iced gin. --Lucius Beebe, Gourmet Magazine Oct. 1948.

A true martini also needs really good gin, and the best gin I've ever had are two brand distilled in San Francisco: Junipero Gin & No. 209 Gin. Keep your eye out for them; they are both sublime. Balanced, bright, not overpoweringly piney, and really really smooth.

Photo from Eat Make Read (who posts a seasonal cocktail every week).

St Margaret of Scotland

2011-11-16T06:56:00.001-05:00

Today is the feast day of my patron saint, Margaret of Scotland. She was an incredible woman: The great-niece of King St. Edward the Confessor, she was raised in Hungary, where her family fled during a short Danish invasion of England. Her brother had strong claims to the English throne, so they returned together. They fled the invading Normans (Battle of Hastings, ho!) to Scotland (or were blown there by a terrible storm), and the Scottish King Malcolm III welcomed them warmly.

Malcom was the son of Duncan I, who was usurped by Macbeth. (Yes, that Macbeth. Sort of.) Malcom likely spent some of his teenage years in the court of King Edward the Confessor. He and Margaret married in 1070, and she bore him 6 sons and 2 daughters. Her daughter Agatha became Queen Edith, of England, wife of William the Conqueror's son, King Henry I.

She also brought civility, the English Parlimentary and Feudal systems to Scotland, reformed the Celtic Church, which still had hints of paganism, and was generous to the poor, and especially orphans. She also established the ferry which took pilgrims to Dumfermline Abbey. She died on Nov. 16, 1093, three days after the death of Malcom and their son Edward were killed in the Battle of Alnwick.

What is fascinating to me, reading her story and the stories of the lives of her family, her husband, is how on the cusp they were. The battles and claims to power which brought her to Hungary, then back to England, then away again, first battling other Saxons, then the Normans, then alliance with the Scots, and, through her life, smaller battles over Northumbria and other parts of Northern Britain--brother fighting against brother and invader--all this was the precursor to what we see as the pivotal moments in English history, and the firm establishment of a British monarchy. It is fascinating.

1066 may be one of the most important dates in the history of Western Civilization, but her life was in the midst of it, and was largely directed by the outcome of that fateful battle. And yet her legacy is one of charity, justice, and faith. What a time for a saint to be born! It give me hope for today.

St. Margaret of Scotland, pray for us!

Jazz Love: Autumn Leaves

2011-11-15T15:30:00.000-05:00

There are some jazz tunes that I never really liked as a child, but that grew on me over the years. I think in some respect they were too sophisticated for my sensibility. I liked happy tunes and carefree love songs because I was young, and happy, and wanted (but not desperately wanted) to be carefree and in love.

But life catch up with you, and you hear an old tune that you used to fast forward on the cassette, but you listen this time (now on CD), and really love it. Autumn Leaves, by Johnny Mercer, is just such a tune for me. I am surprised at how long it takes for me to get tired of this tune.

Jams by Mags Thanksgiving Order Deadline

2011-11-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

A couple Jams by Mags updates:

+ If you want to make an order of Jams by Mags that will be guaranteed delivery before Thanksgiving, you need to do so by 9 pm, Thursday, November 15th. They will be mailed the next day. (PS. I can't believe I spelt guaranteed correctly on the first try!)

+ If you want a 10% off coupon for your order, you need to sign up for our email updates!

+ If you're unsure what flavors to get, you can always purchase a 3 Jam Gift-card Set, and your recipient will pick their favorite jams (price includes shipping)!

+ Christmas flavors will be released on Monday, November 28th. This will include a couple of last year's Holiday favorites! Hurrah!

Photo by Kim Maxwell Vu. Logo and photo copyright, Jams by Mags.

The Essentials

2011-11-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

Today is Stearns' birthday, and we had a little celebration at Cranford to mark the occasion. My essentials for a perfect party: fringey streamers // chocolate almond orange cake // a bottle of red wine for each person // some cava, too // falafelling // awkward toasts // chair dancing // watermelon radishes // having so much for we forgot about poetry and singing // not a bowl of hummus, a round of cheap brie, or a bag of chips in sight // a charming, enthusiastic, sincere, funny, sporting, generous, intelligent, gracious, witty, truly and genuinely lovely gal to celebrate. (Photo from Oh Happy Day.)

Clippings: Day Early

2011-11-10T15:30:00.000-05:00

I'm doing my clippings post today, and taking tomorrow off in honor of our Veterans.

+ Working on Saturdays means I miss my favorite Farmer's Market, and I have not been able to get flowers from the market all year long. This is devastating to me, so I am excited for my day off this Saturday. I'm getting inspiration from the amazing, seasonal bouquets featured on the blog Honey of the Thousand Flowers (Kinfolk).

+ Stearns, Carrot, Myrna and I are sort-of beginning to think about considering looking for a house instead of our beloved apartments. To which I say: I require a fireplace, stained glass, gothic ornaments, and a flower room. That's possible in Nova, right? (English Muse)

+ A true lover of sandwiches, but even this "Shooter's Sandwich" intimidates me with its awesomeness and intensity. (The Gaurdian)

+ A couple months ago, Sr. Margarita Aloysious sent me this piece in the Post about that Gaithersburg, MD, Perpetual Adoration Chapel. I finally read it this week. It's quite good. (Washington Post)

+ Heavy Fog by Edward Gordon

+ The Oxford Companion to Beer is on my Christmas Wish List and Giving List. Here's The New Republic's review.

+ What? Art Deco Super Heroes. YES. (How To Be a Retronaut)

+ Joe Carter has his cranky pants on today about the world's most expensive photograph. But I can't blame him. I took almost exactly the same photograph when I was home this summer.Where's my $4.3 million?

+ Awesome People Reading? (Man, I love Tumblr.) (via The Paris Review)