Julie's talent is daydreaming about dreamy pirate captains. Scott's talent is predicting which sock will go missing in the dryer.

 They aren't sure how these talents will help the fleet, but they stand at the ready! Episode 384: Talents, Incorporated and A Matter of Importance by Murray Leinster

Home Cooking

It is the food of the high places, of the foothills, pine barrens, and slow brown rivers. It is not something done by the great chefs of Atlanta or Birmingham for people who spend more on a table for four than a working class family spends on groceries for a month. It was never intended for everyone, but for people who once set a trotline, or slung a wrench, or rose from a seat in the ciety auditorium to testify during an all-night gospel singing.

Rick Bragg, The Best Cook in the World

As I've mentioned before, this is one of my favorite comfort books.

Jupiter's Great Red Spot

Jupiter's Great Red Spot, NASA

(March 1, 1979) As Voyager 1 flew by Jupiter, it captured this photo of the Great Red Spot. The Great Red Spot is an anti-cyclonic (high- pressure) storm on Jupiter that can be likened to the worst hurricanes on Earth. An ancient storm, it is so large that three Earths could fit inside it. This photo, and others of Jupiter, allowed scientists to see different colors in clouds around the Great Red Spot which imply that the clouds swirl around the spot (going counter-clockwise) at varying altitudes. The Great Red Spot had been observed from Earth for hundreds of years, yet never before with this clarity and closeness (objects as small as six hundred kilometers can be seen).

The climate has never been better - for faith

"When human thinking has come to a dead end and can see no way out of its problems," sais Pastor Fritz calmly, "then the faith is able to spread its wings. The climate has never been better - for faith."

Edna Hong, Bright Valley of Love

Ain't that the truth?! Written in the 1970s and here we are again, in full blown chaos.

Roast Beef — Medium by Edna Ferber

With one hand on her sample case and the other fending off advances from salesmen, hotel clerks, and other predators, Emma holds on tightly to her reputation: honest, hardworking, and able to outsell the slickest salesman.

Saratoga Trunk by Edna Ferber is one of my favorite books. However, every time I tried one of her other big books like Giant or So Big I never liked them. Then I discovered the first book of this trilogy — Roast Beef-Medium — at the podcast Love's Tender Flame (season 3). The podcast features gentle, sweet romances from the early 1900s. I like books from this time period although Edgar Wallace's thriller/mysteries usually are the ones that attract my attention. And I recommend the podcast and others where Mardell reads. I guess Ferber can write other books I like!

Roast Beef-Medium follows Emma McChesney who is a top-selling female "drummer" (traveling salesperson) in a time when they are definitely a rarity. Divorced 10 years before this book begins, she's also a single mother. Most of all, Emma is a delightful character who is intelligent and brimming with common sense. You never know what situation she'll find herself in but she's always going to come out on top.

I also tend to enjoy books about working women in this time period in general. Lady Molly of Scotland Yard is also good, by the author of The Scarlet Pimpernel. Baronness Orczy

Evening in Marshlands

 

"Evening" ("Marshlands"), Józef Rapacki, 1891

Somehow this evokes summertime for me. I can almost hear the frogs croaking, the whine of insects, the night birds.

Saints Joachim and Anne

I love the point that is made by our focus on this married couple, these parents and grandparents. 

Here we celebrate Mary's parents, Jesus' grandparents — Joachim and Anne.

I am including the summary from Catholic Online because it was the best (and most succinct) I found. Also — I absolutely love the point made about the way they raised Mary that helped to form her faith and trust to become the Mother of God. It is a good way to recall that we can't foresee the ripples our own actions cause in our marriages and families.

Emphasis added is mine.

By tradition Joachim and Anne are considered to be the names of the parents of Mary, the Mother of God. We have no historical evidence, however, of any elements of their lives, including their names. Any stories about Mary's father and mother come to us through legend and tradition.

We get the oldest story from a document called the Gospel of James, though in no way should this document be trusted to be factual, historical, or the Word of God. The legend told in this document says that after years of childlessness, an angel appeared to tell Anne and Joachim that they would have a child. Anne promised to dedicate this child to God (much the way that Samuel was dedicated by his mother Hannah -- Anne -- in 1 Kings).

For those who wonder what we can learn from people we know nothing about and how we can honor them, we must focus on why they are honored by the church. Whatever their names or the facts of their lives, the truth is that it was the parents of Mary who nurtured Mary, taught her, brought her up to be a worthy Mother of God. It was their teaching that led her to respond to God's request with faith, "Let it be done to me as you will." It was their example of parenting that Mary must have followed as she brought up her own son, Jesus. It was their faith that laid the foundation of courage and strength that allowed her to stand by the cross as her son was crucified and still believe.

Peshawar

Peshawar by Charles W. Bartlett

If you are inspired to take on a worthy project, don't hesitate.

I would not hesitate to do anything the Beloved [God] asks, regardless of its difficulty. Experience has taught me that when I accept a challenge for his sake, a gnawing doubt regarding my ability to perform will bless me. When the work is finished, the reward is high satisfaction This is a reward we receive her and now rather than in heaven.

The only ones who can understand what I am saying are those who have also tasted these sweet pleasures. I have been through this many times.

Sometimes an assignment has far-reaching implications. In such cases, I will give you my best advice: If you are inspired to take on a worthy project, don't hesitate. Have no fear that you may not be able to accomplish it. Turn yourself over to God. Take yourself out of it. You need not be afraid you can't do the job. God can do all things.

St. Teresa of Avila

This has also been my experience since I came to know the Lord.

The children and Aunt Enid

I am sorry that the first thing you should hear about the children should be that they did not care about their Aunt Enid, but this was unfortunately the case. And if you think this was not nice of them I can only remind you that you do not know their Aunt Enid.

E. Nesbit, Wet Magic

E. Nesbit is so funny and this sense of humor is strewn through all her children's stories.

The Golden Temple, Amritsar

The Golden Temple, Amritsar by Charles W. Bartlett

Taj Majal, Sunset

Taj Mahal, Sunset, woodblock by Charles W. Bartlett

More exotic beauty from Charles Bartlett!

An affectionate letter from a bishop must surely be the most disagreeable missive which a parish clergyman can receive.

His state became still worse when he received an affectionate but solemn letter from the Bishop warning him of his danger. An affectionate letter from a bishop must surely be the most disagreeable missive which a parish clergyman can receive. Affection from one man to another is not natural in letters. A bishop never writes affectionately unless he means to reprove severely. When he calls a clergyman his "dear brother in Christ," he is sure to go on to show that the man so called is altogether unworthy of the name.

Anthony Trollope, Dr. Wortle's School

Trollope is just so funny. He understands human nature and exploits for his humorous storytelling.

Hanalei Fishermen, Hawaii

Hanalei Fishermen, Hawaii , hand colored etching by Charles W. Bartlett

Charles Bartlett had so many works featuring Hawaiian and Indian scenes that I wound up looking him up. Wikipedia says:

In 1913, with financial backing from his wife's well-to-do family, the Bartletts traveled to India, Ceylon, Indonesia, China, and Japan. He arrived in Japan in 1915, where he met woodblock print publisher Watanabe Shōzaburō (1885–1962), who was a major force in early 20th-century Japanese art (shin-hanga). In 1916 Watanabe published 21 woodblocks from Bartlett's designs, including six prints of Japanese landscapes. In 1917, Bartlett and his second wife left Japan for England; however, they stopped off in Hawaii, where they remained—never returning to England. He did visit Japan in 1919, where he created sixteen shin-hanga prints for Watanabe.

We'll have his art for the rest of the week.

To meddle in the government of society [is], so to speak, the only pleasure that an American knows

Citizens assemble with the sole goal of declaring that they disapprove of the course of government. To meddle in the government of society and to speak about it is the greatest business and, so to speak, the only pleasure that an American knows. . . . An American does not know how to converse, but he discusses; he does not discourse, but he holds forth. He always speaks to you as to an assembly.

Alexis de Toqueville

It's so interesting to see that we began as we meant to go on. And we're still obsessed with holding forth about politics to this day.