Daybook during Musical Week

/

Outside My Window

Our Mary garden is outside the window over the sink. The peonies were a bust this year, but everything else seems to be coming on strong: astilbe, echinacea, phlox, lupines, assorted other flowers I’m sure I’ve forgotten, and an abundance of mint!

Last night, while walking in the very back of the garden, we discovered that our cherry trees are full of cherries! This is a first. We’ve never noticed fruit on these trees. We lost several trees back there to the water issues. It’s nice that these two are flourishing.

I am so Grateful for

Opportunities for my children to be surrounded by holy examples who live the faith day in and day out without exception or compromise.

I'm Pondering

 “The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” —Anna Quindlen

I am Reading:

The Anatomy of Anxiety. This is my second time through. I’m incorporating some of the things articulated here in the new, improved Take Up & Be Well series, launching later this summer.

And I just finished Tara Road by Maeve Binchy. What strikes me after reading over a dozen British and Irish novels this year is the preponderance of male characters who have mistresses as a matter of course and who think setting up two families is a thing civilized people do.

And Grow Your Own Medicine as I dig deep (pardon the pun) into herbal remedies and plant some new medicinal herbs with intention.

so many children and costumes and moving pieces—and yet it’s not chaotic

I am Thinking

As I watch younger moms juggle babies and toddlers and big kids and try to be all the things for all of them, I want to assure them that it gets easier. But I can’t.

I don’t.

Because I don’t think it does get easier. It gets different. In a lot of ways, it gets more challenging. It’s as if all the challenges of the younger years are designed to get you fit for the ones to come.

I was talking to an older mom yesterday about the choice we make to be peaceful with the way things turned out or to be bitter. For some people, it is easy to be at peace. For others, the choice is the crucible where holiness is forged.

I am Creating:

Skincare. I’m still on a quest to replace my favorite Beautycounter products and to share with you, but one of my daughters-in-law offhandedly commented that we could all just use my healing salve when we run out of Beautycounter. I haven’t really run out of anything yet, and I do plan to use it all because wasting it to jump to something new seems silly. But, I’m a big fan of facial oils and those are all nearly gone, so I’m playing with some things I think will nicely fill my desire for a rich, aromatic oil that will be good for my skin and 100% pure. I’ll let you know how it goes. (I don’t have any notion of selling this, by the way. But I’ll be happy to provide a recipe if I can get it right.)

Late edit: Karoline confessed this morning that her tears yesterday morning were prompted by pumping her Soft Cream bottle and getting… nothing. It’s not so much about the product—though that appears to be irreplaceable—it’s the era we had loving these things together. Then again, I think we’re learning detachment together, so there is that.

Incidentally, these are great for getting every last drop out of the bottle.

In my ear:

I recently listened to The CBD Bible as I seek to update my herbal medicine knowledge base. With the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp became a legal option to add to the herbal wellness repertoire. Of course, most of us were super wary because hemp is associated with marijuana, and weed gets you high—today’s weed can get you pretty serious paranoia, too. No one hates THC (the psychoactive agent in marijuana) more than I do. But CBD--from the flower of the hemp plant specially bred for optimizing CBD and minimizing THC to non-discernible levels—looks like it can be a viable option in an alternative medicine repertoire, particularly when it comes to plain, sleep, and anxious feelings. The industry is like the Wild West, though. If we thought the personal care and cosmetic business was unregulated, the business of hemp is even crazier. But the research is fascinating, and I’m learning a lot. Not quite ready with links and recommendations yet, but pretty close.

Towards a Real Education:

These are the days which are the happiest of my girls’ school year. We spend all day, every day for two weeks in the company of 150+ other happy Catholics creating a beautiful musical performance. We’ve been blessed with plenty of fresh air and sunshine and the space is filled with song. What more could we want?

Towards Rhythm and Beauty

My “job” during these weeks is to spend my days tending the gorgeous shop on the property. I move between indoors and outdoor displays. There are shelves upon shelves of really good books. And there are art and jewelry and lovely gifts. I’m surrounded by beauty indoors and out. If I work at it just a little, I can persuade myself that this is a retreat.

Late edit: My job this morning was to supervise the installation of a porta-potty. So I guess it’s not all beauty and loveliness. (Though it IS a very nice porta-potty.)

To Live the Liturgy

Last month, I spent some time with my friend Kate in Virginia. Among so many other things, we talked about the Sacred Heart. Kate has had a devotion to the Sacred Heart for as long as I’ve known her. It’s a devotion I came to late. Kate sent me home with an image to enthrone in my house. It’s dear and precious because she gave it to me, and it’s compelling in part because of her witness to the graciousness of his heart, especially for the suffering.

I am Hoping and Praying

Someone I love as if he were my sixth son is facing some formidable health challenges this summer. He has a tremendous struggle in front of him and a steep hill to climb back to health. In your mercy, please pray for him.

In the Garden

All the dahlias are in and we’re beginning to see sprouts. I’m going to be endlessly delighted this summer as the tubers I saved from last year continue to grow. In years past, I followed all the careful storage instructions. I cleaned them and divided them and stored them in vermiculite in a not-too-hot, not-too-cold trying-to-be-perfect environment. They rotted or they withered. This year, I dug them up, left them dirty in a wheelbarrow and forgot about them in the garage. When it came time to plant, I looked for tubers that had sprouts, didn’t divide much, and stuck them in the ground. So far, they’re doing beautifully!

Also, my cilantro is looking lush. I could never get cilantro to grow in Virginia.

costuming in the backyard

hair and makeup by the pool

Around the House

I have not been home much, so I’m trying to hustle in the mornings and evenings to keep up with laundry and dusting—always dusting. When a house doesn’t have central heating and cooling, it also doesn’t have central filtration. So all that dust settles all the time. That’s why old houses are dusty even if they have “new” people cleaning ferociously. It’s going to be a quick scramble before we head out on Friday to be sure all the beds are reset and we’re ready for the influx of big siblings here to see the show. It’s fun to fill it up. So fun.  

From the Kitchen

This is my favorite thing to bring to a party as a dip. It’s also my absolute favorite pasta sauce. It’s summer in a bowl. Celebrate the first of the tomatoes: Make it early and often.  

Popping Tomatoes and Warm Feta Pasta

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (multi-colored is nice)

  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons honey

  • 6 cloves garlic, sliced very thinly

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

  • 2 tablespoons Trader Joe’s Soffritto seasoning blend (It’s a spice blend of crispy onions, sun-dried tomatoes, sea salt, garlic, red peppers, chili flakes, parsley, rosemary, and sage.)

  • 16 ounces feta cheese, cubed

  • 1/2 cup fresh basil

  • 1 pound dried linguine

TO DO:

  1. Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. And then cook the pasta.

  2. Preheat the oven to 450° F.

  3. In a baking dish, combine the tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, honey, lemon, and soffritto seasoning, and garlic. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to burst and the oil is sizzling.

  4. Meanwhile, cube the feta cheese and arrange it in a shallow serving bowl. Lightly crumble half of the feta cubes.

  5. Spoon the warm tomatoes and oil over the feta. Season with additional sea salt and black pepper.

  6. Ladle 3/4 cup of the pasta water into the bowl.

  7. Drain the pasta, and add it to the sauce mixture. Toss.

  8. Garnish lavishly with fresh basil.

*Note: If you stop after step five, you can serve this as a dip with crusty bread and call it all good. It works beautifully for a party dip.

Feeding tugboat the donkey during rehearsal, as one does.

One of My Favorite Things

Merit makeup. Yes, it’s true. My girls have finally worn me down, and we’ve tried some Merit products. They are quite nice! I still have plenty of Beautycounter, with the exception of brow gel. I like Merit’s brow gel and mascara better than Beautycounter’s . But what I really love is the blush in the shade Beverly Hills. It’s truly the perfect shade for me. So even thought I have Beautycounter blush, I find myself reaching for the Merit blush—and loving it more than I thought possible.  Also, I’ve notice that my Merit lipstick in Ginger has disappeared. I also noticed it’s the perfect shade for Sarah;-).

I’ve always been a makeup minimalist, even more so in the summer. Lately, I’m skipping foundation altogether and using blush, mascara, and lip gloss only some days—when the feeling strikes. I admit to really loving the simplicity.

A Few Plans for the Rest of the Week

It’s all about the play this week. Siblings will visit. We’ll have late-night cast parties that segue into Father’s Day celebrations. And then, on Monday, there will be a day devoted to striking the set and cleaning it all up.

And then, her junior year will really be over and my sweet Karoline will be a senior.

 

Picture thoughts: all the pictures this week are from the place where we have our play.